Richard Gere faces fierce backlash from Lulu Simon after selling her childhood home—once owned by Paul Simon and Edie Brickell—to developers for demolition, breaking what she claims was a promise to preserve the land, leaving her heartbroken and furious over the loss of a deeply personal legacy.

Richard Gere is facing intense backlash after selling a historic Connecticut estate—once home to music legend Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell—to developers who plan to demolish it and replace it with nine luxury homes.

The emotional outcry was sparked by Lulu Simon, the daughter of the famed musician couple, who took to Instagram on July 8, 2025, to call out Gere for what she described as a betrayal of trust and a violation of a promise he made when he purchased the property in 2022.

Gere, 75, and his wife Alejandra Silva bought the 32-acre New Canaan estate from Simon and Brickell for \$10.8 million two years ago, reportedly assuring the family that the land and the 1930s house on it would be preserved.

But by October 2024, the actor had quietly sold the estate for \$10.75 million to developers, without ever having moved in. The new owners have since announced plans to divide the estate into nine separate residential plots, a move that effectively dooms the historic home.

Lulu Simon, now 30 and a rising singer-songwriter, did not hold back her fury.

Posting on Instagram Stories, she wrote over a selfie and a screenshot of the demolition news: “Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do!” She went on to accuse him of breaking an unspoken pact: “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 :).”

Her anger only intensified in a second slide, where she added a chilling message: “I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness,” accompanied by a photo of Gere appearing alongside some of her childhood pets.

She followed that with a meme showing a frog beneath a vibrant sky, bearing the cryptic caption: “Time will put your enemies in the ground.”

Gere has not responded publicly to the criticism, and his representatives have yet to issue a formal comment. The sale itself appears to have been motivated by the actor’s recent relocation to Madrid, Spain, where he moved with Alejandra and their children in late 2024.

Gere, who shares sons Alexander, 6, and James, 5, with Alejandra—and son Homer, 25, with ex-wife Carey Lowell—told *Vanity Fair Spain* last year that he wanted his wife to be closer to her family and cultural roots.

“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,” he said at the time.

Though the move may have made sense for Gere’s family, the decision to part with the Connecticut property has struck a painful chord with Lulu, who described the estate as her beloved childhood home.

She implied that Gere’s assurances about preserving the land were a key reason the family felt comfortable selling it to him in the first place.

The property’s fate was sealed in May 2025, when demolition plans were filed and salvage crews from Hudson Valley House Parts began dismantling the estate’s architectural elements.

In a social media reel, the team showed off historic fixtures being carefully removed for repurposing before the structure’s complete teardown.

“We have been fascinated by this estate,” the caption read, “as our team has been working on location salvaging many architectural elements.” It noted that the estate, once owned by Gere and previously by Simon and Brickell, would soon be replaced with nine luxury lots.

The emotional stakes are particularly high given the property’s provenance. Paul Simon, one of America’s most revered songwriters, and Edie Brickell, known for her work with the New Bohemians, raised their family in the serene estate for decades.

For Lulu, who grew up there surrounded by her parents’ music, family pets, and personal history, the home was much more than a piece of real estate—it was a living part of her identity.

Public reaction to her posts has been swift and divided. Some fans expressed sympathy for Lulu and criticized Gere for what they saw as a careless and profit-driven decision.

Others have defended the actor, pointing out that once a property is sold, the new owner is legally entitled to do as they please.

Still, the emotional and ethical undertones of the controversy have struck a nerve, particularly with those who see the incident as another example of heritage being lost to development.

For now, the estate that once echoed with the songs of Simon and the laughter of a young Lulu Simon stands as a memory—soon to be replaced by luxury homes that few will associate with the deep, complicated legacy it once held.

Whether Gere will eventually respond to Lulu’s pointed accusations remains to be seen, but the damage to their once-trusting relationship appears irreversible.