Richard Gere has come under fire after he launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump during a speech in Berlin on Thursday, declaring himself "deeply ashamed" of his home country over its treatment of migrants.
The 76-year-old actor, speaking at an event hosted by the Hertie School Centre for Fundamental Rights and The Gere Foundation, questioned whether anyone could have anticipated America's current political direction.
"Did it ever cross your mind that America could sink to this level? Did you ever imagine that someone as crazy as this would become President of the United States and work to destroy it?" Mr Gere asked the audience.
The remarks come months after the Pretty Woman star returned to the United States following a year-long stay in Spain with his family.
Richard Gere launched a scathing attack on Trump
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Mr Gere took particular aim at the language used by the US government when discussing immigration, expressing disgust at the terminology employed to describe migrants.
"I think the term I was actually given today, apparently, the US government is calling aliens. Aliens. That's the latest.
"It had been vermin, now it's aliens. I'm deeply ashamed of this; I want you to know," he told attendees.
The actor added: "Human history is, in many ways, the history of migration, of movement.
The actor labelled Trump as 'crazy'
| GETTY"It's a story of people adapting, building, contributing, and dreaming."
Mr Gere went on to say that migrants' "hopes and fears and aspirations" were being treated as "somehow less legitimate than our own."
Mr Gere relocated to Spain with his 43-year-old wife, Alejandra Silva, in late 2024, shortly after Mr Trump secured his election victory.
The couple sold their Connecticut ranch and established themselves in Madrid with their two young sons, Alexander, now seven, and James, now six.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
RICHARD GERE WITH HIS WIFE, ALEJANDRA SILVA
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The family spent approximately a year in the Spanish capital before returning to America late last year.
Footage of Mr Gere's comments was soon shared online by critics, who were quick to condemn his remarks.
"We all grew up thinking actors were really smart, funny, insightful, dynamic people. We were wrong. They’re dimwits who read scripts and have no mind of their own," one X user slammed.
A second added: "Enjoy your millions and stay in... Spain! You are a overpaid, terrible actor. You self-serving actors and entertainers will never be seen nor recieve money from my household!"
A third fumed: "Gere should stay out of the USA. We are better off here without him. A rich spoiled boy."
Meanwhile, a fourth referenced the term "Trump Derangement Syndrome" as a potential reason for the outburst. "Another loser with TDS," they said. "Why can’t they just leave and SHUT UP. They hate my country, but they still love to talk about it."
And a fifth echoed: "Wow what a disappointment he turned out to be.. whiny POS! He can keep his a*s over there!" (sic)
Ms Silva told The Daily Mail in April 2025 that the move abroad was not directly prompted by Mr Trump's win, though she noted feeling "privileged" to be able to "escape and go somewhere."
MR GERE HAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE US PRESIDENT A 'BULLY'
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Mr Gere has spoken warmly of their Spanish tenure, telling Hello! it was "wonderful" and that his wife was "truly happy with her family, her friends, her culture, and her city."
The Berlin speech followed similarly fierce criticism Mr Gere delivered at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway earlier this week, where he branded Mr Trump a "maniac."
"We're living in the darkest moment that I've experienced on this planet," he told that audience.
"How is this even possible? Because we went to sleep. We didn't care. We didn't vote. We didn't really listen."