Leo's Law of dating younger women reflects devaluing of ageing women

Leo’s Law of breaking up with women when they reach 25 reflects Hollywood’s devaluing of ageing women

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A lot of time and ink has been spilled debating the prickly dating tendencies of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who will turn 48 this November. Yet all his past girlfriends have been under 25.

It probably deserves its own 700-page anti-manifesto.

It’s an almost scientific fact, some claim. Now a reliable phenomenon, after news emerged this week that the actor ended his relationship with model Camila Morrone, who turned 25 this year. 

“There’s no phenomenon on this planet more reliable than Leonardo DiCaprio breaking up with his girl by age 25, the stats are breathtaking…” one tweet read.

The tweet is accompanied by a chart outlining DiCaprio’s dating history, which was originally created by one Reddit user — plotting out all his past girlfriend and their ages when the relationships ended.

None had stayed with him past the age of 25. 

The chart is spreading across the digital ether, with hilarious comments from women garnering masses of likes on Twitter.

“I need to know how leonardo dicaprio conducts these breakups,” another tweet reads. “Does he start picking fights months before they turn 25 to be less conspicuous?” do they wake up on their birthday to a note that says “sorry i can’t don’t hate me”.

Another wrote: “Have you ever considered that Leonardo Dicaprio is so proud of his work in the Titanic, he only dates women who weren’t old enough to have seen it when it premiered, so HE can share the special moment of watching it with them for the first time? did that even occur to you.”

According to the chart, “Leo’s Law” denotes the median age of DiCaprio’s partners as 22, and the cut off point when they reach 25. 

Reading his dating history is like flipping through the catalogue of a modelling agency. And everyone makes a crack at Leo.

At the Oscars earlier this year, Amy Schumer poked fun at DiCaprio during her monologue, saying: “Leonardo DiCaprio, what can I even say about him? He’s done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he’s older, and they’re younger. OK, you get it.” 

At the 2020 Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais said: “Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere [of The Irishmen, famous for being more than three hours] and by the end his date was too old for him. Even Prince Andrew was like, ‘Come on mate.'”

But his dating history exposes a wider, more troubling social issue that has plagued Hollywood, and of course, the world at large. 

The devaluing of ageing women.

According to a recent report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, just 6 per cent of major female characters are above 60. 

Another analysis released by The Geena Davis Institute on Gender Media found just a quarter of females make up characters over 50, while they were more likely to be depicted as senile, homebound, feeble and frumpy in comparison to their male counterparts.

So while we may chuckle about one of Hollywood’s most revered and respected actors, his romantic preferences might be pointing to a more nefarious, prejudicial trend – one that ultimately reduces an entire gender’s value to a narrow, superficial frame.

As if to drive the point home, Hollywood legend Sharon Stone recently revealed that a man she recently dated ended their relationship because she refused to get Botox.

When Stone’s younger partner inquired about her Botox usage, he apparently told her: “It would probably be really good for your ego and mine if I did.” 

“I saw him one more time after that and then he wasn’t interested in seeing me anymore,” Stone, 64, told Vogue. “If you don’t see me for more than that, you’ll please find your way to the exit.”

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