Leo DiCaprio's Dating History Is Part Of Our Obsession With Staying Young Forever

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The 48-year-old generated outrage online when it was rumored he was dating a 19-year-old model, as part of his long-observed age-gap-filled relationship history.

Who is he?

You probably know him as a Hollywood movie star with a career that's spanned decades and attracted plenty of awards nominations (and somehow, just one Oscar). But alongside his work, Leonardo DiCaprio's personal life has been the subject of constant scrutiny.

1. Documented most succinctly in this now infamous chart, all of his high-profile relationships have been with women under the age of 25. His last relationship, with actor and model Camila Morrone, ended this past August, shortly after she turned 25.
   
2. If there are two things people love, it's observing patterns and having those observations confirmed. So you can imagine how the internet pounced when images suggesting a "romance" between DiCaprio and 19-year-old Israeli model Eden Polani surfaced this past week (although the tabloids say "sources close to DiCaprio" later denied the claims.)
   
3. Then, in the same breath, a Twitter trend focusing on how male celebrities have aged went viral, with DiCaprio seemingly being the catalyst. Documenting "twink death" (otherwise known as getting older), the original tweet juxtaposed a photo of early-20s Leo to him in his mid-40s. Somehow his face has not retained the same elasticity and boyish charm it had decades ago. Who would've thought?

What's the big deal?

The sweeping velocity of the discourse this week hasn't just reflected one man's dating tendencies that many find questionable, but a societal obsession with age.

1. As a lifelong celebrity, Leo has aged in the public eye, and had every part the process documented for everyone to speculate on. Society seems to be acutely aware of the power and importance that youth possesses. So if you're conditioned to believe it's one of the most important things in life, and you don't have it anymore, maybe the next best thing is to surround yourself with it (models on a yacht can surely do the trick.)
   
2. Gender plays into this cultural discourse as well. After an appearance at the Grammys this past week, 64-year-old Madonna faced heavy criticism for appearing to have undergone cosmetic procedures, with many saying she looked "unrecognizable."
   
3. This cultural phenom trickles down into our consciousness before the aging has even begun: Mashable reported last month on how the latest TikTok trend of obsessing over aging is the newest way to hawk products like serums, anti-wrinkle devices and cosmetic procedures like preventative Botox to people in their early 20s, or even younger.

What are people saying?

In an Instagram post, Madonna responded to the commentary on her appearance:

And here's what Twitter had to say

So, what now?

1. The anti-aging sector of the beauty industry is projected to be worth $120 billion by 2030, according to one market research study, so it seems like the rabbit hole will continue to go deeper.
   
2. We're probably looking at a maximum of two weeks before we get another female celebrity in her 30s or 40s being praised for "aging well" à la Anne Hathaway at Sundance.
   
3. To anyone worried about Leo's love life, no need. He's actually been spotted with 27-year-old supermodel Gigi Hadid and a 23-year-old actress named Victoria Lamas. Can we call that growth?