Mischa Barton claimed she was told to sleep with Leonardo DiCaprio when she was 19 and he was 30 in a 2005 interview – which resurfaced when the actor was criticized for dating Eden Polani that month, 19 , was seen.
Speaking to Harpers & Queen at the height of her teen drama fame, the OC actress, now 37, opened up about an incident where she and then-publicist Craig Schneider spotted Leonardo during a photo shoot in Malibu.
At the time, Oscar winner Leonardo had just split from Gisele Bundchen after a six-year on-and-off romance.
In the 2005 interview, Mischa said Craig told her, “Sleep with this man for the sake of your career.”
Mischa said she’s not interested in older men, telling the publication: “Isn’t Leo about 30 or something?”
Unearthed: Mischa Barton claimed she was told to sleep with Leonardo DiCaprio when she was 19 and he was 30 in a 2005 interview – which resurfaced when the actor was criticized for dating that month Eden Polani (19) was seen (the couple was photographed in 2005)
It comes after the Titanic actor was hit with backlash over his sightings with French-Israeli model Eden.
Sources close to Leo hit back on Tuesday when they claimed the pair were dating after being spotted next to each other at a party, although they refused to comment on whether there was ever a romantic connection between them.
They said: “They were sitting next to each other at a music listening party. There were a number of people at that event.’
This comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Leonardo’s dating habits; The Titanic star only dates women under the age of 25 and split from his last serious girlfriend, Camila Morrone, even weeks after reaching the milestone.
News that the Oscar winner may have dated someone less than half his age sparked outrage on social media after he met Eden at Detroit-born singer Ebony Riley’s release party for their new EP.
Leo’s current girlfriend Victoria Lamas, who at 23 is 25 years his junior and almost half his age, was reportedly missing.
While Leo’s sources close to him have denied that there is any long-term romance between him and Eden, the model seems to be aware of the new attention she is getting.
On Tuesday morning, she shared a photo of a hotel in New York City to her Instagram stories, tagged the location “New York” and wrote, “Long time no see.”
Spotted: The model was pictured with the Titanic star at a party (pictured) and sparked an outpouring of Twitter comments due to their 29-year age difference
Then: In the 2005 interview, Mischa said her publicist told her, “Sleep with this guy for your career.”
Not for her: Mischa has said she’s not interested in older men, telling the publication: “Isn’t Leo about 30 or something?” (Leo is pictured in 2005)
Exes: At the time of the alleged incident, Leo had just broken up with Gisele Bundchen (pictured in February 2005)
However, just over an hour after the photo was posted – amid furious outrage erupting on social media over their alleged romance – Eden mysteriously deleted the photo.
Born in Paris to a French mother and Israeli father, Eden has signed with several agencies, including IT Models, which focuses on boutique fashion, and Kult Models in Germany.
The young beauty was encouraged to model for several years but never took it seriously until she was discovered by ITM Models, where she worked as a cover model, according to Glamor Bulgaria.
Despite the model’s ever-growing portfolio, DiCaprio’s fans were quick to note her young age, and Twitter rejoiced at the news that her high school education had been put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nor was she even born when Titanic was released in 1997 – more than 25 years ago.
One person said: “Kate Winslet was 22 when she was nominated for an Oscar for Titanic. It’s three years older than Leonardo DiCaprio’s current girlfriend.”
‘Someone has to stop him’: Twitter has been flooded with comments about Leonardo’s penchant for young models
“Leonardo DiCaprio’s new girlfriend wasn’t even born when Titanic was released.”
“DiCaprio’s girlfriend is so young that she probably studied the movie Romeo and Juliet, in which he starred, when she was in school.”
“Can someone explain to me what a nearly 50 year old man has in common with *check notes* a 19 year old?”
“Someone has to stop Leonardo DiCaprio. It was fun in front of 10 girlfriends.”
“Leonardo DiCaprio is only concerned about climate change because he wants to leave his friends a better world.”
The star has always made headlines with his relationships, from a famous five-year relationship with model Gisele Bundchen from the age of 18 to a five-year romance with Bar Refaeli that ended when she turned 25.
Leonardo DiCaprio Dating History
The Django Unchained star has made it a famous habit to never date any woman over 25.
GISELE BUNDLE (1999-2004)
Gisele and Leonardo at the 2005 Academy Awards
Leo’s first high-profile relationship was with the Brazilian model, who was 20 when the couple met. She broke off the relationship five years later at the age of 25.
BAR REFAELI (2005-2010)
Bar Refaeli
The actor’s relationship with Bar Refaeli ended after 5 years of relationship – coincidentally, the Israeli model turned 25 at the same time.
BLAKE LIVELY (2011)
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds’ wife only dated Leo for a year – when she was 23.
ERIN HEATHERTON (2012)
Elaine Heatherton
The Victoria’s Secret Angel alum was just 22 years old when she started dating DiCaprio in 2012.
TONI GARN (2013-2014)
Tony Garn
German-born model Garrn was just 21 when she and Leo broke up after two years of dating.
KELLY ROHRBACH (2015)
Kelly Rohrbach on the set of Baywatch
The Baywatch star was 25 when she and DiCaprio dated from June to around December 2015, with the split reportedly being a mutual decision
NINA AGDAL (2016-2017)
Nina Agdal and her ex Jack Brinkley Cook
Things ended between Leo and the Danish swimsuit model after she turned 25 in 2017.
CAMILA MORRONE (2017-2022)
Leo and Camila moved around New York City in May 2018
Leo and the model-turned-actress started dating just months after his split from Nina Agdal. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the two were considered more serious than ever, but the two reportedly split in the summer of 2022.
GIGI HADID (SEPTEMBER 2022 – DECEMBER 2022)
Gigi Hadid walks the catwalk in Paris in October 2022
After his split from Morrone in August, Leo was reported to have had a crush on model Gigi Hadid. The pair were spotted in NYC hotspots, but the romance seemed to fizzle out in December.
VICTORIA LAMAS (DECEMBER 2022 – NOW)
Victoria llamas in the photo
Leo was previously romantically linked to model/actress Victoria Lamas, who happens to be the daughter of actor Lorenzo Lamas. The couple was spotted in Hollywood in late December and reportedly rang in the new year together.
Source: Daily Mail
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
