A married couple with a 42-year age difference has faced an outpouring of abuse online after trolls claimed their “love is a lie.”
David, 70, from California met Jackie, 28, on online dating website Cherry Blossoms while traveling in the Philippines – Jackie’s native country. The website advertises itself as a way to “chat online or meet Filipino and Asian women.”
After quickly hitting it off, the pair went on several dates before David had to return home to Oakland, California, according to YouTube channel Love Don’t Judge.
But after his return, David flew back to the Philippines three months later to reunite with Jackie before taking her on another date.
David said he was “impressed with what he saw” and popped the question less than six months after first meeting.
David and Jackie met on an online dating website called Cherry Blossoms while he was traveling in the Philippines – the country where Jackie is from
David said, “We met when I was in the Philippines. I used a dating site. One day I saw her profile – I almost jumped out of my chair. I was so impressed with what I saw.’
After agreeing to meet with David, Jackie admitted that she “didn’t review his profile” and had “no idea what he looked like.” She added, “I could tell he was a gentleman and very nice.”
Jackie received her visa 11 months after David popped the question, with the couple choosing to live in the US.
Jackie discussed their wedding and said, “Our wedding was fun. It was the best day of my life. My parents and siblings couldn’t come here. My family is very supportive of me and so are my friends. I won’t regret marrying Dave because he is a really nice man. He loves me, he respects me, he’s the best.’
But despite gushing over each other, David admitted that the relationship had been criticized by online users who questioned whether “their love is real.”
‘All in all, we have received very positive reviews. But that doesn’t mean every comment that comes in is positive,” David said.
Jackie added: ‘So many label him my sugar daddy, say I’m a green card digger, a gold digger. But I’m not really touched because it’s not true. I know myself, I know I’m not a gold digger.’
While the age difference wasn’t a problem for Jackie, David admitted that he was worried about how he would be perceived: “I was worried, but not from my perspective, but from Jackie’s perspective.”
People call Jackie a gold digger because David sends large sums of money to her family and pays the bills.
When I courted Jackie I constantly reminded her of the age difference and reminded her that I am older than her parents.
“I’d say to Jackie, ‘Are you sure you want to go through with this?’ and each time Jackie replied without hesitation, “Yes, I do.”‘
Jackie, who works in a local drugstore after moving to California, returns to the Philippines once a year to visit her family and support them financially.
David, who is retired, claims to pay “most of the bills,” but Jackie helps out where she can. The couple regularly posts on TikTok where Jackie talks about their relationship as intrigued viewers question her choices.
The couple has managed to build a following of 47,300 on the app after making a series of videos about their marriage and mocking people’s perceptions of their relationship.
In a tongue in cheek clip, Jackie was seen asking David, “When are you going to send money to my family?”
After asking how much, Jackie then suggested “$25,000.” David agreed to the large amount before she thanked him.
She then joked, “That’s why I love you because you give me a lot of money.”
Many users have been quick to express their opinions about David and Jackie’s relationship, but some are negative about it
Jackie also revealed that she has been referred to as David’s “carer,” leading commenters to wonder if Jackie is his “adopted daughter from the Philippines.”
In response to someone saying that David “looks like her grandpa,” Jackie said, “We love each other, that’s the most important thing.
‘At his age, most people are grandfathers with children and grandchildren. But in Dave’s case, he didn’t have kids, so he’s not a grandpa.
“You have to be careful with that word, because we’re all getting old. What if you walk down the street and someone calls you Grandpa, how do you feel? You have to be careful because it can be an insult.”
Commenting on their relationship, one user commented, “There you have it — this year’s Oscar winner. Great achievement over the years Jackie, hats off!’
Another user defended their relationship saying, “He’s absolutely in love with her and I think she has love and respect for him.”
While a third said, “There’s a look of insincerity in her eyes when she talks about their being together.”
A fourth agreed: ‘I don’t mind age-gap relationships as long as the love is sincere and under the age of majority. I wish these two the best.”