Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has discussed his relationship with his wife, Chloé Mendel, and explained why he sees the 26-year age difference between them as a positive thing, speaking on Popcast.
Corgan talked about how women from different generations have faced different challenges. He reflected on his past relationships and what he values in his current marriage.
“I think a lot of women born in the ’90s, given the societal changes, … [saw the] proper rise of feminism as a kind of way to balance properly a lot of things,” Corgan said. “But, because so many women of our generation were going through that without a lot of help and coming out of a lot of abuse, it was harder to put those pieces together if you’re broken and they’re broken.”
“There was nothing wrong with them. It was, like, the old thing? ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right.’ I met a lot of broken women along the way. It was hard for me to put those pieces together. And so, when I met my wife and having that gap, she wasn’t affected by those same politics. She just had a different version.”
“[Chloé] had a different sense of self-confidence, and then, you know, her youth was an advantage because she hadn’t been wounded like so many people are because you just go through life and you get wounded,” he continued. “I had the advantage of somebody who was really open to love and the possibility, and for whatever reason, [she] just decided not to judge me for who I was, particularly, in that moment.”
Corgan made these remarks during a discussion about his personal life and relationships.
Corgan and Mendel have built their life together since 2012. The couple married on September 16, 2023, and have three children together. Their son Augustus Juppiter was born in 2015, followed by daughter Philomena Clementine and daughter Juno, who was born in March 2026. Mendel is a fashion designer and co-founder of the outerwear brand Maison Atia.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman’s comments reflect on his earlier experiences in relationships. Before meeting Mendel, Corgar described encountering women who carried emotional wounds from their own struggles and from societal pressures of their time. He credits the generational difference between him and his wife as a key factor in their compatibility and the success of their marriage.
Corgan’s perspective on the age gap centers on how different generations of women have navigated distinct social and cultural landscapes. His earlier relationships, he suggests, were complicated by shared trauma and unresolved personal struggles, whereas his marriage to Mendel has benefited from her different upbringing and worldview. He emphasizes that her willingness to accept him without judgment has been valuable to him.
