Leonardo DiCaprio seems to have moved on from dating 25-year-olds. With Gigi Hadid, he might join a new, less morbid "27 Club".
Since yesterday, rumours of the Oscar-winner dating supermodel Gigi Hadid have gone viral with entertainment tabloids and sources close to both, mentioning how they have “hung out” multiple times.
Age is just a number and that number should not be more than 25
If the rumours are true, then this will be the first time the 47-year-old actor will be dating a woman above the age of 25. Ever since the actor ended a four-year-long relationship with model Camilla Morrone (who turned 25 this June), Twitter was abuzz with memes on the actor’s particular dating preferences. A Reddit user called TrustLittleBrother went a step ahead, creating a detailed chart comparing his increasing age versus the age of his girlfriends.
Even at the 2022 Emmys ceremony that took place on Tuesday, host Keenan Thompson joked on how Euphoria actress Zendaya, who turned 26 this year, would be “too old” for DiCaprio.
Has DiCaprio ever given an answer?
Presently, DiCaprio’s most recent ex Camila Morrone is as old as Titanic. This means that when DiCaprio himself was 25, Morrone was a 2-year-old! For the general masses, DiCaprio’s seemingly eternal quest to date women in their 20s is amusing. For some, the age gap is creepy with some even suspecting the actor of grooming young models and actresses.
With the average age of the Titanic actor’s ex-girlfriends being 22 years and 9 months, it is obvious that DiCaprio is aware of his pattern. But unfortunately for the paparazzi (whom he actively avoids in innovative ways), DiCaprio has never offered an explanation.
For psychologists, Leo is quite the subject.
Maybe, the “25 Club” is an excuse for the actor to feel “young” instead of exploring his late-40s. The climate change “activist” is known for his lavish lifestyle on private yachts. Throw in a “young supermodel” (Blake Lively has been the only actress that he dated, others being models) in the mix and the actor’s image of a rich, old playboy is complete.
Sex and relationship therapist Serafin Upton adds that maybe dating women of this age demographic satisfies DiCaprio’s self-image as a Hollywood heartthrob. “I wondered whether what he gets out of younger women being into him is that he constantly has that message reinforced that he’s a really good-looking guy". Upton tells New Zealand media outlet Stuff.
She however calls him a repeat “offender” adding that there is a “serious pattern of avoidance” on DiCaprio’s part. This avoidance is particularly in reference to accepting the reality of old age, intimacy and settling down.
Can DiCaprio ever form a mature relationship?
“Clearly this isn’t healthy behaviour - not so much the age differences but the repetitive nature of the relationships - it indicates a serious problem with forming intimate relationships,” Psychotherapist Noel McDermott tells The Sun, explaining that Leo’s dating history might reveal his own struggles in love.
With him turning 50 in two years, it seems probable that he isn’t in the mood for marriage or children either. With this being said, it is worth noting that if the relationship with Gigi indeed sets off, then this will be the first time he will be dating a woman with a child (and of course, not younger than 25).
Gigi’s on-and-off relationship with Zayn Malik (during the course of their on-and-off relationship) had daughter Khai who they are currently co-parenting. Would DiCaprio’s entry in Gigi’s life give him a taste of parenting? Or would he prefer to take the backseat like Pete Davidson did while dating Kim Kardashian?
What do his exes feel?
Contrary to all the jokes and sensational headlines, DiCaprio’s exes have often supported him. A prominent case in point is Kristen Zang who dated DiCaprio from 1995 to 1997. At the time of their breakup, both were aged 23 years.
Over two decades later, Zang spoke to People magazine this month adding that the backlash that DiCaprio receives is rooted in ageism.
Still, the Internet and Zang would find common ground when it comes to satire, “But let's keep the funny memes coming, they're stellar. Truly.”
In 2019, then-22-year-old Camilla Morrone herself defended the age gap when she uploaded a photograph of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Baccall, a classic Hollywood couple with an age gap of 25 years. “A love like this," her Instagram caption read. The post naturally drew polarising reactions.
In the end, even if DiCaprio’s exes might not have any bad blood against him, it is obvious that his dating preferences are concerning. But keep the memes coming. They are stellar.