Why Age-Gap Relationships Really Hit A Nerve, According To A Therapist

""Age-gap relationships force us to confront rules and norms we've all been taught about what is an appropriate relationship," Im explains. "They bring into the spotlight something we typically keep private and constrained by social norms. There's also something both compelling and triggering about seeing people challenge relationship norms so openly, especially when most of us have significant internalized constraints about who we're supposed to choose.""

"While former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may be used to coverage about his storied NFL career, it's not football that's making headlines these days. The newly minted UNC coach is scoring coverage for his relationship with girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who is 48 years his junior. Belichick, 73, and Hudson, 24, reportedly met during a 2021 flight, but didn't begin dating - or making headlines - until 2023."

Bill Belichick, 73, is dating Jordon Hudson, 24, prompting media and social media attention over the 48-year age gap. The couple reportedly met on a 2021 flight and began dating publicly in 2023. The age difference has provoked reactions ranging from outright hatred to lighthearted commentary across national outlets, social accounts, and Reddit threads. Influencer couple Emily Stomatuk and Michael Justin faced similar backlash for their 19-year age gap when their relationship went viral. Age-gap relationships function as a Rorschach test that exposes collective assumptions, internalized norms, and the private boundaries people enforce. Therapist John Im links these reactions to deeply held rules about relationship appropriateness.

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