Paul Simon’s Daughter Slams Richard Gere for Selling Her $11 Million Childhood Home to Developer Who Plans To Demolish It
Singing sensation Paul Simon‘s daughter has lashed out at Hollywood actor Richard Gere over his decision to sell her childhood home in Connecticut to a property developer—who has since revealed plans to demolish the historic property.
Lulu Simon, 30, took to Instagram to blast Gere, 75, in a series of posts, claiming that the “Pretty Woman” star had “promised” to “take care” of the property when he first bought it in 2022—only to “never actually move in.”
“Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere—I do!” she wrote alongside a picture of herself flashing a peace sign at the camera.
“He bought my childhood home,” she went on. “Promised he would take care of the land as [a] condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in and just sold it to a developer as nine separate plots.
“Hate! Him!” she concluded the post, which also featured a news story about Gere’s latest real estate deal.
Lulu then continued her tirade with a rather eerie warning for Gere, sharing an image of the actor surrounded by photos of her late pets, while writing: “I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness.”
Both posts were deleted around 18 hours after they were first posted.
The real estate deal at the center of Lulu’s furious rant saw Gere—who relocated to Spain at the end of 2024 with his wife, Alejandra Gere, and their children—selling the New Canaan mansion to SBP Homes for $10.75 million in November 2024, around the same time he moved to Europe.
Months later, it was revealed that SBP Homes was planning to tear down the existing six-bedroom mansion, which was built in 1938 and sits on a stunning 32-acre plot, in order to make way for a nine-plot subdivision.
Realtor.com® revealed in May that Hudson Valley House Parts of Newburgh, NY, had been called in to salvage historic parts of the brick Colonial ahead of the demolition, with the company’s founder, Reggie Young, noting that they had manage to save several historic parts of the property, including two steel nautical-motif, midcentury bay windows; a limestone mantel; and a marble mantel.
Gere purchased the home from the “Mrs. Robinson” crooner and his wife, Edie Brickell, in the summer of 2022 and had originally planned to turn a large portion of its expansive grounds into a farm, according to details shared during a local planning and zoning commission meeting in 2023.
But in April, those plans seemed to have been put on hold when Gere told Vanity Fair Spain that he wanted to relocate his entire family to the European country so that his Spanish-born wife could be closer to her family.
“It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and the people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy,” he told the outlet. “I’m looking forward to going there.
“For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture. 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.
“I love Spain and the ability of the Spanish people to live transmitting joy and happiness.”
Although Gere did not officially list the home, its original description hailed the property as an “incomparable retreat” and a “personal oasis” with “spectacular grounds.”
The main house on the 32-acre property was originally designed by architect Harold R. Sleeper, and it featured five bedrooms, as well as grand formal rooms, “soaring ceilings,” and beautiful natural light.
Before Gere purchased Simon’s former home, it has been owned by the singer for 20 years, according to records, which show that he bought it back in 2002 for $16.5 million—three years before he and his wife welcomed daughter Lulu.
Gere bought the property from Simon via an LLC—scoring the home for a sizable discount. The property had first been listed by the singer-songwriter for a whopping $13.9 million; however, the actor paid just $10.8 million, records reveal.
Despite selling the Simon property, Gere has previously revealed that he and his wife planned to retain a residence in the U.S., telling Vanity Fair Spain that they owned a dwelling “in the countryside near New York,” although he did not specify where.
Over the years, Gere has bought and sold numerous homes in the greater New York area, offloading a 50-acre Westchester estate for $28 million back in May 2022. TV-series runner Ryan Murphy was later revealed as the buyer.
Six years earlier, he had listed his Hamptons property, a picture-perfect home in Sag Harbor, NY, which was initially listed for $65 million.
Two years later, he wed Silva, and the pair have since welcomed two sons together. Gere also has an older son, Homer, now 24, from his marriage to second wife Carey Lowell, while Silva shares a son, Albert, 11, with her ex-spouse, Govind Friedland.
Since their big move, Gere has gushed about how much he “loves” their new life—while also slamming the way in which the U.S. has changed under the leadership of President Donald Trump, leading many to suggest that Gere might never return.
However, Silva has since revealed that the couple were never planning to move to Spain permanently, explaining that they were going to be flying back and forth between their new home in Europe and the U.S., before eventually returning to America full-time at some point in the future.
“For a few years [we’ll live in Spain], and then come back. But we’re always coming back. We’ll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,” she told the Daily Mail.
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