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Billy Corgan revealed that the 26-year age gap between him and wife Chloe Mendel has been an advantage in their relationship.
The 59-year-old Smashing Pumpkins frontman discussed his marriage to Mendel, 33, during a recent appearance on The New York Times’ Popcast, explaining how his wife’s different life experiences helped him open up to love.
The rocker, who married Mendel in 2023, said his difficult childhood affected his approach to relationships as an adult. Before meeting Mendel, he said he encountered partners who were also dealing with their own emotional struggles.
“When I met my wife, and having that gap, she just wasn’t affected by those same politics,” he said.
Corgan also credited Mendel’s openness and willingness to accept him for helping their relationship flourish.
“Her youth was an advantage because she hadn’t been wounded like so many people are because you go through life and you get wounded,” he continued. “So, I had the advantage of somebody who was really open to love and the possibility.”
Watch the interview below.