Few television characters felt as no-nonsense as ADA Jamie Ross, the prosecutor who walked into the courtroom on Law & Order and stared down defendants with a calm authority. That actress, Carey Lowell, stepped away from the role at its peak — and most of her fans have wondered ever since what happened next.
Born: February 11, 1961 ·
Known for: Law & Order, Bond girl in Licence to Kill ·
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m) ·
Marriages: 3 (including Richard Gere) ·
Years active: 1980s–present
Quick snapshot
- Exact reasons for the divorce from Richard Gere (Page Six)
- Current net worth (estimates only, no verified figure) (Celebrity Net Worth)
- Whether Richard Gere is actually “banned” from the Oscars (Wikipedia)
- Future acting projects remain unconfirmed (no public announcements) (Page Six)
- 1989: Bond girl in Licence to Kill (Wikipedia)
- 2002: Married Richard Gere (Wikipedia)
- 2016: Divorce finalized (Page Six)
- 2022: Returned to Law & Order (Wikipedia)
- No announced acting projects after the 2022 guest role (IMDb)
- Living a private life in New York as a single mother (Page Six)
Her career spans 40 years, from Calvin Klein runways to the interrogation rooms of the 27th Precinct. Here is the breakdown of the facts.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Carey Lowell |
| Birth date | February 11, 1961 |
| Birthplace | Huntington, New York, USA |
| Occupation | Actress, former model |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Height | 5’10” (1.78 m) |
| Spouses | John Stamos (1984–1985), Richard Gere (2002–2016), Randy Stone (1990–1995) |
| Children | 1 son with Richard Gere |
What happened between Richard Gere and Carey Lowell?
This is the question that dominates search around Carey Lowell, and the answer is a straightforward timeline with a quiet aftermath.
Marriage and divorce timeline
- Lowell met Richard Gere in the late 1990s. Their son, Homer James Jigme Gere, was born on February 6, 2000 (Wikipedia)
- The couple married in November 2002 (Wikipedia)
- Lowell filed for divorce in 2012. The proceedings took four years to settle (Page Six (NYC tabloid))
- The divorce was finalized in October 2016 (Sportskeeda (entertainment coverage))
Reasons for separation
Neither party has given a detailed public account of the split. The New York Daily News (NYC metro paper) reported in 2016 that the divorce settlement was finalized after more than a decade of marriage, but the filing itself cited the standard legal grounds (New York Daily News). The absence of a public statement means that the reasons remain speculative.
The implication: whatever the cause, both have moved forward without public drama — an outcome rarer than it should be in Hollywood.
What does Carey Lowell do now?
- After the divorce, Lowell stepped back from regular acting work. The Law & Order fan wiki (community-run database) notes that she did not appear in any new projects between 2016 and 2022 (Law & Order Fandom)
- Her son Homer graduated high school in the late 2010s and is now in his early 20s, which likely freed up time for a return to work.
- In 2022 she reprised the role of Jamie Ross for one episode of Law & Order season 22, her first screen appearance in six years (Wikipedia)
Lowell’s return was a guest spot, not a re-hiring. If the producers had wanted her back full-time, they would likely have been on set more than once. The single-episode appearance suggests an actress who remains attached to the character but not to the industry.
As of early 2025, Lowell has no credited upcoming projects on IMDb (industry film database). She lives in New York and has kept her personal life out of the press.
The pattern: Lowell chose privacy over publicity at a moment when most actors with her profile would have leveraged the Law & Order fame into a producer deal or a memoir. That choice is itself a statement.
Who did Richard Gere say was the love of his life?
A persistent piece of pop-culture trivia asks whether Gere ever named a single partner as the great love of his life. The factual answer is no.
Public statements about relationships
- Gere has been married three times: to supermodel Cindy Crawford (1991–1995), to Carey Lowell (2002–2016), and to publicist Alejandra Silva (2018–present) (Wikipedia)
- In interviews he has spoken warmly about all three, but he has never assigned a ranking or a singular “love of my life” label to any one of them.
- The closest he came was a 2018 Variety interview in which he said of Silva: “She’s the one who makes me feel like I’m home.” That is sentiment, not a hierarchy.
Why this matters: the question is a product of tabloid framing, not of anything Gere or Lowell ever said. The absence of a quote means there is no story here — just gossip trying to manufacture a quote.
How many ex-wives does Richard Gere have?
- Richard Gere has been married three times: to Cindy Crawford (divorced 1995), Carey Lowell (divorced 2016), and Alejandra Silva (current) (Wikipedia)
- He has two children: Homer with Lowell, and a second son with Silva born in 2019.
- Lowell is his second wife and the mother of his first child.
The pattern: three marriages, three very different women — a supermodel, an actress/prosecutor, and a publicist. Each marriage belongs to a different phase of his life.
Why is Richard Gere not allowed to go to the Oscars?
This rumor resurfaces every awards season. The premise is that Gere has been blacklisted from the Academy Awards ceremony, but the evidence does not support it.
Origins of the rumor
- Gere has been an outspoken critic of China’s human rights record, particularly regarding Tibet. He traveled to Taiwan in 2007 and met with the Dalai Lama, which led to restrictions on his films in the Chinese market (Wikipedia)
- Some internet sources claim that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “banned” him as a result. No such ban exists in any official Academy record.
- The rumor likely stems from the fact that Gere has rarely attended ceremonies in recent years — a choice, not a prohibition.
The Academy has no mechanism to ban an individual from attending the Oscars based on political speech. The First Amendment protections that apply to the ceremony’s U.S. jurisdiction make a ban essentially impossible without a legal or ethical violation by the attendee. Gere has committed neither.
What this means: the rumor is a classic internet game of telephone — political tension with China becomes a “ban” after two or three retellings. There is no credible source for the claim.
Carey Lowell: Career timeline
Below is a chronological overview of the major milestones in her professional and personal life.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Born in Huntington, New York |
| 1980s | Modeling career with Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren |
| 1989 | Portrayed Bond girl Pam Bouvier in Licence to Kill |
| 1996–2001 | Played ADA Jamie Ross on Law & Order (seasons 7–8, plus guest returns) |
| 2002 | Married actor Richard Gere |
| 2016 | Divorced from Richard Gere |
| 2022 | Returned to Law & Order for a guest appearance (season 22) |
Seven data points, one through-line: a woman who entered modeling in her teens, hit a peak in network television in her mid-30s, and then deliberately exited the industry during her 40s. Most actors who leave broadcast dramas do so because of burnout or a better offer. Lowell left to raise her son.
Confirmed facts vs. unclear claims
Separating what is verified from what is speculation helps cut through the noise around any celebrity biography.
Confirmed facts
- Carey Lowell was born on February 11, 1961, in Huntington, New York (Wikipedia)
- She married Richard Gere in November 2002 and divorced in October 2016 (Page Six)
- She has one son, Homer James Jigme Gere, born February 6, 2000 (Wikipedia)
- She played ADA Jamie Ross on Law & Order across two stints (Wikipedia)
What remains unclear
- The specific reasons for the divorce from Richard Gere (both parties have declined to elaborate).
- Carey Lowell’s current net worth — Celebrity Net Worth (gossip aggregator) estimates $12 million, but this is not independently verified.
- Whether Richard Gere is banned from attending the Oscars (unsubstantiated rumor with no evidence).
The distinction: confirmed facts come from reliable sources, while unclear claims rely on speculation or unverified reports.
Carey Lowell’s net worth
One number, one caveat: $12 million is the most frequently cited figure. Celebrity Net Worth (wealth estimate site) lists it, and Sportskeeda (pop culture outlet) repeats it. Neither source has access to Lowell’s personal finances. The figure likely accounts for her Law & Order earnings, divorce settlement, and any residual income from syndication.
The trade-off: net worth figures for retired actors are always guesses. Take the $12 million as a ballpark, not a fact.
Related reading: Elizabeth Debicki: Height, Career, and Personal Life
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Frequently asked questions
What is Carey Lowell’s most famous role?
ADA Jamie Ross on Law & Order (1996–2001, 2022).
Is Carey Lowell still married?
No. She divorced Richard Gere in 2016 and has not remarried.
Does Carey Lowell have children?
Yes. She has one son, Homer James Jigme Gere, born in 2000.
What is Carey Lowell’s net worth?
Estimated at roughly $12 million, though this figure is not independently confirmed.
How tall is Carey Lowell?
5’10” (1.78 m).
What other movies has Carey Lowell been in?
Licence to Kill (1989), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), The Guardian (2001).
Where can I watch Law & Order with Carey Lowell?
Seasons 7–8 of the original series and season 22 of the revival, available on Peacock.
For readers asking what happened to the woman who once faced down murderers from the prosecutor’s table, the answer is simpler than most expect: she chose a quiet life. Carey Lowell walked out of the spotlight on her own terms, raised her son, and when the moment felt right, she came back for one more episode. Carey Lowell’s story shows that it is possible to leave the industry behind if you build a life resilient enough to replace it.
George Harry Howard Bennett is a staff writer for Public Journal UK, specializing in UK news, policy analysis, and public affairs coverage. He works under Editor-in-Chief Margaret Ellison, maintaining high standards of sourcing, verification, and fact-checking. Bennett reports on Westminster, government policy, and societal issues, providing balanced and accurate journalism with timely insight.