Riko Shibata met Nicolas Cage through mutual friends in Japan in 2020 while he was filming Prisoners of the Ghostland. Their connection was sealed by her two pet sugar gliders, which Cage cited as the moment he knew the relationship could work. The couple married on 16 February 2021 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, following a FaceTime proposal during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have since built a family life that continues to attract attention in 2026.
How Riko Shibata Met Nicolas Cage in Japan
Nicolas Cage met Riko Shibata "through mutual friends" in her native Japan while he was filming Prisoners of the Ghostland in 2020. A representative 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 and Las Vegas Wedding
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."
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. 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: 16 February is the birthday of Nicolas' late father, August Coppola, a film executive, academic, and brother of film director Francis Ford Coppola.
After the wedding, the 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 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."
Age Difference and Family Life
Born on 10 January 1995, Riko Shibata turned 31 years old in January 2026. Nicolas Cage was born on 7 January 1964, placing 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."
The couple welcomed their daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, on 7 September 2022 in Los Angeles. 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." 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."
Marriage Status and Nicolas Cage's Net Worth
Yes, Nicolas Cage is still married to Riko Shibata. This is his 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), and 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 in 2026 is estimated at $30 million, considerably less than his past wealth—he was once worth $150 million. Cage eventually paid off his debts and 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. His income sources include film salaries (currently around $4 million per picture, per The Hollywood Reporter), his Spider-Noir Amazon Prime Video series, and real estate holdings, including a Malibu mansion.
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. The couple also appeared at the opening night celebration of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. On 19 September 2026, Nicolas made headlines for his striking change in appearance while out with Riko Shibata, sporting tousled silver-grey hair and a full beard, wearing oversized black sunglasses beside his 31-year-old wife.
