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The Culture Vulture

About cultural things: music, dance, literature, theatre and local events.

Trophy Wives (and Husbands)
Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Many celebrities, especially male ones, marry or are partnered with much younger 'other halves'.

Here are half-a-dozen pairings which are quite astonishing from an age difference point of view. In some cases wives and partners are younger than the man's offspring from a previous relationship!

 

Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kimpel

The Spanish actor has recently turned 66. His German wife Kimpel is just 45 years old. That's an age difference of 21 years. Banderas could be her father!

The couple live in Malaga.

 

 

 

 

 

[© ELLE]    

 

Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato

Buble, a Canadian crooner, is 50 and his Argentine wife Lopilato is 39, an age difference of 11 years.

This is the smallest age difference of the couples I have chosen.

 

 

 

 

 

    [© Europa FM]    

 

Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid

The American film actor is 51 and is married to the 20-years-younger Hadid, the American-born daughter of Dutch and Palestinian parents.

 

 

 

 

[© ABC]    

 

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

The age difference between the two is a massive 25 years. US actor Douglas, 81, married the Welsh beauty, also an actor, when Zeta-Jones was just 31.

A long marriage which has produced two children, Dylan and Carys. The couple have a home in Mallorca where they spend their summers.

 

[© EL PAIS]    

 

Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva

Of the couples I have chosen these two have the biggest gap in age - a spectacular 33 years. US actor Gere is 76 and his wife Silva, 43, is Spanish, from Galicia.

The couple do a lot of charity work.

 

 

 

    [© Vanity Fair]

 

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell

Ex-Beatle McCartney, 84, has married twice more since the death of his first wife Linda Eastman. They had four children together. He had a fifth with second wife Heather Mills. His current wife, since 2011, is American businesswoman Shevell, aged 66. An age difference of 18 years.

    [© ABC de Sevilla]

 

Alejandro Sanz and Stephanie Cayo

Spanish singer Sanz, 57, is partnered with the Peruvian actor Cayo, 38, since the beginning of this year. The age gap is 19 years, but at least they speak the same language!

Sanz has four children from previous relationships.

 

[© El Mundo]    

 

The other way round .....

Such age differences where the woman is older are less common and the age gap is shorter.

My brief research has come up with four:

 

Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis

Aniston, 57, an actor of US/Greek origin, has been stepping out for a year with Curtis, 50, her hypnotherapist and coach. Their age difference is a mere seven years.

Aniston is most famous for her role in the TV sitcom 'Friends'. 

[© RPP Noticias]    

 

Halle Berry and Van Hunt

Berry, 60, first came to my attention as a Bond Girl opposite 007 Pierce Brosnan in the 2002 'Die Another Day'. She had previously won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 'Monster's Ball' (2001).

Hunt, 56, is an American singer/songwriter.

Their age difference of just four years is unremarkable.

 

[© EL PAIS]    

 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

The second child of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer is 41. His American actress wife Markle is 45, making an age difference of 4 years. They married in 2018 and have two children. The couple stepped down as working royals in January 2020 and moved to Meghan's native Southern California. It has been announced that they plan to move back to the UK in 2026.

 

[© The Guardian]    

 

Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn

Schiffer, German, was a very successful model, now aged 56. She has been married for 24 years to British film director and producer Vaughn, 55. 

They have three children and live in Suffolk, England.

 

 

[© HOLA]    

BUT .....

As my fellow scribe and blogger Lenox Napier has pointed out, I missed a big 'un:

 

Brigitte Trogneux and Emmanuel Macron

The age difference between former teacher Brigitte Macron, born in 1953, and French president Emmanuel Macron, born in 1977, is 24 years, with this significant age gap attracting public attention and sparking conversations worldwide.

Despite the difference, their relationship remains strong, highlighting that age is just a number when it comes to love. Brigitte met Emmanuel when he was her student, and their bond grew over time.

 

    [© RFI]

 

Today, she plays a key role supporting the French president’s career. Understanding their age difference helps provide insight into their unique and inspiring partnership.

 

 

And the rest of us .....?

The rest of us mere mortals, ie not celebrities, tend to take partners of a similar age.

We are also more likely to stay together than the film stars, models, politicians and footballers of this world,

 

Links:

HOW TO ..... DIVORCE - Eye on Spain

Wrong way round... - Secret Serranía de Ronda

 

© Paul Whitelock MMXXVI

 

Photos:

ABC, ELLE, El Mundo, EL PAIS, HOLA, RFI, RPP Noticias, Vanity Fair, 

 

Thanks:

Google, 'Lecturas', Lenox Napier, lifestylenetworth.com, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

 

Tags:

ABC, Alejandra Silva, Alejandro Sanz, Antonio Banderas, Best Actress Oscar, Bond Girl, Bradley Cooper, Brigitte Trogneux, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Claudia Schiffer, 'Die Another Day', ELLE, El Mundo, EL PAIS, Eye on Spain, 'Friends', Gigi Hadid, Google, Halle Berry, HOLA, Jennifer Aniston, Jim Curtis, 'Lecturas', Lenox Napier, lifestylenetworth.com, Luisana Lopilato, Matthew Vaughn, Meghan Markle, Michael Buble, Michael Douglas, 'Monster's Ball', Nancy Shevell, Nicole Kimpel, Paul McCartney, Paul Whitelock, Pierce Brosnan, Prince Harry, Richard Gere, RPP Noticias, Secret Serrania de Ronda, Stephanie Cayo, Van Hunt, Vanity Fair, Wikipedia



Like 1        Published at 1:29 PM   Comments (2)


Musica en vivo
Sunday, August 9, 2026

The fifth session of live music at the Hotel Don Benito near Ronda, since it re-opened as the Hotel Don Manuel, was a great success.

The music was sublime, the mood vibrant and there was food for those who wanted a moonlit dinner in the warm open air.

 

 

[© Central de Reservas]    

 

Boleros Duros

The duo, Boleros Duros, presented its version of bolero, the flamenco genre, using acoustic guitar, cajon and harmonic voices.

They were a perfect accompaniment to dinner and general chit-chat amongst the 60-odd people present.

A mixture of vecinos (locals) and foreigners (residents and tourists) had turned up - I spotted British, Irish, Belgian, German, Portuguese and Italian amongst the audience - and the duo went down very well with all of them.

The bolero is a dance and it was good to see the andaluces upholding their strong family traditions with grannies, mums and daughters/grand-daughters going through their paces together on the dance floor.

[© Facebook]    

 

International flavour

At our table were three couples, including me and Rita. All residents locally it was interesting to note that each pair had moved to the Serrania de Ronda for quite different reasons.

The Irish/Scottish pairing, resident for eight years had sought a relaxed, warm and clean air environment after working for many years in the polluted middle-east.

The Belgian/Spanish couple, here for just seven months, had been seeking a relaxed, rural home for them, their autistic son and the paternal grandad.

Finally, us, an Anglo-Welsh/German couple, who met in Ronda and were both seeking a less stressful and healthier alternative to their respective northern European homelands.

 

Conclusion

We think it's great what Gloria and David are doing at the Don Manuel, turning the hotel into the go-to venue for live music in Ronda. Hopefully, locals and outsiders will continue to support them.

With their engaging and friendly staff and competitive prices, these events make for a great evening out.

 

 

[© Ayuntamiento de Ronda]    

 

© The Culture Vulture MMXXVI

 

Pictures:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, Central de Reservas, Facebook

 

Thanks:

 

 

Tags:

Ayuntamiento de Ronda, Boleros Duros, cajon, Central de Reservas, flamenco, Paul Whitelock, The Culture Vulture, vecino, 

 

 

 



Like 1        Published at 3:26 PM   Comments (0)


Culture Week - Montejaque
Friday, August 7, 2026

Hot on the heels of the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, the Semana Cultural in Montejaque (Malaga) starts today, Friday August 17, and runs until next Wednesday, August 23.

Featuring gastronomy, sport, art, music, theatre and cinema, as well as kids' activities based at the municipal pool, this feria is a highlight of the cultural life of this charming pueblo blanco in the Serrania de Ronda.

[Charry TV]    

With performances by artistes such as Sing & Swing, Los Salvajes del Rebalaje, Los Tigantitos, Dialogo Rock, KPOP and a Beatles tribute band; with film presentations and a theatre production; not to mention the annual cooking competition, this week represents a fitting end to the summer celebrations in this village of some 960 inhabitants.

 

 

[Charry TV]    

 

© The Culture Vulture

 

Links:

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival 2026 - Secret Serranía de Ronda

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival Mark VIII - The Culture Vulture

 

Pictures:

Charry TV

 

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

 

Tags:

annual cooking competition, art, Beatles tribute band, cinema, Charry TV, Dialogo Rock, feria, film presentation, gastronomy, Karl Smallman, kids' activities, KPOP, Los Salvajes del Rebalaje, Los Tigantitos, music, Paul Whitelock, pueblo blanco, Secret Serrania de Ronda, Sing & Swing, sport, theatre, theatre production,



Like 2        Published at 1:36 PM   Comments (0)


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