Richard Gere is ultra-private when it comes to his sons.
The Pretty Woman star welcomed his first child, son Homer, in 2000, with his second wife, Carey Lowell, whom he split from in 2013 after 11 years of marriage. Prior to their relationship, he was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995.
After marrying Lowell, Gere became a stepfather to her daughter, Hannah, from a previous marriage. The actor has credited spending time with Lowell’s daughter as his gateway to being a dad, telling The Independent in 2007 that serving as a stepdad helped him move “past any fears I had about having children.”
Gere had high praises for fatherhood after welcoming Homer. “He fills me with joy. You have to make time for a child, but it’s enormously satisfying. That’s love, too,” he said of his son in 2008.
Nearly two decades later, Gere expanded his family again when he welcomed his son Alexander, 5, with his third wife, Alejandra Silva, whom he wed in 2018 after four years of dating. The pair then welcomed another son, James, in 2020. Gere is also a doting stepfather to the Spanish activist’s 11-year-old son Albert from a previous marriage.
During an appearance on the Today show in November 2024, Gere revealed that he will be moving to Spain with Silva and their children.
“My wife is Spanish, and we’re going there for her family, her friends, her culture,” he said. “The kids are bilingual, so it’s really going to be great for them.”
Here’s everything to know about Richard Gere’s children.
Homer James Jigme Gere, 24
Richard Gere’s eldest son, Homer, whom he shares with second wife, Carey Lowell, was born in New York City on Feb. 6, 2000. Gere opted for a musical welcome for his little one, playing Handel’s Messiah on a portable CD player that he brought into the delivery room.
“Richard is over the moon and Carey’s in good shape,” the former couple’s friend Sharon Simonaire, who first introduced them, told PEOPLE at the time. “[Gere] said you can’t even understand it until you experience it yourself.”
Baby Homer’s moniker honors both Gere and Lowell’s fathers: his first name pays tribute to the actor’s father, Homer Gere, while his middle name honors the actress’ dad, James Lowell. His third name, Jigme, is a nod to Gere’s Buddhist background: the name means “fearless” in Tibetan.
When Homer was 2 years old, the Runaway Bride star spoke to The Guardian about how proud he was of his son, whom he described as athletic and intelligent.
“[Homer is] the joy of my life. Loves music, very fast runner, very smart. Very funny,” he told the outlet. He added that Homer had developed a strong sense of personality early on, explaining, “Pretty quick he learned irony, which is a wonderful quality for any human being.”
During his son’s teenage years, Gere made sure fatherhood took priority over his work life. Speaking to the Hindustan Times in March 2015, he explained, “My film decisions are mostly mine, but I’m very careful about not being away from my son, Homer James Jigme Gere, for very long.”
He continued, “So, if I have to be away for long, I talk to him about it, and if there is a problem, I don’t take up the project. And I have done that. Your family is more important than anything.”
Homer grew up in Westchester, N.Y. He attended Tarrytown’s private Hackley School before enrolling in Brown University. In May 2024, Homer graduated from college with a degree in psychology and a minor in visual art, per his LinkedIn.
Alexander Gere, 5
In September 2018, Silva revealed that she and Gere were expecting their first child together — and they had some very special help in sharing their happy news. On Instagram, she shared that she received a blessing from the Dalai Lama before announcing the news publicly.
“A very special moment just a few minutes ago… Getting blessings for our precious to come,” the future mom-of-three captioned a since-deleted Instagram photo of the Buddhist leader blessing her baby bump.
“We couldn’t announce it before telling HH Dalai Lama☺️,” she added, sharing the message in English and her native Spanish.
The couple welcomed Alexander in February 2019; Gere was 69 years old at the time.
While the businesswoman and Gere have rarely shared glimpses of their little ones, Silva did share a sweet snap of baby Alexander playing in a pumpkin patch in October 2020, keeping his face hidden from the camera. A few weeks later, she shared another photo of him proudly showing off his pumpkins at home.
In March 2023, Gere and Silva took their sons to a local farm. In a photo shared on her Instagram Story, Silva helps Alexander milk a cow as Gere has a hand on his wife’s back and watches.
James Gere, 4
Just nine months after welcoming Alexander, a source close to Gere and Silva confirmed to PEOPLE that the pair were expecting again in November 2019.
They welcomed their second child together, James, in April 2020. Like with his big brother, the couple has kept their younger son out of the spotlight, rarely sharing photos of him on social media.
In December 2021, the activist took her sons to a zebra preserve, sharing a photo of herself holding both of them while all three faced away from the camera. In the caption, she wished her followers a Merry Christmas. The following Christmas in 2022, the family enjoyed a tropical holiday together, and Silva shared a rare photo of the entire brood posing with their backs facing the camera on a dock.
Gere, Silva and their two boys celebrated her 40th birthday with a day out at the beach in February 2023. Silva posted a photo on Instagram of her and her sons running on the sand during a family getaway. “Thank you all for the birthday wishes.. after almost 3 weeks of everyone being sick in our family, today finally I feel much better!” she wrote in the caption.