Billy Corgan Talks Advantage of 26-Year Age Gap with Wife Chloe Mendel, 59 and 33

Corgan Discusses Their Age Gap

Speaking on The New York Times’ weekly Popcast show on Thursday, October 22, Corgan was asked whether belonging to different generations helped his relationship with Mendel. He said he did not want to make feminists angry before discussing the subject.

Corgan said many women born in the 1990s had grown up amid social changes and the rise of feminism. He contrasted their experiences with those of women from his generation, whom he said often faced abuse without much help.

Past Relationships And Hardship

Corgan said he had dated women who had been through difficult experiences, and stressed that he did not consider anything wrong with them. He described the relationships as involving two people who had each been hurt.

He said he was shocked by stories he heard from former partners. Corgan added that he and Mendel did not share the same history or life experiences.

A Different Kind Of Openness

Corgan said Mendel had not been affected by the same politics as he had, and had a different perspective. He described her youth as an advantage because, in his view, she had not been wounded in the same way as many people. He said he found her open to love and possibility, and said she chose not to judge him for who he was at that moment.

Their Relationship And Family

Corgan, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman, began dating fashion designer Mendel in 2012 after they met through a mutual friend. They got engaged on her 30th birthday and married in September 2023.

They have three children: son Augustus and daughters Philomena and Juno. The article says they welcomed Augustus and Philomena in 2015, and Juno in 2025.