Love blossomed between the pair quickly, and Silva even packed up and moved to New York City so she could be with Gere. As Silva and Richard grew closer, Silva found herself turning toward his religious beliefs, too. During an interview with “Hello!” magazine, she talked about her conversion to Buddhism.
She mentions she’ll be eternally grateful to Richard for introducing her to the religion, and that her life has undoubtedly changed. We assume she means for the better.
Her Past Loves
Like her current husband, Silva has had more than one shot at love. In 2012 Silva married Govind Friedland, who had made his way to millions as a mining magnate.
It was only thanks to Friedland that Silva ended up in possession of the Hotel Villa Treville in Positano, on the Amalfi Coast of southern Italy. While working as the manager, Silva eventually had her vital run-in with Gere, leading her down yet another unexpected life path.
Their Solid Connection
After the meeting in 2014, Silva told the U.K. Publication Daily Mail, “A friend introduced us; we looked at each other and felt a solid connection.”
The glance lasted more than a second; we're led to believe. Apparently, the couple couldn't stop looking at each other all night and are still up to the looks to this day.
A Complicated Beginning
However, the relationship between the two wasn't all smooth sailing. Both members were struggling with divorces while they were courting.
In the same interview with "Hello!" Silva had some things to say: “Love stories with a complicated beginning, where you have to overcome difficulties together, can bring you closer... In the beginning, he was more convinced than me. But from very early on, we felt that we were destined to be together.” Gere seems to have had the future in mind.
A Messy Divorce
While Gere and then-wife Carey Lowell filed for divorce in 2012, it took four years for everything to get finalized. After ten years of marriage, Gere was prepared for a big payout, especially since, at the time, Gere had a worth of almost a quarter of a billion dollars.
This was the reason for the slow proceedings, while custody of their child, Homer, went quickly and painlessly. The details of the divorce agreement weren't made public.