Leonardo DiCaprio may be hitting the big 5-0, but he’s not slowing down on being candid about love. In a new interview for Esquire UK’s Autumn issue, Leo confessed that at this stage of life, there’s simply “no time to waste” in relationships, and that means being honest, even if it means things fall apart.
During the reflective chat with director Paul Thomas Anderson, the 50-year-old star revealed he feels emotionally much younger, 32 to be exact, and joked that he “turned emotionally 35” last year. That emotional flashback, he says, comes with a new mantra: honesty, clarity, upfront talk, and not beating around the bush. It’s a philosophy grounded in reality, “much more of your life is behind you than it is ahead of you,” he said, paraphrasing his own reflection on mortality and meaning.
Leonardo DiCaprio photographed by Paul Thomas Anderson for Esquire
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DiCaprio pointed to his mother as a model for this approach, noting she says exactly what she means and wastes no time sugarcoating anything. He joked that her style makes him think it’s “almost a responsibility” to extend the same honesty into his own life, whether the relationship is personal or professional. And yes, that sometimes means risking disagreements, things falling apart, or going separate ways.
If that reputation rings familiar, it might be because his dating history has been public and contentious. He famously called time on relationships once his partners hit the age of 25, Camila Morrone being the most recent, splitting just a month after her 25th birthday following a five-year romance. Now, he’s been linked with 27-year-old model Vittoria Ceretti since August 2023.
Leonardo DiCaprio says his biggest regret is not doing Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights.
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That pattern hasn’t escaped criticism, with many observers pointing out how he almost exclusively dates women under 25. But in this interview, DiCaprio didn’t directly defend the age gap. He did, however, underscore that his priority at 50 is honesty, the kind that can make or break things quickly.
He’s doubling down on authenticity, rather than drama, and that’s something even skeptical tabloids can appreciate. Because whether you’re 50 or 25, wasting time in murky love situations isn’t anyone’s favorite hobby.
Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, insists he’s ‘emotionally’ 32 after years-long backlash for dating younger women https://t.co/zuqKKzMVmL pic.twitter.com/lO4DC6LTQ8
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In between his personal reflections, Leo also touches on other parts of his life, saying he rarely watches his films, except for The Aviator, which he calls a special moment of creative collaboration. But his dating insights certainly make for some of the most talk-worthy soundbites of his big birthday, reflective, self-aware, and undeniably human.
At the end of the day, it seems DiCaprio’s turning 50 isn’t slowing him down. On the career front, he’s still headlining major projects. Last year, he starred in Martin Scorsese’s critically acclaimed Killers of the Flower Moon, a sweeping crime drama that earned multiple Oscar nominations and proved his staying power on the big screen. Next up, he’s teaming with director Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, set for release in September 2025.
The action-driven thriller will see DiCaprio in the role of a former revolutionary on the run to protect his daughter, alongside a star-studded cast that includes Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor.
