Bradley Cooper & Gigi Hadid's Hard Launch Sparked Brutal Internet War Over Their Age Gap

Gigi Hadid celebrated her 30th birthday last month and later shared a large carousel of photos of the event to her Instagram. "I feel so lucky to be 30! I feel so lucky for every high and low- for all the lessons and gifts both have brought me," she began her lengthy caption, adding "it's a blessing to feel so loved." One of the people who made the model gush was Bradley Cooper, Hadid's supposed boyfriend — who remained a rumor until Hadid hard-launched him, sneaking in a photo of the couple in the carousel.

Hadid and Cooper were caught passionately kissing next to Hadid's multi-tiered birthday cake. It was a sweet, intimate moment the 30-year-old was gracious enough to share with her millions of followers (and also probably a way to get them to stop asking her if they were dating). However, reactions to the couple were mixed, since Cooper is significantly older than Hadid. The "American Sniper" star turned 50 this year, making him 20 years Hadid's senior, a gap many fans weren't thrilled about whatsoever.

"Let's please not normalize this," wrote one person, referring to their huge age difference. "How awkward to be dating a guy that could be your daughter's grandpa," commented another. "Boyfriend old enough to be her dad," said a third. Interestingly, Cooper's daughter, Lea, he shares with ex Irina Shay, is 7 years old, while Hadid's daughter with ex Zayn Malik, Khai, will turn 5 later this year.

A 20-year gap may seem like a lot, but other celebrity couples have bigger age differences, including White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose husband is over three decades older than her. Gigi Hadid's relationship with Bradley Cooper is probably not seen as weird by her, since he's not the first significantly older man she's been with before. Amongst the many famous men Hadid has dated, she was linked to Leonardo DiCaprio beginning back in September 2022.

A source told People that "Leo is definitely pursuing Gigi." The Oscar winner was 47 at the time, while Hadid was 27. A two decade-gap seems to be the sweet spot for the mother of one. In early 2023, an insider dished to Entertainment Tonight that Hadid was not exclusive with DiCaprio. "They have respect for one another and have always just been seeing where things go."

Their fling eventually fizzled out, but it looks like Hadid and Cooper are going strong. Between that intimate birthday kiss, as well as Cooper's influence on Hadid's life, maybe this age-gap romance will succeed.