Age gaps in relationships are nothing new, but they never fail to stir up conversation. Although it may not be palatable for some, it’s not unusual for women to date men 10-20 years older. What about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who were 16 years apart when they were married? Or, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who are 25 years apart in age?
However, age gaps in relationships can come with complications. An anonymous woman, who’s dating a man 26 years her senior, has written to The Sun’s advice column Dear Deidre, asking how will she cope when he dies.
Read more: How does an age gap affect your marriage?
“My partner is 68 and I’m 42. Yes, it is a big age gap but it works really well, except for a couple of things. We’ve been together ten years and there are two problems that worry me loads,” She wrote.
“Like, how will I cope when he dies? I love him so much and the likelihood is that he’ll die before me. He treats me so well and it will break my heart.”
A 2017 study conducted by Emory University, U.S, found that couples who were far apart in age had a higher likelihood of divorcing.
And according to new research, conducted by University of Colorado Boulder, after six to 10 years of marriage any age-gap satisfaction soon dwindled, but it might have a lot of do with the way they dealt with problems.
“Over time, the people who are married to a much older or younger spouse tend to have larger declines in marital satisfaction over time compared to those who are married to spouses who are similar in age,” co-author of the study Terra McKinnish said.
Read more: This age issue could ruin your relationship, expert reveals