A COUPLE with a 19-year age gap have hit back at trolls after being overwhelmed with the “negativity” in comments aimed at them.
Emily, 28, married 47-year-old Michael in January, and the pair have faced criticism over their age difference from when they started dating.
In the comments section of a recent TikTok video, one person wrote: “Girl, your husband!
“You look like his granddaughter, OMG.”
The pair chose to respond in another video, as Emily quipped: “You should have seen me five years ago.
“When I did look actually pretty young!
“Then I might agree with you, and it was questionable with his white hair.”
“I was so in love, as I still am, with every bit of what your heart is, that I knew who and every bit of where you were going in life and how you were living your life, and I loved all of it,” Michael told his wife, before adding: “But boy, you looked young!”
When Emily agreed that she did look young as she was “only 23” when they met, Michael said they used to get some “weird stares” in the supermarket.
“We still get weird stares!” Emily insisted.
She then addressed the “increased negativity in the comments” that she’s noticed recently – particularly on the comments on her Instagram Reels, which get “real nasty”.
And while people say that they should expect negativity because they share their lives on social media, Emily said: “I feel like, and I’ve noticed this, not just on our page, especially like really big creators.
“I feel like everyone is just getting this increase of hate recently.
“It can be debilitating to look through your comments and just see so much negativity.
“And what drives me wild is like in this day and age, I feel like we’re just so okay with people being casually cruel.”
“Well, it’s not okay,” Michael insisted.
“We’re not okay with it.
“It’s basically people be hiding behind the phones and saying what they will for entertainment of their own self.
“You know, ‘Hahaha. I said this and it’s funny’.”
And despite “every once in a while” finding a comment they think is “very funny”, they are largely negative ones, with Emily ending the video by urging others to “go spread positivity”.
The comments on the TikTok then came pouring in, with the majority of people commending Emily and Michael for speaking out about the hate they’ve been receiving.
“Even with the grey hair your husband doesn’t look like a grandfather,” one wrote.
“He has such a youthful appearance ignore the haters, they are jealous of your beautiful relationship!”
“He doesn’t look grandpa age,” another insisted.
“The only thing that ages him a little is the white hair.
“But hey, men get better looking as they age! Silver fox I say!”
“You both are hot though,” a third commented.
“Very attractive couple.
“I think sometimes jealousy comes out in negative ways. You are beautiful people.”
While someone else wrote: “My husband and I have a 23 yrs age difference.
“We are closer and understand each other better than any relationship I have ever been in.
“They can take their negative comments and shove them!”
