A woman who has fallen in love with a man 21 years older than her insists he’s not her sugar daddy and claims she “couldn’t be happier” in her relationship.
Breanna Newton, 26, says she is often subject to rude remarks from strangers, who believe her partner is lavishing her with gifts in return for sexual favours.
But the childcare provider, who lives in Oklahoma, US, states the claims are wrong.
Her relationship with 47-year-old Ryan Whitehill was the first time she had dated an older man, she said, going on to claim that they are madly in love.
Breanna said: "Unfortunately, people fail to see that we are in love and automatically think I am with Ryan, who is a real estate agent, for his money.
"Strangers stare at us when we are out and more people I don't know ask me how to find a sugar daddy.
"I don't know as I haven't got one nor did I go out looking for an older man."
The couple first met in January 2020 when Ryan sold a house to Breanna's sibling.
The pair connected on Facebook and instantly hit it off.
Breanna travelled 900 miles per month to see him and always paid for her own flights - despite Ryan offering.
She said: "Chivalry is an understatement when it comes to Ryan, we don't separate money as we both bring money to the table we now share funds.
"He is older and a true gentleman who knows how to treat a lady.
"For the first four months, I paid for all of my own flight tickets but as we grew closer, I let him do more because he wants to."
Breanna - who has been divorced once - admits feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable in public with Ryan at the start.
She said: "I used to feel frustrated by people staring and calling him a sugar daddy at the start but now I just find it funny.
"I have learnt to ignore them. I know what we are so it doesn't bother me.
"Previously, I was married to someone three years younger than me and that didn't work.
"Whereas Ryan has a lot more life experience and is in tune with his emotions.
"He has been divorced three times which was alarming but it was because he now knows it is because he needed to work on himself."
Breanna admires Ryan's ability to open up and offer a listening ear.
She said: "Neither of us had ever dated someone of a different race before.
"The black community keep our mental health on the low whereas Ryan is very open about mental health struggles.
"He has allowed me to be more vulnerable and express myself. We get on very well and have everything in common.
"I thought it would be hard but we both watch the same crime shows, enjoy the gym, cooking and fashion.
"I have never met someone that I have more in common with - it's scary sometimes. I thought I would have to compromise."
To Breanna's surprise, Ryan also knows his way around the bedroom.
She said: "Ryan's age doesn't stop him being intimate or affectionate - it's a myth that older men aren't intimate. He is like a rabbit."
The young woman is sharing her story for the first time in a bid to normalise age gaps.
She said: "I don't have to prove myself to anyone but it would be nice if there was less judgement around age gap relationships.
"Normalising them is so important to me - just let love happen and if it works it works."
