Alejandra Silva: The Woman Behind Richard Gere’s Love Story

Introduction

Alejandra Silva is a Spanish publicist, businesswoman, and humanitarian activist. Many people know her as Richard Gere’s wife. But her career began long before their marriage.

Born on February 16, 1983, in A Coruña, Spain, she grew up in a business-connected family. She later studied advertising and marketing, worked in commercial roles, and became involved in charitable projects.

Her work has taken her from luxury hospitality to organisations helping homeless people. Today, she serves as Co-Chair of The Gere Foundation.

Her personal life also attracts attention. She married Hollywood actor Richard Gere in 2018, and the couple have two sons together.

Still, there is much more to her story.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full Name	Alejandra María Silva García-Baquero
Known As	Alejandra Silva, Alejandra Gere
Date of Birth	February 16, 1983
Age	43 years old (2026)
Birthplace	A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Profession	Publicist, Businesswoman, Philanthropist
Father	Ignacio Silva Botas
Mother	Paola García-Baquero
Education	Advertising and Marketing
First Husband	Govind Friedland
Current Husband	Richard Gere
Marriage Year	2018
Children	Albert, Alexander, and James
Organisation	The Gere Foundation
Known For	Humanitarian work and marriage to Richard Gere
Instagram	@alejandragere

Growing Up in Spain

Her story starts in Galicia.

Born in A Coruña, Silva spent her early years in northern Spain before moving to Madrid with her family.

Her father, Ignacio Silva Botas, is a businessman who served as vice-president of Real Madrid football club from 1995 to 2000. Her mother is Paola García-Baquero.

This family background gave her early exposure to business and professional life.

Yet her future wasn’t limited to that world.

She developed an interest in helping people facing hardship. That interest eventually became an important part of her career.

Her childhood was mostly spent away from public attention. Much of what is known about those early years comes from later interviews and Spanish media profiles.

Education and Student Life

Education took her abroad.

At around 15, she moved to the United Kingdom for part of her schooling. According to Vogue España, she studied for an advanced-level English qualification before returning to Madrid.

Back in Spain, she pursued Advertising and Marketing.

It was a practical choice.

The subject introduced her to communication, brand management, and business practices. These skills were useful during her early professional years.

Some online profiles mention specific universities. However, the available reliable sources do not consistently identify her university or graduation year.

What is confirmed is her educational background in advertising and marketing.

How Her Professional Career Began

Her first steps were modest.

Silva began her career as an intern at The Farm, an advertising agency in Madrid.

The position gave her experience inside the advertising industry.

In 2005, she moved into a commercial management position at a company in the private aviation sector.

That was a different environment.

She was now working in a business where communication, customer relationships, and commercial planning mattered every day.

These early jobs helped build her professional experience before her charitable work became more prominent.

Experience in Luxury Hospitality

Another chapter took place in Italy.

Silva worked in luxury hospitality in Positano, a coastal town on the Amalfi Coast.

Her work was connected with Villa Treville, a well-known luxury property.

This period later became part of her personal story because she reconnected with Richard Gere while working in the area.

Still, her connection to hospitality existed before their marriage.

She had already spent years building experience in business and communications.

The Beginning of Her Humanitarian Work

Her charitable interests became more visible in 2007.

That year, Silva promoted the Beautiful Life Fund initiative alongside Czech model Karolína Kurková.

The project aimed to draw public attention to vulnerable women and children, including young people affected by war and displacement.

It was an early example of the causes she would continue supporting.

Instead of working exclusively in commercial roles, she began spending more time on humanitarian activities.

Her later work focused particularly on homelessness.

Helping People Without Homes

Housing became a major concern.

Silva has supported HOGAR SÍ, a Spanish organisation working to end homelessness, since 2015.

The organisation was previously known as Fundación RAIS.

Her relationship with the charity developed over time. She became an ambassador and publicly supported campaigns calling for better housing solutions.

She has also spoken about the need to treat homelessness as a social problem that requires lasting action.

In April 2024, she and Richard Gere joined the organisation’s Board of Trustees.

This was a formal leadership responsibility, rather than only a public ambassador role.

According to HOGAR SÍ, both have supported its goal of ending homelessness in Spain by 2030.

One detail matters here: Silva did not found HOGAR SÍ. The organisation existed before she became involved.

Her Experience Sleeping on the Streets

One reported experience stands out.

As part of learning more about homelessness, Silva spent time sleeping on the streets to better understand the difficulties experienced by people without stable housing.

HOGAR SÍ has publicly acknowledged this experience.

It was connected with her efforts to hear directly from people affected by homelessness.

Her work with the organisation has continued for more than a decade.

Her Role at The Gere Foundation

Her current position carries wider responsibility.

Silva serves as Co-Chair of The Gere Foundation, the charitable organisation founded by Richard Gere in 1991.

The foundation supports humanitarian and environmental causes.

Her stated areas of work include homelessness, mental health, displaced communities, and opportunities for women and young people.

She also supports projects that help protect nature.

The foundation’s official website identifies her as a leader in its community-focused activities.

Her role now connects several causes she has supported across different stages of her life.

Environmental Protection and Other Causes

Nature conservation is another concern.

Silva and Gere have supported Sierra a Mar, a conservation initiative in Jalisco, Mexico.

The project works with local communities and partner organisations to protect natural habitats and support responsible development.

Their foundation has also supported the humanitarian organisation Open Arms, which carries out rescue work in the Mediterranean Sea.

These activities have given Silva a public role outside Spain.

First Marriage and Family Life

Before Richard Gere, Silva was married to businessman Govind Friedland.

Friedland comes from a business family and is the son of mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland.

The couple have a son named Albert, born in December 2012.

Their relationship later ended.

Published accounts differ on the exact year their divorce was completed, so a precise divorce date should not be treated as certain.

After their separation, Silva continued raising her son while pursuing her professional and charitable interests.

How She Met Richard Gere

Their story didn’t begin in Hollywood.

Silva and Richard Gere knew each other through family connections before becoming a couple.

Their romantic relationship developed around 2014 while she was working in Positano, Italy.

Gere was already internationally famous for films such as Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman.

Silva had her own business background.

At the time, both had experienced changes in their earlier relationships.

Their friendship grew into a romance.

Despite living in different places, they maintained the relationship before eventually marrying.

Their Wedding in 2018

The couple married in 2018.

They completed a civil marriage ceremony earlier that year and celebrated with a Buddhist-influenced wedding gathering at Gere’s property in Pound Ridge, New York, in May.

The private celebration reflected their shared interest in Buddhism.

Their marriage attracted considerable media attention, partly because of their age difference.

Gere was born in August 1949, while Silva was born in February 1983.

They are approximately 33 years apart in age.

Both have spoken positively about their relationship and their shared family life.

In May 2026, Silva publicly celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary by sharing photographs and memories from their marriage.

Children and Motherhood

Family is an important part of her life.

Silva has three sons.

Her oldest child, Albert, was born in December 2012 during her marriage to Govind Friedland.

She later welcomed two sons with Richard Gere.

Their first son together, Alexander, was born in February 2019.

Their second son, James, arrived in April 2020.

Gere also has an older son, Homer James Jigme Gere, from his previous marriage to actress Carey Lowell.

This makes theirs a blended family.

Silva sometimes shares family moments publicly, though she generally keeps the younger children’s everyday lives private.

In 2026, she posted messages celebrating motherhood and family relationships.

Religious Beliefs and Personal Interests

Silva has publicly discussed Buddhism.

She grew up in a Catholic family but later developed an interest in Buddhist teachings.

Gere also practices Buddhism, and their shared beliefs were reflected in their wedding celebration.

She has spoken publicly about compassion and helping others.

Her charitable work reflects those interests.

She also supports environmental causes and spends time with her family.

Much of her private routine remains outside the public record.

Where Does She Live Now?

Spain remains central to her life.

In late 2024, Silva and Gere moved their family to Madrid after spending several years in the United States.

Gere publicly discussed the move, explaining that he wanted his wife and children to spend more time close to her Spanish family and culture.

The couple have continued travelling between Spain and the United States.

In July 2026, they shared photographs from a family visit to New York.

Later reports in September 2026 continued to connect their family life with Madrid.

So, while the family maintains strong links to both countries, Spain remains an important home base.

Latest News and Activities in 2026

Her humanitarian commitments continue.

In April 2026, HOGAR SÍ announced a national campaign called #NoMiresAOtroLado, created with OpticaPRO and The Gere Foundation.

The campaign began airing in May.

Its message was simple: people experiencing homelessness should not be ignored.

Silva and Gere participated voluntarily, without payment.

The campaign encouraged public attention and action toward ending homelessness in Spain.

During the same year, Silva also celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with Gere.

In August 2026, the family marked Gere’s 77th birthday. Silva shared a public birthday tribute in early September.

These appearances show her continuing involvement in both family life and public campaigns.

As of October 2026, she remains publicly identified as Co-Chair of The Gere Foundation and a member of HOGAR SÍ’s Board of Trustees.

Net Worth and Income

Her personal wealth attracts online interest.

Silva has worked in advertising, private aviation, hospitality, and charitable organisations.

She also comes from a business-connected family and is married to a successful Hollywood actor.

But these facts do not establish her personal wealth.

There is no independently verified public figure for her net worth or annual income.

Some websites publish estimates without explaining their calculations.

Those numbers should not be presented as confirmed facts.

Her salary and current personal business earnings are also not publicly established through reliable financial records.

What Makes Her Public Story Different?

Many readers first discover her through Richard Gere.

That is understandable.

Their relationship receives international media coverage, and Gere has been a familiar Hollywood actor for decades.

But Silva had already started her career in Spain and supported charitable causes before they married.

Her work with HOGAR SÍ is especially well documented.

She moved from being a public supporter to joining the organisation’s governing board.

Her position at The Gere Foundation also gives her direct involvement in ongoing humanitarian projects.

Those responsibilities are an important part of her public identity.

Final Thought

Alejandra Silva’s life brings together business experience, family responsibilities, and years of charity work.

Her marriage made her better known internationally. Yet her public work has a story of its own.

From her early advertising jobs to her current foundation responsibilities, she has remained involved in causes that matter to her.

Her commitment to homelessness is particularly clear.

And at 43, she continues working on projects aimed at helping people and communities.

That is the part of her story worth remembering.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Alejandra Silva?

Alejandra Silva is a Spanish publicist, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She serves as Co-Chair of The Gere Foundation and is married to actor Richard Gere.

2. How old is she in 2026?

She is 43 years old. She was born on February 16, 1983, in A Coruña, Spain.

3. Who is her husband?

Her husband is American actor Richard Gere. They married in 2018 after their relationship developed around 2014.

4. How many children does she have?

She has three sons: Albert, Alexander, and James. Alexander and James are her children with Richard Gere.

5. Who was her first husband?

Her first husband was businessman Govind Friedland. They have one son together, Albert.

6. What does she do for work?

She has worked in advertising, business, and hospitality. She is now widely known for humanitarian work, including her position at The Gere Foundation.

7. What is her net worth?

Her exact personal net worth has not been independently verified. Public estimates should be treated with caution.

8. Where does she live?

She and her family moved to Madrid in late 2024. They continue to spend time in both Spain and the United States.

9. What charities does she support?

She has supported HOGAR SÍ, Open Arms, and environmental conservation projects. Her work also includes responsibilities at The Gere Foundation.

10. What did she study?

She studied Advertising and Marketing in Madrid. She also spent part of her education in the United Kingdom.