A Perth couple with a 32-year age difference have opened up about the reality of age-gap relationships.
When Scarlett, 24, started talking to Scott, 56, online in 2019, she never imagined he would become the love of her life.
The young woman told news.com.au that her mental health was at its worst at the time and she felt so alone that she turned to sugar daddy websites to find friendships.
That’s when she struck up a conversation with FIFO employee Scott, who told her he was experiencing similar feelings of isolation.
What started as a friendship quickly developed into a romance after they realized how much they had in common and how easy their conversations were going.
Four years later, the pair are now happier than ever in a committed relationship, and despite their 32-year age difference, both say it’s the best relationship they’ve ever had.
“My experience with dating younger men was, ‘Well, well, thank you,’ but it often left me feeling empty,” Scarlett, a housewife, explained.
“They didn’t have the patience to help me and often focused only on their own needs.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d date someone this older. At first I was really excited about pushing boundaries and taboos, but the way Scott treated me made me feel special. He gave it to me.
“I was grateful that he patiently listened to me and wanted to help me grow. Our love for each other seemed to develop naturally.”
Scott, who has been divorced three times and has children older than Scarlett, said he was initially a little nervous about being attracted to someone so young.
However, he soon realized that life is too short to worry about what others think, adding how the two have helped each other through various emotional struggles over the years.
“There have been several instances where people have mistaken Scarlett for my daughter,” he explained.
“When we go out in public, we sometimes get some strange looks, but we don’t mind.
“We met on a sugar baby/sugar daddy website when we were both at pretty low points in our lives. I was looking for something.
“But once we matched and met, money had nothing to do with it. It was never about finances for us.
“It’s all about love, support and guidance. We both had some mental health issues in the beginning, but we’ve helped each other get through it.”
Due to their age difference, some people might think that the pair don’t have much in common, but it’s actually quite the opposite.
Scarlett, born in 1999, and Scott, born in 1967, love being outdoors with their “fur babies” and say they both always wanted a “traditional” lifestyle.
“We have the same values,” he said.
“We both want a traditional lifestyle, where the man provides the living and the wife stays at home and looks beautiful and takes care of the children. In our case, it’s the fur babies. .”
“At the end of the day, age is just a number,” Scarlett added.
“As long as I’m happy and he’s happy and we’re consenting adults, our ages shouldn’t matter.
“We are trying hard to make our relationship work. Scott has taught me what unconditional love and respect is and has shown me that I matter.
“I have never felt so special.”
The pair is Taken to TikTok While sharing their love story, we also aim to raise awareness about mental health and the challenges that come with it.
They hope that by sharing their journey so far, they can break down the negative images and prejudices that surround age-gap relationships, and help those who are suffering feel less alone.
“I hope I can make someone’s day better,” Scarlett said.
“How we found each other may not be your typical love story, but for us it was a complete fairy tale.
“Love doesn’t discriminate. We’re both happier than ever and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”