A 27-year-old woman who married her ex-boyfriend’s dad, who is 24 years older than her, has given an insight into their relationship.
Sydney Dean, 27, from Ohio, US, is married to Paul, 51, her ex-boyfriend’s father.
The couple first met when Sydney was in sixth grade, aged 11, while she was visiting her then-boyfriend – Paul’s son.
The childhood romance came to an end but Sydney continued to remain friends with Paul’s son through their teen years. She would often visit their home after school and on weekends.
Sydney said that when Paul’s son got a new girlfriend, she felt like a third wheel and would often talk to Paul.
She started dating Paul when she turned 16, which is the legal age of consent in Ohio.
“I never expected to fall in love with Paul and we met in a non-traditional way, but I’m so happy I did,” she was quoted as saying by Mirror.
The couple got married in 2016 and had a hard time convincing family and friends that they were meant for each other.
“My mum already knew who Paul was and from the few times they have talked, they got along just fine. But when I first told my mum that we were together, she was not happy. The age gap really got to her and it stayed that way for about a year – eventually, she came around,” she said.
Sydney added, “[After this] we would go to her house almost every weekend just to hang out or have a BBQ. Now that we live pretty close to each other, she comes over all the time. She’s 100% supportive of us and absolutely loves Paul. In fact, they probably chat more than me and her do.”
Sydney’s father was also not supportive of the relationship due to the age gap but he now loves his son-in-law.
Paul’s son took the relationship the “harshest” as Sydney already knew him. “He didn’t agree with the relationship for a couple years, but now that we have been together and are married, he supports us being together,” Sydney said.
She said that she has lost friends as they were not happy with her relationship with Paul.
She added, “I wish people would understand that couples with an age gap can truly love and care for one another. There are a lot of negative assumptions about age gap relationships, but that doesn’t mean couples can’t be in it for the right reasons.”
“He is the best husband I could have asked for, and he treats me so great,” Sydney said.
