How a pet flying squirrel brought Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata together before their Vegas wedding
Riko Shibata met Nicolas Cage through mutual friends while he was filming in Japan, and the connection was almost immediate. What sealed it, though, was a pair of sugar gliders. Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage married on 16 February 2021 in Las Vegas, after a pandemic-era FaceTime proposal and roughly a year of dating. She is 31 years old — Cage was born in 1964, creating an age gap of approximately 31 years — yet the couple has built a quietly devoted family life that continues to attract attention in 2026.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Riko Shibata was born on 10 January 1995 in Kyoto, Japan, making her 31 years old.
- She and Nicolas Cage share a 31-year age gap — he was born on 7 January 1964.
- The couple wed on 16 February 2021 at the Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas — Cage's fifth marriage.
- Cage proposed over FaceTime during the COVID-19 lockdown after they were separated for six months.
- They welcomed a daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, on 7 September 2022.
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Profile summary
Detail | Information |
Full name | Riko Shibata |
Date of birth | 10 January 1995 |
Age | 31 years old (as of 2026) |
Birthplace | Kyoto, Japan |
Nationality | Japanese |
Occupation | Celebrity spouse; appeared in Prisoners of the Ghostland |
Spouse | Nicolas Cage (m. 2021) |
Children | August Francesca Coppola Cage (b. 2022) |
Known for | Marriage to Nicolas Cage |
Relationship status | Married to Nicolas Cage |
How did Riko Shibata meet Nicolas Cage?
Nicolas met Riko "through mutual friends" in her native Japan while he was filming Prisoners of the Ghostland in 2020. A rep for the American actor confirmed that the couple met in Shiga, Japan.
The pair hit it off quickly over a shared love of animals. At the July 2021 premiere of Pig, Cage told Entertainment Tonight the story of the moment he knew:
We met in Japan and I thought she was stunning when I met her. We had a lot in common. She likes animals, too, so I asked her, 'Do you have any pets?' And she said, 'Yes, I have flying squirrels.' She had two sugar gliders... I thought, 'That's it. This could work out.
Shibata also acted in the 2021 film Prisoners of the Ghostland, the very production that brought Cage to Japan and into her orbit.
The FaceTime proposal
Source: Getty Images
After spending time together in early 2020, the couple eventually went their separate ways because of COVID-19. Cage told his brother, Marc "The Cope" Coppola, in an interview on Q104.3 iHeartRadio:
She left New York and went back to Kyoto, Japan [during the pandemic] and I went back to Nevada.
After living apart for six months, Cage decided to propose to Shibata on a video call. He shared:
I finally just said, 'Look, I want to marry you' and we got engaged on FaceTime.
It was an unconventional proposal. But for an unconventional couple, it fit perfectly.
The Las Vegas wedding
Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage married on 16 February 2021 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their wedding blended American and Japanese traditions, featuring a traditional Japanese bridal kimono, Shinto customs, Catholic elements, and Walt Whitman poetry.
Source: Getty Images
The bride wore a handmade Japanese bridal kimono from Kyoto while the groom wore a Tom Ford tux. Shibata walked down the aisle to Winter Song by Kiroro, her favourite track.
The date was no accident. The couple wed on a date that held significance to the actor: 16 February, the birthday of Nicolas' late father, August Coppola, a film executive, academic, and brother of film director Francis Ford Coppola.
After the wedding, the happy couple attended a small celebration with Cage's ex-wife, Alice Kim, with whom he remains very good friends, and their son Kal-El.
At the Gotham Awards later that year, Cage made clear how much the evening meant to him. Speaking to Extra TV, he expressed his delight at attending the event alongside his wife, declaring:
I fell in love with my wife here, so it's a big deal to bring her to the Gotham Awards. It's date night, I've already won, I'm so happy, it's date night with Riko.
What is the age difference between Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage?
Source: Getty Images
Born on 10 January 1995, Riko Shibata turned 31 years old in January 2026. Nicolas Cage was born on 7 January 1964. That places 31 years between them — a gap that attracted considerable media attention when their relationship became public.
Cage told The New York Times Magazine in 2019:
I think there has to be some unusualness to be able to be in a relationship with me.
While the age difference drew media attention, the couple has consistently shown a respectful, supportive partnership that extends beyond headlines as they continue building their family life privately.
Riko Shibata's child: daughter August Francesca
Nicolas Cage's wife, Riko Shibata, gave birth to a baby girl, the couple's first child together. The actor and his wife welcomed their daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, on 7 September in Los Angeles.
Source: Getty Images
The name carries family meaning: August echoes the name of Cage's late father. A representative for the couple confirmed the birth in September 2022, saying:
Nicolas and Riko are happy to announce the birth of their daughter. Mother and daughter are doing fine.
Nicolas has three biological children: two sons, Weston Coppola Cage, an actor and recording artist (born 1990) and Kal-El Coppola Cage (born 2005), and a daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage (born 2022).
Fatherhood shifted Cage's priorities. He told Entertainment Tonight in 2023:
I'd like to read a book a week, I wanna spend more time with my daughter. I'm taking more stock of what's important.
Is Nicolas Cage still married to Riko Shibata?
Source: Getty Images
Yes. The film producer has been married to Riko Shibata since February 2021. This is Nicolas's fifth marriage. His previous spouses were:
- Patricia Arquette — married 1995, divorced 2001
- Lisa Marie Presley — married August 2002, divorced 2004
- Alice Kim — married 2004, divorced 2016
- Erika Koike — married March 2019, annulled the same year
Riko is the first of his wives with whom Cage has remained consistently in the public eye as a settled, family-focused couple.
Nicolas Cage's net worth
Nicolas Cage's net worth in 2026 is estimated at $30 million. While that is obviously substantial, it is considerably less than his past wealth — Cage's finances have fluctuated dramatically over the years, as he was once worth $150 million.
Source: Getty Images
Cage eventually paid off his debts and simultaneously experienced a major critical revival through films including Mandy, Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Dream Scenario, and Longlegs. In 2026, he made his first leading television appearance in the live-action Marvel series Spider-Noir.
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His income sources include:
- Film salaries (currently around $4 million per picture, per The Hollywood Reporter)
- His Spider-Noir Amazon Prime Video series
- Real estate holdings, including a Malibu mansion
Latest news
Cage stars as Ben Reilly in the Amazon series Spider-Noir, which debuted on 27 May 2026. He and Riko hit the red carpet together at the world premiere at Regal Times Square in New York City.
Source: Getty Images
The couple also appeared at the opening night celebration of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, having met in Japan and married in Las Vegas in 2021.
On 19 September 2026, Nicolas made headlines for his striking change in appearance while out with Riko Shibata. The actor sported tousled silver-grey hair and a full beard, wearing oversized black sunglasses beside his 31-year-old wife.
FAQs
- How did Riko Shibata meet Nicolas Cage? The pair were introduced by mutual friends while Cage was filming Prisoners of the Ghostland in Japan. Cage says he knew the relationship would work when he discovered she kept pet flying squirrels.
- How old is Riko Shibata? Riko Shibata was born on 10 January 1995 and is 31 years old as of 2026.
- What is the age difference between Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage? Cage was born in 1964, creating an age gap of approximately 31 years between him and Riko.
- Is Nicolas Cage still married to Riko Shibata? Yes. She has been married to Nicolas Cage since 16 February 2021. The marriage is his fifth.
- Do Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage have children? Yes — Riko and Nicolas Cage have one daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, who was born in September 2022.
- Where did Riko Shibata and Nicolas Cage get married? The couple married on 16 February 2021 in a small wedding at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Why did Nicolas Cage choose 16 February for their wedding date? She chose the date to honour her husband's late father's birthday.
- Does Riko Shibata have social media? No clearly confirmed public account exists for Riko Shibata — many pages online appear to be fan or repost accounts.
Quick facts
- Riko Shibata was born on 10 January 1995 in Kyoto, Japan.
- She appeared in Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) alongside Nicolas Cage.
- Her two pet sugar gliders played a key role in her love story with Cage.
- She and Cage share a daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, born 7 September 2022.
- She is known for blending Shinto and Catholic traditions at her Las Vegas wedding ceremony.
Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata met by chance in Japan, and their relationship grew into a romance that included a FaceTime proposal. They shared a love for flying squirrels while keeping much of their relationship private, offering fans only rare glimpses of their bond. They celebrated their romance with a private Las Vegas wedding in February 2021.
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Source: Legit.ng
