If you've followed the career of Nicolas Cage, you know the man doesn't do anything halfway. He doesn't just act; he creates "Nouveau Shamanic" performances. He doesn't just buy houses; he buys haunted mansions and 9-foot-tall pyramid tombs. So, it shouldn't come as a shock that when people ask is Nicholas Cage married, the answer involves a bit of a saga.
Yes, he is.
Since February 16, 2021, the National Treasure star has been married to Riko Shibata. Honestly, it’s a relationship that sounds like something out of one of his own indie films. They met in Shiga, Japan, while he was filming Prisoners of the Ghostland. She’s about 30 years younger than him, but if you listen to Nic talk about her, age is the least interesting thing about their bond.
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Who Is Riko Shibata?
Riko isn't a Hollywood A-lister or a pop star like some of his previous partners. She was actually a film extra when they met. Cage has told reporters that they bonded over their shared love of unusual animals.
Basically, he knew she was "the one" when he asked her what kind of pets she had, and she replied that she owned flying squirrels.
"She had two sugar gliders," Cage told Entertainment Tonight. "I thought, 'That's it. This could work out.'"
Their engagement was just as unconventional. Because of the pandemic travel restrictions, they spent six months apart—he was in Nevada and she was in Kyoto. He ended up proposing over FaceTime. He didn't just send a standard diamond, either. He shipped her a black diamond engagement ring via FedEx because black is her favorite color.
The Current State of the Marriage
The couple tied the knot at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. It was a small, intimate ceremony where they exchanged both Catholic and Shinto vows. They even included poetry from Walt Whitman and some Haiku.
Fast forward to today, and they seem more stable than ever. In September 2022, they welcomed a daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage. For Cage, this was a massive deal. He already has two sons—Weston and Kal-El—but August is his first daughter. He’s often spotted with Riko on red carpets, including the 2024 Golden Globes and the Oscars, and they always look incredibly synchronized.
Cage has been very vocal about this being his final marriage. He told GQ in 2022, "I'm a romantic... and this is it for me. I mean, this is not happening again."
A Look Back at the Other Four
To understand why everyone asks is Nicholas Cage married with such curiosity, you have to look at the track record. He’s had five weddings in total.
- Patricia Arquette (1995–2001): This was the stuff of 90s legend. He reportedly proposed to her the day they met at a deli. She gave him a list of "impossible" tasks to complete to win her hand (including getting J.D. Salinger's autograph). He did them.
- Lisa Marie Presley (2002–2004): A true "pirate marries a pirate" situation. They were only married for about 100 days before filing for divorce, though the paperwork took years to finalize.
- Alice Kim (2004–2016): This was his longest marriage. They met when she was a waitress at a restaurant he frequented. They have a son together, Kal-El.
- Erika Koike (2019): This one was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. They married in Vegas and Cage filed for an annulment just four days later, claiming they were both too intoxicated to understand what they were doing.
Why This Marriage Feels Different
There’s a different energy with Riko. Maybe it’s the fatherhood at 60, or maybe it’s just that he’s found someone who matches his "unusualness." He’s living in Las Vegas now, away from the Los Angeles bubble, which seems to suit his current pace of life.
People often get hung up on the 31-year age gap, but in the world of Nic Cage, that’s probably the most normal part of the story. They seem to share a quiet, private life when they aren't on a red carpet.
Common Misconceptions
- Is he still with the makeup artist? No, that was Erika Koike. That ended years ago.
- Is he a grandfather? Yes! His eldest son Weston has children, making Nic a grandfather while also being a father to a toddler.
- Does he live in Japan? No, Riko moved to the United States and they reside primarily in Nevada.
If you’re trying to keep up with the Coppola-Cage family tree, the best thing to do is watch for his red carpet appearances. He rarely goes to an event without Riko by his side these days.
If you want to dive deeper into his current life, check out his recent interviews with The New Yorker or 60 Minutes, where he talks about his "workhorse" mentality and how his family keeps him grounded. You can also follow the film festival circuits; he's been more active in independent cinema lately, and Riko is almost always there for the premieres.
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Keep an eye on his upcoming projects like the Noir Spider-Man series—it'll likely be the next time we see the happy couple out in public together.