One day, if and when Camila Morrone ever decides to answer questions about Leonardo DiCaprio in an interview, and she decides to address the way the culture talked about their relationship – the age gap, the age limit, the 25 year expiration date – and perhaps expresses how hurtful those comments and all the jokes were for her…will we collectively look back and feel remorse? Will people write think-pieces about how the discourse was unfair to her? Will it be a moment of reflection about how society treats young women in these situations?
If it’s possible to have a moment of reflection now, this is not about Camila. The discourse is not targeted at her. And if there’s reflection happening about society and young women, the focus is on men, older men, and their attitudes about young women. The focus is on Leonardo DiCaprio and his well-established, well-known pattern of dating women only until they reach the age of 25. Leo has been famous since he was a teenager. And from that point he has never publicly dated a woman over 25 years old. That wasn’t notable when he was in his 20s…but he’s now in his late 40s. By now I’m sure you’ve all seen the graph that’s been circulating for a number of years online:
The graph now needs to be updated. Because Camila, like her predecessors, has aged out.
PEOPLE was the first outlet that I saw to have reported on it, citing sources who confirmed that Leo and Camila were over. Other outlets soon followed, but if PEOPLE is running with it, it’s about as legit as it gets. Curiously though (but not really), PEOPLE’s sources do not give a reason. All they wanted out there was that Leo and Camila broke up. Even a cub reporter would know to ask a source “why?” But we’re not getting an answer to that question because the whole point here is to make it official that it’s done.
Besides…um…
There’s already a cultural presumption about the “why” – it’s a number.
And it’s not like Leo doesn’t know what people say about the number, right? Everybody knows. Everybody makes this joke, he’s been mocked for years about this. And he still proved it right. Which…
What it looks like now is that even though he’s a punchline at this point, being with someone older than 25 is so unappealing that, well, he’d rather live up to the reputation? He’d rather let people believe this about him. Like, isn’t he doubling down?!
Sure, why not. Why would he care? It’s not like he’ll lose his power or influence or ability to order a boatful of models the next time he’s in the south of France. All that remains intact. It’s as guaranteed as the graph is reliable. And the graph IS reliable. This is good science!
Camila turned 25 in June. But a month before that, if you recall, I posted about them on the beach in Malibu – click here for a refresher. And back then, I wrote that I was getting a certain vibe, a Brad and Jen vibe:
“Remember Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston in Anguilla? It was January 2005, they were on a trip with Courteney Cox and some other friends, photographed on the beach, holding each other and kissing, with Brad wearing a t-shirt that said “TRASH” on it, and those shots were circulated around the world – without context the story was that they were more in love than ever. The next day they announced their separation and it turns out that was a farewell trip, a trip to close out their marriage.”
It took longer for Leo to back out… but eventually he did back out, as he always does.
So what now?
There were rumours a couple of months ago, right after Camila’s birthday, that Leo had his eye on Gigi Hadid. Gigi is 27 and a mother. I mean, I guess it’s possible but the graph would tell us that being 27 and a mother are two strikes against Gigi in Leo’s mind.
Leo and Camila were together four years. She was 20/21 when they first started. Will Leo’s next girlfriend start around there? Or will he actually consider someone older?
Here’s the conundrum he might be working with in these times though. Anyone who’s in his usual age range – just out of her teens – is of the Instagram/TikTok generation. Everything is documented. They live on social media. And he is ultra private. Camila was an exception because she was raised around famous people (like Al Pacino) so she has experience with celebrity, she has a better understanding of the boundaries. Outside of that, and with his target demographic, it gets harder and harder to stay off social. How will that work for him?
Here's Leo out in New York yesterday. The paps said he looks leaner. Single Leo, no more dad bod?
