That has been the long time rumor about Gere. Snopes denies it of course.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/from-gere-to-eternity-2/
http://www.alloy.com/entertainment/richard-gere-gerbil-urban-legend-birthday-5-facts-626/
I remember 30-40 years ago a nurse took money from The Inquirer and told the story. Take it or leave it. It’s what people think
Who the heck is “snopes”?
Some of us are old enough to have lived before the Internet.
Gere IS mister gerbel. Snopes is Wikipedia. 1984.