A love-struck couple have decided they don’t care what people say about their 19-year age gap.
Keisha Franklin, 22, and Teo, 41, from Eugene Oregon first met when she dined at his restaurant on her birthday.
At the time, Keisha was 20 and Teo was 39 – but she thought he was also in his 20s due to his dark hair and lack of wrinkles.
Now, they’ve had two children in two years, welcoming Ayda, 20 months, and Teo, eight months.
Keisha explained how it took her a year of visiting Teo’s restaurant before he finally took her seriously and agreed to go on a date, making her birthday wish come true.
The couple met when Keisha was 20 and Teo was 39
She said: ‘I was very interested in him but he didn’t take me seriously until almost a year later when I would visit him at work every day. He worked a lot so I got to know him then we started going on dates.
‘I would say I didn’t know if it was a wish come true until now but so.’
After a short time of going on dates, they decided it was time to tell their families.
Luckily, Keisha’s mother took the news well because she also has a large age gap with her husband.
Keisha says she and her partner ignore people who give them hate, knowing that the people who matter love and support them in their relationship.
The mother-of-two, who has 166,000 followers on TikTok, said: ‘I guess I just rather be with somebody on a higher maturity level.
‘We bought our first home together and I stayed home. I started posting on TikTok when I was pregnant with my second baby and my account started moving fast this year.
‘Luckily all my friends and family were very supportive, but there were some people that were close to us that judged. Keisha says she initially thought Teo was also in his 20s due to his dark hair and lack of wrinkles
‘We don’t care as the people that are close to us knew how in love we were and how compatible we were, so they all supported.
‘We are a pretty low-key family so we enjoy our family time and family time with our families and just enjoying our kids.
‘For our family to be strong we have to be strong as a couple. Not saying that it always goes that way be we try to strive on the idea.’
As a busy stay-at-home mother of two under two, Keisha has grown her social media platforms by posting lifestyle and parenting hacks to her TikTok account.
Another couple with a 19-year age gap previously lifted the lid on what life is like in their relationship.
Emily Stomatuk, 28, married husband Michael Justin, 47, in November 2023, after meeting him when she was 23 and he was 42.
The LA-based couple are often questioned about their age difference.
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