Richard Gere has found himself on the receiving end of Paul Simon‘s daughter’s wrath after he sold her childhood home to real estate developers.
The “Pretty Woman” star bought the 1938 six-bedroom mansion in New Canaan, Connecticut, from the Simon & Garfunkel singer for $10.8 million in 2022, but sold it in November 2024 ahead of his move to Spain.
Backlash
Now, the property is being demolished and developed into nine new homes, which, according to Lulu Simon, 30, goes against a “condition of [Richard’s] purchase”.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Lulu didn’t hold back her anger against Richard after she claimed he failed to “take care of the land” like he apparently promised.
“Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do!” she wrote over a selfie and a screenshot of a news article about the home’s impending demolition.
She continued: “He bought my childhood home. Promised he would take care of the land as condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in & just sold it to a developer as 9 separate plots :).”
She added: “Hate! Him!”
© InstagramHer anger didn’t end there as she shared another photo of Richard superimposed over cats and dogs with the message: “I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness.”
SBP Homes bought Richard’s family home for $10.75 million, and once it is torn down, they plan to develop the 32-acre lot into nine individual properties ranging in size from 2.2 to 4.8 acres.
© Instagram“We’re very excited about this project. From the beginning, our goal was to thoughtfully accommodate a wide range of interests in how the property would be developed,” SBP Homes project manager Adam Sherer said in a statement at the time.
Hudson Valley House Parts, a salvage shop in Newburgh, NY, has been busy salvaging historic parts of the brick Colonial after the demolition was first reported in May.
“It’s a real shame the house is being torn down,” the salvage company’s founder, Reggie Young, told Realtor.com.
© Getty ImagesAccording to the site, Reggie and his team saved many parts of the house, including two steel nautical-motif, mid-century bay windows, and a complete cerused oak library with a bowed fireplace and wall paneling with built-ins.
“We don’t typically do celebrity homes,” Reggie said. “It can pique interest, but in terms of sales, there’s a very specific buyer for this kind of thing.”
© InstagramHe added: “The person who wants salvage is passionate about history, and wants to save some money.
“[The celebrity connection] is fun and sexy, but at the end of the day, it is the quality, design, and style that will sell something.”
Move to Spain
© InstagramRichard sold the home to move to Madrid, Spain, with his wife, Alejandra Silva, and their two sons, Alexander, five, and James, four.
The Hollywood star revealed the family’s plans to move last April during an interview with Vanity Fair Spain. “For Alejandra… she was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers.”
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