Bill Belichick, 72, is dating Jordon Hudson, 24: The truth about age-gap relationships
Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson have gone red-carpet official − and their 48-year age gap is turning heads on social media.
The former college cheerleader, 24, shared on Instagram Sunday her stepping out with the former head coach of the New England Patriots, 72, at The Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The two posed for photos on the red carpet together and snapped a smiling selfie.
"The evening was saturated with all of my favourite things: friendship, education, philanthropy, glamour, beet salad, Billy, dance-worthy music, ornithological & oceanic exhibits," Hudson wrote of the evening.
Despite the couple's apparent happiness, many social media users have mocked their age gap online, sharing plenty of jokes and memes.
Though high-profile age-gap relationships often become spectacles online, they aren't necessarily uncommon, especially among celebrities and public figures.
Mental health experts have previously told Paste BN that age-gap relationships have unique challenges, and it's critical to consider the power dynamics involved to have a happy, healthy and safe relationship.
Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson and society's age-gap obsession
Hollywood has a storied history of famous couples with notable age gaps, such as Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart (25-year gap) or Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio (12-year gap). More recently, Kylie Jenner and Tyga (who met when Jenner was 14 and Tyga was 21) and Florence Pugh and Zach Braff (a 21-year gap) have raised eyebrows, as have several of Scott Disick's relationships.
Some have called out their former, older partners after feeling taken advantage of. Take Demi Lovato's single "29," which was adopted by myriad TikTok users calling out their own past relationships. "Finally 29 / Funny, just like you were at the time / Thought it was a teenage dream, just a fantasy / But was it yours or was it mine? 17, 29," Lovato sings in "29," rumored to be about ex Wilmer Valderrama.
When Taylor Swift, 34, rereleased her 2012 album "Red", she updated her breakup ballad "All Too Well," allegedly about actor Jake Gyllenhaal (who is nine years her senior), to include callouts to an age difference.
The media tend to portray age-gap romances in a one-dimensional manner: The older man, wealthy and stable, has the power – socially, financially and even sexually – while his attractive, young, dependent "trophy wife" offers one thing: beauty. Public discourse around age-gap relationships can also be brutal when an older woman dates a younger man, as evidenced by the label "cougar," which paints older women as wild animals on the prowl.
Ultimately, for any couple with an age gap to have a successful romance, both people need to see each other as equals and drown out the noise surrounding their relationship.
"You have to be confident in your relationship," Janet Morrison, a certified sex and relationship coach, previously told Paste BN. "The biggest external factor that influences most of these relationships is not the age but the response and acceptance of the relationship by peers."
Can age-gap relationships work?
Experts agree the biggest pitfall of an age-gap relationship is when it veers into toxic power imbalances. This happens when a couple can't see or treat each other as equals in the relationship, or when both partners don't have an equal voice in the relationship.
Meghan Gillen, a professor of psychology at Penn State Abington who studies developmental psychology and body image, previously told Paste BN that individuals in age-gap relationships should evaluate the situation for themselves: "Does it feel appropriate? Does it feel comfortable? Do you feel like you can relate to the person … or do you feel like the person has power over you?"
Younger partners in particular also need to stay vigilant of potential gender, social and power dynamics at play.
"Significant age-gap relationships require more work than the average relationship, from the public’s perception alone," Rori Sassoon, a relationship expert and matchmaker, previously told Paste BN. "If you’re only in it to feed your ego, beware."
Other difficulties can come up too.
Ian Kerner, a therapist and sex and relationship specialist, says it can be hard for couples with large age gaps to integrate family and friends into each other's lives. It also can be hard to find common interests and activities.
To combat this, Kerner says it's essential to find things both people enjoy doing together.
"When it comes to dating, date within an age range where you feel confident and comfortable," Sassoon previously told Paste BN, urging singles to find a partner with similar "levels of life experience and intentions of the relationship."
And remember, there are plenty of examples of healthy, thriving relationships with significant age gaps.
"Humans find connection in all sorts of places," Erik Anderson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told Paste BN. "As long as both parties are able to consent, we shouldn't be so critical of relationships."
Contributing: David Oliver