Hollywood has no shortage of age-gapped relationships, where one person is a lot older than their romantic partner.
In the case of some relationships, the difference between ages was especially extreme, bringing with it quite a bit of criticism for the couples in question.
Take a look at these relationships, which made headlines and caught lots of attention in Hollywood.
Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere
Milo Ventimiglia met Hayden Panettiere on the set of Heroes — where he played Peter Petrelli, and she played Claire Bennet. At the time, Panettiere was 17 years old, and Ventimiglia was 29. Shortly after Panettiere’s 18th birthday, the two announced their romantic relationship.
They broke up after two years. In an interview, Panettiere explained, ”It was never a case of me making a decision, saying, ‘I want to date older men.
’ But I am drawn to people who make me up my game, who bring me up to their level.”
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder
According to Johnny Depp, when it came to Winona Ryder, it was love at first sight. The two met at a premiere in 1989 when Depp was 26.
Ryder was 17 at the time. Despite quickly falling in love, the two only began officially dating about four months after Ryder’s 18th birthday.
Five months later, they were engaged. Depp famously got a tattoo of the actress’s name to mark his love.
He then altered that tattoo to say ‘Wino forever’ after the two ended their engagement three years later.
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
Way back in 1972, 22-year-old Don Johnson met the daughter of his costar Tippi Hedren, 14-year-old Melanie Griffith, and fell in love.
The two very quickly became attached, and by the time Griffith had turned 15, they had moved in together.
On her 18th birthday, Johnson proposed. They married in 1976, but less than a year later, they divorced.
After several other failed relationships, the two rekindled their romance and remarried in 1989, which soon led to the birth of Dakota Johnson.
Five years later, they split for good but still remain close.
Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith
When Bill Wyman was 47, the ex-member of Rolling Stones was the subject of quite a controversy. In 1984, he met Mandy Smith, who was just 13 at the time.
It’s unclear how romantic their relationship was at the time.
Their relationship became public when she turned 16, and in 1989, when Smith reached the age of 18, the two were married.
In his 1990 autobiography, he wrote, “She took my breath away…she was a woman at 13.” They divorced just two years later.
Joel Madden and Hilary Duff
Joel Madden, the lead singer of the band Good Charlotte, was 25 years old when he met 16-year-old teen star Hilary Duff in the summer of 2004.
After many speculations on social media, Susan Duff publicly announced her daughter and Madden were dating in 2005.
The relationship didn’t last long, and in 2006 the two split up. A month later, Madden began dating Nicole Richie.
The two are still married and have two children together. Since their split, Duff has gotten married, divorced, and married again.
Jerry Seinfeld and Shoshanna Lonstein
At the height of Seinfeld‘s success in 1993, then 38-year-old Jerry Seinfeld met high school senior Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park. After exchanging numbers, the 17-year-old began dating the seasoned comedian.
The two dated for four years, with Lonstein even transferring to UCLA to be close to Seinfeld. The two were the subject of media scrutiny and criticism during their time together.
They finally broke up in 1998. Seinfeld met his wife, Jessica Sklar, that same year.
Doug Hutchison and Courtney Stodden
When non-binary model Courtney Stodden had just turned 16, 50-year-old seasoned actor Doug Hutchison talked to their mother and asked if he could become Stodden’s acting couch.
He then asked their mother for approval to marry the model.
Just a week after meeting face to face, they got married. Although Stodden attempted to leave the marriage twice before, it was only in 2018 that they filed for divorce.
Their divorce was finally official two years later.
Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown
Throughout the life of legendary rock & roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, he was married seven times. Many of his relationships were controversial.
Most relevant here was his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, in 1957.
The two had their first child together when Brown was 14. The boy later passed away in a tragic accident. Their daughter was born in 1963.
In 1970, Brown filed for divorce, sharing in her statement that she had been “subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable.”
Fergie and Justin Timberlake
It’s not just male rock & rollers who date younger people. Fergie was also involved in such a relationship with Justin Timberlake.
When the two were dating, the Black Eyed Peas singer was 23, while Timberlake was 16.
After the two broke things off, Fergie shared in an interview, “Justin and I would go out together and have fun and make out.”
Through the years, she continued to explain that it was nothing serious.
Elvis Presley and Priscilla
This couple might be the most famous age-gap Hollywood couple ever. As the story goes, during his service, 24-year-old Elvis Presley met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu and fell in love.
At first, the relationship was long distance.
Once he returned home, their romance strengthened. At 16, Priscilla moved to Memphis to be closer to the star.
Finally, in 1967, when Pricilla was 21, the two married. They had Lisa Marie just a year later. The two finalized their divorce in 1973.
Steven Tyler and Julia Holcomb
Aerosmith’s legendary lead singer, Steven Tyler, had his own news-worthy relationship at the age of 26, back in 1973.
After a concert, Tyler met his 16-year-old fan, Julia Holcomb. According to a source, the two were “captivated” with each other right away.
Shortly after, Holcomb’s mother signed guardianship over to Tyler so that Julia could join Aerosmith on tour.
He continued to be her legal guardian for the entirety of their relationship. The two finally separated in 1977 after a failed pregnancy.
