Anthony LaPaglia’s Outburst Over Marriage Question: Amanda Goff Reveals Long-Known Secret

As a journalist, I’m no stranger to ruffling feathers – especially celebrity ones.

Actors and artists are more than happy for you to plug their latest film, album, ‘must-have’ fashion collab or fragrance. But the mood shifts the moment you write something they don’t like.

Anthony LaPaglia is one of those celebrities who makes me roll my eyes every time I see him in the press or on the silver screen.

Years ago, when I was working for a weekly tabloid magazine in Australia, I wrote a story about his second marriage to actress Gia Carides.

Reports were coming in that the relationship was on the rocks. The sources were pretty solid – and sure enough, they would later split.

Oh boy, did I cop it.

LaPaglia was furious. I know this because he bothered to call me from Hollywood as I was sitting in my Sydney office. He accused me of fabricating quotes, twisting facts and spreading false gossip.

‘How would you like it if I wrote lies about your marriage?’ he said. (I wasn’t married.)

If memory serves, Gia was in the background egging him on. Whatever issues they were dealing with at the time were clearly put to one side as they united against a common enemy: me.

LaPaglia was entitled to air his grievances, but I can’t say it accomplished much. Any celebrity will tell you – including actors far more famous than him – that when you’re in the public eye, you rarely get to control the narrative.

The smart ones tend to accept that any publicity is better than none and that being yesterday’s news is far worse than a slightly unflattering headline.

But that’s beside the point.

Because here we are, years later, with 66-year-old LaPaglia staring down the barrel of another separation – and I have just three words for him.

I was right.

Weeks ago, LaPaglia’s third wife Alexandra Henkel – who at 36 is three decades his junior – filed for divorce from the Without a Trace actor after seven years of marriage.

In the typical parlance of Hollywood splits, Alexandra cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for their break-up.

It won’t be cheap: she is seeking spousal support and has requested for their assets – including their Los Angeles home – to be divided equally.

In addition, she has requested to keep several pieces of valuable jewellery, namely a Rolex watch and her engagement ring – the same one she jubilantly flashed on the red carpet in Melbourne soon after LaPaglia popped the question in 2017.

Call me a tabloid hack, call me whatever you want, but rarely do I get it wrong.

As soon as I heard LaPaglia was remarrying his younger squeeze – bearing in mind he only split from Gia in 2015 – I knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Now, before you accuse me of casting aspersions on Alexandra, let me be abundantly clear: I’ve no doubt theirs was a genuine love match.

But I also know what stirs in a young woman’s mind when she’s drawn into the orbit of a charismatic, successful older man.

Let’s call it the white knight fantasy.

For the uninitiated, in certain corners of the internet, there’s a philosophy of dating that prizes financially secure silver foxes as the ultimate ‘providers’.

Their job is to rescue ‘high-value’ young women from the nightmare of dating men their own age who – quelle horreur – may occasionally suggest splitting the bill.

There’s even a name for it: hypergamy, or ‘marrying up’.

Marrying up can be thrilling, no doubt. It often comes with financial security and a taste of the high life. But in my experience, these love stories tend to end in disaster.

Here’s how the fairytale usually goes: 

He thinks he’s rescuing her from a life of mediocrity. She thinks she’s landed her forever partner. For a while, it’s shiny, romantic, blissful.

The blushing bride may even cast wistful glances at her old friends – the ones who married their uni sweethearts, live in apartments and take the bus to work.

And then one day, she wakes up and realises she’s married to an old man.

While she’s 40, sculpted and radiant, he’s nudging 70, slowing down and still clinging to his skinny jeans.

Did Anthony and Alexandra experience this transformation? I can’t say for certain – and can only speak in general terms about age-gap relationships. 

Still, the story of their romance paints a vivid picture.

They first met at a Prahran bar while she was studying at the University of Melbourne. LaPaglia later ‘proposed on a magical winter evening in Paris’ – a direct quote from their Vogue Brides spread – while they were staying at the Plaza Athénée Hotel.

‘As we were preparing to head out for dinner, I was doing my make-up and turned around to find Anthony on bended knee. I said yes immediately,’ Alexandra said.

Their destination wedding in Hawaii was a dream. The couple took their first dance to I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos.

I couldn’t help but notice that following their whirlwind romance, we gradually saw less and less of the couple over the years.

When reports emerged last week that divorce papers had been filed, listing September 11 as the separation date, part of me was surprised they’d lasted so long.

Now, at 66, LaPaglia is likely meeting with accountants, calculating how this third divorce will reshape his financial future.

As for Alexandra? She’ll be heartbroken, no doubt. But she’s no fool – she’s seeking what she is entitled to, as a woman now accustomed to a certain standard of living. 

Yet here’s the curious twist: while these so-called ‘white knight’ romances – older man, younger woman – so often end in tears, lawyers and asset spreadsheets, things rarely implode with the same level of drama when the gender roles are reversed.

In my time, I’ve witnessed many older, financially independent women stroll around town with younger male arm candy – but these cougar-cub pairings (yes, I hate the term too) tend to unfold without catastrophe.

Why? Take this from a woman who loves to date younger men: we aren’t looking for a saviour or a retirement plan. We want fun, energy, connection and good sex. We couldn’t care less about his buying power, assets or superannuation balance.

And when things fizzle out, our lives don’t fall apart. We don’t suffer total ego death. We say goodbye and move on to the next one.

And that’s the difference between men and women who date ‘down’: we aren’t trying to ‘feel young again’ or rewrite our prime. Men, on the other hand, often treat a younger wife like a fountain of youth – until the reality of age catches up with them.

Now look, I’m not saying Alex needed rescuing or that Anthony was chasing his lost youth. What’s evident is this – the age of the white knight fantasy is behind us.

If it’s ’embarrassing’ to have a boyfriend – according to British Vogue – then it is equally cringy to marry a woman decades younger when you’re in your golden years.

And if that bothers you, Anthony. Come at me – I’m sure you still have my number.

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