Billy Corgan states that the nearly 26-year age gap between him and his wife is an “advantage” since she “hadn’t been wounded.”
The 59-year-old Smashing Pumpkins vocalist/guitarist made these remarks during an interview on the latest episode of The New York Times’ Popcast.
Billy Corgan Doesn’t ‘Want to Make All the Feminists Mad’
Corgan’s interview with Popcast hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli covered various topics, including music, his friendship with Marilyn Manson, and his suburban Chicago tea shop.
Eventually, the discussion shifted to family life. Corgan described a tumultuous childhood that influenced how he navigated adulthood. This further complicated his search for relationships as The Smashing Pumpkins gained fame.
READ MORE: Billy Corgan Defends 30-Year Friendship With Marilyn Manson Despite Abuse Allegations
However, Corgan mentioned that he began to feel more comfortable with himself and the idea of a functional family after meeting his current wife, 33-year-old Chloe Mendel. According to People, they started dating around 2012.
Corgan was then asked if he finds it beneficial that he and Mendel come from “different generations.”
“Uh, well, I don’t want to make all the feminists mad,” Corgan began before the hosts offered him the option to change the subject. He then expressed that women born in the ’90s, like Mendel, had an opportunity to “balance properly” due to the rise of feminism.
“But because many women of our generation faced challenges without much support and emerged from various forms of abuse, it was harder to piece things together if you’re broken and they’re broken.”
Why Billy Corgan Says Age-Gap Marriage is an ‘Advantage’
While he refrained from elaborating, Corgan noted that he “met many broken women along the way” before dating Mendel.
“When I met my wife, having that gap meant she just wasn’t affected by those same politics. She had a different perspective.”
Corgan attributed this to giving his wife a “different sense of self-confidence” compared to women he had dated from his own generation.
“And then, you know, her youth was an advantage because she hadn’t been wounded like so many people are as they go through life. So, I had the advantage of someone who was truly open to love and possibilities and for whatever reason just chose not to judge me for who I was at that moment.”
The Popcast hosts responded by calling Corgan’s comments about his wife’s age “beautiful.”
WATCH: Billy Corgan Interview on ‘Popcast’
Musicians Respond to Billy Corgan’s Comments About Age-Gap Marriage
A clip from the interview featuring Corgan discussing his age-gap marriage is quickly nearing a million views after being shared on Instagram two days ago. It has also garnered thousands of comments, including some from fellow rock musicians.
Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum simply commented, “NO.”
Skunk Anansie’s Skin was more direct with her remarks. The 59-year-old vocalist took a moment to advocate for her generation.
“Oooooo love you Billy (I really do) but this ain’t it! We’re not broken; we are strong and wiser, currently living our best lives due to the people we choose to spend our lives with now. Intelligent, grown and equal.”
Corgan and Mendel are certainly not the only celebrity couple who have made headlines due to their age gap. Continue reading to learn about others from different generations who married each other.
Celebrity Couples Who Had Huge Age Gaps
These famous pairs faced scrutiny for their significant age differences.
