Just last year, my city of Kolkata was easing into its much-awaited December vibe. The air buzzed with Christmas lights, familiar chatter, and the happy sound of footsteps as loved ones returned home for year-end gatherings. If you know Kolkata, you know the scene: Nahoum's rich cakes, Saldanha's savory treats, mulled wine, and slow musical evenings. It felt cozy, nostalgic, and wonderfully wholesome.
Yet, for some of us, things took a complicated turn. My friends and I canceled a concert we had planned for weeks. We added tickets to our cart, made loose plans, then discarded everything in one go. We even decided to "cancel" the artist himself. This might sound silly or performative, but it was not impulsive. This artist's music had literally grown up with us; at least five of his songs sit on our all-time favorite playlist. Our choice was conscious.
Piercing Questions from Our Circle
When word spread in our extended circle, tough questions emerged. People asked: "Why do artists owe you a foolproof moral compass? Who cares if they pass some ethical test to avoid getting canceled? Isn't their art enough to buy immunity from conscience nonsense?" These questions mark where this story truly begins.
There exists a brand of celebrity mockery that blends entertainment with ethical side-eye—half joke, half moral nudge. It arises when a behavior becomes so repetitive it forms a defining pattern, especially for revered artists. This pattern can overshadow their entire body of work.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Dating Pattern
Consider Leonardo DiCaprio. He is an Oscar-winning actor of great stature, yet pop culture knows him for a glaring pattern: dating women historically not older than 25 until recently. The internet coined "Leo's Law" for this. Comedians and late-night hosts turn it into running gags. Meme pages highlight his girlfriends' ages like data points. Even colleagues like Jennifer Lawrence make public jabs.
In a recent Variety interview, Lawrence quipped: "I'm so sad that you don't have a teenage daughter. You look great with one." At the 2026 Golden Globes, Nikki Glaser joked about DiCaprio: "You've accomplished all that—and the most impressive thing is you did it before your girlfriend turned 30," referring to his 27-year-old girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti. Social media memes saturate with his "Forever Under-25" dating trend.
The Science Behind the Discomfort
DiCaprio's choices are legal and involve consenting adults, so what's the issue? Science offers insight. Cognitive research shows brain development continues into the mid-20s and even early 30s. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control and decision-making, isn't fully formed until around age 25. A Cambridge study extends this timeline, finding brains remain in an "adolescent era" until about age 32, only then shifting into true "adult mode."
Superimpose this on a romantic relationship: a large age gap means the younger partner is still developmentally learning, while the older partner has life on automatic. This isn't about calling a 25-year-old a child—legally, they're adults—but psychologically, they may lack equal footing. Research notes the twenties are a period of identity exploration, career forging, and self-confidence building, often marked by anxiety and uncertainty.
For women in their early 20s, this turbulence intensifies due to societal pressures. They juggle career goals, education, and independence while society expects maturity. When such a woman enters a relationship with a partner decades older, vastly wealthier, and more influential, the power balance easily tilts.
Case Studies: Contrasting Dynamics
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra
Some point to Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, who have a decade age gap (Priyanka is older). But their partnership differs fundamentally. Both are globally prominent, established artists who met as equals. Priyanka is a star in her own right; Nick has solid footing. They owe no success to each other and agreed early on to equality. Their age gap stirred controversy for Priyanka's sake, highlighting a double standard she called out: when the man is older, people rarely care.
Psychologists note reverse-age-gap couples often work because women are financially and emotionally secure, and younger men bring energy and emotional awareness. The Jonas-Chopra match shows age is just a number when two mature, independent people decide to be together. The issue isn't the decade gap but who holds more power.
Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper
Another example is Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, with a 20-year age gap. Yet, reaction has been quieter and less mocking. Why? Because Hadid, at 33, is firmly past the formative stage. She is a supermodel, businesswoman, and global celebrity who entered fame on her own terms. She has navigated high-profile relationships, motherhood, and career shifts without losing agency.
Scientific research indicates people in their early 30s have greater emotional regulation and clearer self-concept than those in their early 20s. Hadid is not still "becoming"; she already is. Cooper's experience adds to hers but doesn't overshadow it. She brings cultural capital, financial independence, and public authority into the relationship, avoiding the imbalance seen in DiCaprio's pattern.
Feminist Critique and Hollywood's Double Standard
DiCaprio's pattern fits uncomfortably into feminist frameworks. Simone de Beauvoir wrote that women are often valued for what they reflect to men. DiCaprio's partners seem interchangeable in age, profession, and narrative—replaceable by another 20-something model. This relentless formula of dating women "beneath" his social status appears manipulative, echoing patriarchal scripts where older men pursue younger trophy partners.
Legal scholar Catherine MacKinnon noted patriarchy often operates through the "eroticization of female subordination." DiCaprio's girlfriends are frequently called "muses," language reeking of entitlement. When one partner is still developing and the other is world-famous, the dynamic becomes unequal.
Hollywood's double standard is glaring. Older women face silencing, while star actors like DiCaprio headline blockbusters well into middle age. Media coverage of his girlfriends is breathless rather than critical, labeling them "models" or "bikini-clad" without probing gender norms. Meanwhile, women like Cher face side-eyes for dating younger men.
This lack of accountability is concerning. Hollywood culture protects powerful men, as seen with predators like Harvey Weinstein. DiCaprio's relationships are treated as punchlines, not patterns of serious concern. Roasts and jokes serve as gentle nudges, not scathing critiques, allowing problematic behavior to continue unchecked.
Conclusion: Admiration vs. Accountability
This isn't about canceling DiCaprio or vilifying him. For admirers of his craft, it's about wanting him to do better. The discomfort lies not only in his dating pattern but in our collective response. We must ask where admiration ends and accountability begins. Can we appreciate someone's craft while holding them accountable for the power they wield privately?
Cultural icons don't exist in a vacuum. We make and sustain them. After a point, roasts aren't enough; laughter doesn't compensate for complicity. Jokes can critique, but if society avoids serious discussion with humor, we're doomed. How long before a punchline becomes a painful irony?
