Woman, 25, who met husband, 53, as a teenager insists age is just a number

A woman who met her 53-year-old husband as a teenager and is younger than his eldest daughter wants to break down the ‘gold digger’ stereotype in their age gap relationship.

With 27 years between them, Kelsey Kammeyer Allen, 25, said that she and her husband Paul Allen, 53, often attract curious stares from strangers when they kiss or hold hands while out in public together.

But the happy couple from Salt Lake City, Utah, never let their age get in the way of true love, and the pair tied the knot in June 2019 after being together for five years.

Now the happy couple are trying for a baby of their own to complete their family – and Kelsey joked it’s strange to be a step-grandmother before she’s a mother. 

Esthetician Kelsey first met Paul – who has three children aged 27, 25 and 23, along with three grandchildren – back when she was just 19 years old and he was 47.

And while she never imaged falling for someone so much older, Kelsey said there was an instant attraction between them and the pair quickly fell in love.

But throughout their relationship, Kelsey said their difference in age has caused a few awkward moments such as strangers assuming they were father and daughter – while she has also felt judgement from people who presumed she was a ‘gold digger’.

Kelsey said: ‘I first met Paul when I was 19, I was living in California at the time and my brother invited me to a poker party when I was home in Utah visiting.

‘I was young, it sounded like fun, so I decided to go. My brother and Paul had known each other for a long time, they are hunting buddies.

‘I met him there, we all had so much fun and so all of us kept hanging out after that. I gradually started falling in love with him because he is such an incredible man.

‘It was hard at the start. There is a big age gap between us, I never imagined I would end up with an older man.

‘We’d go out in public and people would stare at us. I felt nervous to hold his hand because I knew people were judging us.

‘There is so much stigma around a younger woman being with an older man, they think we are “Gold Diggers” just after their money.

‘There have been a couple of instances where people assumed we were father and daughter, and it’s always a bit awkward.

‘But after a year of dating, I finally let it go. I realised I loved him, life is short and no one else’s opinion matters as long as we are happy.

‘I think at first, everyone was not too sure about our relationship.. But once our families got to know each other, everyone was very accepting.

‘His kids were a bit wary at first about my intentions, but after I spent more time with them, we all got along so well.’

Kelsey was over the moon when romantic Paul – who has owned his own successful landscape business for 27 years – popped the question outside the Versace mansion in Miami Beach, Florida back in 2018 while they were on holiday.

About a year later, the loved-up pair walked down the aisle in a close-knit ceremony in Utah surrounded by family and friends – who Kelsey said have been incredibly supportive.

She said: ‘We were in Florida on vacation, and we just had dinner at the Versace mansion.

‘After that, we walked across to the beach and he proposed. I was over the moon.

‘Then a year later, we had a lovely wedding in California on the beach. It was very intimate and beautiful.

‘Now we are trying to have a baby. It has always been my dream to be a mum.

‘It’s funny that I’m actually a step-grandma before I’m actually a mother. We call ourselves the modern family. The traditional unit isn’t as common anymore.

‘We are so incredibly happy together and wouldn’t change anything for the world.’

Stunning Kelsey is now sharing her story in the hopes that it will help break down the stigma surrounding age gap relationships – while also proving that anyone can fall in love.

She added: ‘I hope one day the stigma surrounding age gap relationships will change. There is a misconception that younger women with older men are just after their money.

‘But I have always been an independent person. I love to work and make my own money.

‘I could easily survive on my own. I’m not some lost little girl with daddy issues that needs someone to take care of them.

‘There are so many wrong ideas about people in age gap relationships. We honestly are such a normal couple but he just happens to be older than me.

‘His daughter said something really sweet, and that is that I have an old soul, and he has a young heart, that’s why we match up.

‘Everyone’s story is different, age truly is just a number. I fell in love with Paul for who he is, not for his age.

‘We don’t focus on age, we could have let it tear us apart, but we love each other too much to let that happen.

‘We are so happy, and I am so excited for the future. I love Paul with all my heart and he is the most perfect husband I could have asked for.’