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Richard Gere Descended From Mayflower Pilgrims, Divorce Finally Over Four Years After Marriage Breakdown

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 03:50 PST, Dec 29, 2016

Richard Gere (born Richard Tiffany Gere in 1949) is an American actor and humanitarian activist and is also the former husband of models Cindy Crawford and Carey Lowell.

Many of this brilliant actor’s fans may not be aware that Richard Gere is actually a descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims: in fact, both his parents have ancestors from the Mayflower Pilgrims.

American history reveals that the Pilgrims were disgruntled English dissenters who decided to migrate to America in the early 17th century after giving up their allegiance to the Church of England. The Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower at Plymouth in England and set sail for America. This fact has historical significance because the Pilgrims signed a declaration known as the Mayflower Compact, proclaiming their right to self-government.

Most Pilgrims hailed from the English county of Nottinghamshire, especially Bassetlaw, and today the county is preparing to celebrate the epic journey taken by the Mayflower Pilgrims. Importantly, the first signatories of the Mayflower Compact hailed from Bassetlaw.

John Mann, a Bassetlaw MP, sought the help of Tory Dame Caroline Spelman, a Church of England representative, and asked her to use her clout by inviting Pilgrim descendants like Richard Gere. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Mann revealed that those participating in the celebrations would love to see Richard Gere attend this special occasion.

“[Dame Spelman] might care to bring one of the many descendants of the Pilgrims with her, if she with her good contacts could arrange it. The most popular would probably be Mr. Richard Gere.”

Richard Gere appears to have taken after his ancestors in expressing religious freedom because the Pretty Woman actor is an ardent follower of Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, the popular actor found Buddhism while pursuing an interest in philosophical studies.

Later, his studies in Buddhism and teachings of the Dalai Lama convinced him that Buddhism is the only way to peace, tranquility, and non-violence. As a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, Richard Gere has fought long and hard against human rights violations in the Tibetan region. The Runaway Bride actor is chairperson of the International Campaign for Tibet, aiming to raise awareness about problems in the region, in addition to protecting the Tibetan culture.

Even though Richard Gere’s marriage to Cindy Crawford ultimately failed, the supermodel credits Gere for teaching her a number of important things, including how to become famous. Crawford found Gere to be a very spiritual person, who urged her to connect with her fans and audiences emotionally rather than merely mingling with them.

Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t last, and the couple decided to part ways as Crawford wanted to focus on her modeling career while Gere wanted to continue practicing Buddhism and work on his humanitarian projects. Later, Richard Gere married Carey Lowell, and this marriage lasted 11 years.

Even though Richard parted ways amicably and peacefully with Crawford, it wasn’t so easy for the Time Out of Mind actor to finalize his divorce with Carey Lowell. Page Six reported that the court witnessed several heated moments during which Gere and Lowell argued loudly with each other.

Richard Gere reportedly lost his cool during the divorce proceedings and vented his anger on a media photographer waiting outside the Manhattan courthouse where the proceedings were being held. The meditation beads on his left wrist and a Tibetan prayer bag did not prevent the loyal Buddhist from jabbing his pointed umbrella at the photographer.

People magazine reported that the actor and Lowell spent around four years determining the divorce settlement amount which was to be calculated based on Richard’s total assets. At that time, Richard Gere was worth around $45 million!

Even though the couple decided on joint custody of their now 16-year-old son Homer, the two celebrities battled it out over other issues, including a financial settlement.

Richard Gere has for some time been romantically linked to Alejandra Silva, 34-years his junior, according to Closer Weekly.

[Featured Image by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images]

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cindy crawford Buddhism Richard Gere Dalai Lama
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