Richard Gere Threatened A Lawsuit After TV Presenter Called Him A “Sex Symbol” On-Air 

Despite his memorable roles in movies like Pretty Woman and American Gigolo, actor Richard Gere despised being called a “sex symbol.” Michael Aspel, a former British talk show host, revealed as much while speaking to The Daily Mail about Gere’s appearance on his show.

Gere’s interview with Aspel took place in 1989. At the top of the show, Aspel introduced Gere, but made a big flub at the end of the program: “At the end I said … ‘He’s done this, he’s done that,’ and I used the phrase ‘sex symbol,'” he said.

Unfortunately, that term didn’t fly with Gere, and he left Aspel and Company unhappy. As the host recalled, “After the interview, we had a phone call from his agent saying if I didn’t remove the sex symbol thing, they were going to take it up with their lawyer.” 

He continued, “[Gere] would not be known as a sex symbol. It was very odd. But he took himself very seriously, because he did a lot of stuff for the people of Tibet.”

At the time of the interview, Gere had been advocating for Tibetans since the early 1980s, including co-founding the Tibet House US in 1987, per SaveTibet.org. Outside of his volunteer efforts in the region, the actor also established himself as a Hollywood fixture with roles in An Officer And A Gentleman, Beyond The Limit, and The Cotton Club.

When asked in 2006 about his “sex symbol” status — years after his Aspel interview — Gere seemed more chill about the whole title: “I’m 57 years old. Look, how much longer can I be a sex symbol? Let’s be realistic about this,” he said, per The Evening Standard.

Aside from Gere, Aspel has interviewed a slew of other celebrities on his show, including Barbara Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Paul McCartney, and Bing Crosby. The show began in 1984 and ended in 1993. Aspel is doing a one-off reboot on Oct. 8, 2023.