Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex-girlfriend Kristen Zang has spoken out about her relationship with the actor after seeing “ageist” headlines about his recent split from 25-year-old model Camila Morrone.
The now 48-year-old, who dated the actor from 1995 to 1999, shared her perspective about DiCaprio’s breakup during an interview with People. Zang said that while she’s never spoken out about her ex before, she felt “compelled” to after seeing some comments about him online.
“I’m a very private person, much like my ex-boyfriend. But this past week, for the first time, I have felt compelled to share a few things. Leo and I dated for four years,” she said. “I met him casually through friends when I was 19 years old and we started dating when we were both 21.”
She also criticised fans for making jokes about Morrone being “too old” for the Don’t Look Up star because their relationship ended shortly after Morrone turned 25 this year. DiCaprio has become notorious for dating 25-year-old or younger women, which has included the likes of Blake Lively, Kate Moss, and Gisele Bündchen.
“Now over 20 years later when I read the headlines and online comments with his most recent ex-girlfriend being referred to as having ‘aged out’ or being ‘too old for Leo at 25,’ puh-lease (insert dramatic eye roll),” Zang said. “I think we can and should do better. What kind of message is this sending to young people?”
Zang went on to reflect on her marriage and how her life changed in her thirties, adding: “I met the love of my life when I was 38 and got married when I was 40. So you youngins out there, listen up. Life gets so much better after 25. Yes, you get more wrinkles but you also get more confidence and more love for yourself.”
After sharing that she’s unaware of why DiCaprio and Morrone broke up, Zang said that she was tired of seeing “headlines” that are centred on the former couple’s different ages.
“As far as Leo and his latest breakup, who knows what happened,” she said. “Maybe she really cared for him but was just ready for the next chapter, perhaps it’s temporary, or maybe it’s none of our business but can we stop with the ageist headlines and comments? But let’s keep the funny memes coming, they’re stellar. Truly.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Zang opened up about her own romance with the actor.
“We were kids,” she continued. “My friends knew his friends and Hollywood back then was like a big high school. It was, dare I say, an innocent time. We were nerds. Good looking nerds with glamorous jobs, but still nerds.”
“We went to amusement parks, concerts, museums and the movies. I was with him when he made Romeo & Juliet, Titanic, and The Beach,” she added.
Although Zang said that DiCaprio was a “very sweet and thoughtful boyfriend”, they had some “hard times” before officially breaking up. Though, she also acknowledged the irony in her situation as she and DiCaprio called it quits four months after her 25th birthday.
“It was a choice I made,” she explained. “I don’t how to explain it exactly, I just felt like I was ready for our relationship to be done. It was like I had outgrown that version of myself, the Hollywood high school girl. I wanted to figure out who I was and what I wanted.”
Regarding where she’s at now, Zang said that she’s living in Oregon with her husband, Shea, and that she owns “a locally-sourced dog food company”.
On 30 August, reports broke that DiCaprio and Morrone had split after four years of dating. Rumours later sparked that The Wolf of Wall Street star is already seeing someone new, as he was recently pictured with 22-year-old Ukrainian model, Maria Beregova.
