Leonardo DiCaprio's Ex-Girlfriend Writes Open Letter Blasting 'Ageist' Headlines Post Camila Morrone Split

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's split with long-time girlfriend Camila Morrone has been making headlines for quite some time now. While the media has been unapologetic in its attempts to paint the 47-year-old actor as an "ageist" who dumps his girlfriends as soon as they turn 25, his former girlfriend, Kristen Zang, whom he dated for four years in the 90s, has spoken out about the issue.

The 48-year-old former model penned an open letter for People magazine, blasting trolls for speculating that DiCaprio, who has gained notoriety for dating much younger women, ended the relationship with Morrone because she was "too old for Leo at 25."

"When I read the headlines and online comments with his most recent ex-girlfriend being referred to as having 'aged out' or being 'too old for Leo at 25,' puh-lease (insert dramatic eye roll)," Zang wrote in the letter.

She continued: "I think we can and should do better. What kind of message is this sending to young people?"

Zang branded the barrage of comments and headlines on DiCaprio as "ageist."

Zang, now married and quietly living in Oregon, recalled the time DiCaprio and she were a couple. The duo began dating when both of them were 21 and were at the early stage of their respective Hollywood careers. "We were kids. My friends knew his friends and Hollywood back then was like a big high school. It was, dare I say, an innocent time. We were nerds. Good-looking nerds with glamorous jobs, but still nerds. We went to amusement parks, concerts, museums and the movies. I was with him when he made Romeo & Juliet, Titanic, and The Beach," Zang wrote.

Things went on smoothly between them, barring a brief split in 1997, but the relationship fell apart after she turned 25. "About 4 months after my 25th birthday (ha, I know what you're thinking) it was over for good," Zang wrote.

The former model, however, claimed she made the break-up call as, for her, it meant breaking free from the image of "Hollywood high school girl". "I wanted to figure out who I was and what I wanted."

Her comments came as Twitter users started a meme fest after the news of the DiCaprio-Morrone split broke, with the actor's pattern of dating 20-something women at the butt of all jokes.

In the open letter, Zang said just like her Morrone may also have her reasons behind the high-profile split. "Who knows what happened," she wrote, adding, "Maybe she really cared for him but was just ready for the next chapter, perhaps it's temporary, or maybe it's none of our business but can we stop with the ageist headlines and comments? But let's keep the funny memes coming, they're stellar. Truly."

The former model concluded the letter by sharing her pearls of wisdom for the younger generation. "Looking back, at 21 or 25 I had no clue who I was or what I wanted. I ended up modeling, and did some acting and a few commercials. But it wasn't until about 30 that I found my true passion, dog nutrition of all things, and I started my own company when I was 33," the letter read.

"I met the love of my life when I was 38 and got married when I was 40. So you youngins out there, listen up. Life gets so much better after 25. Yes, you get more wrinkles but you also get more confidence and more love for yourself," Zang, who now owns a dog food company, wrote in the letter.

At the end of the letter, Zang wrote that she married a man named Shea, who is younger than her. "Joke's on you, Leo," she concluded.