Credit: SWNS / Tamela Stephey
A self-confessed “cougar” says trolls often mistake her for her partner’s mum - due to their 17 year age gap and claim he's after her money.
Tamela Stephey, 59, has been married to Zach, 42, a landscaper, since June 14, 2016, after meeting him four years earlier when he came to do some work on her pool.
Despite their age gap, Tamela says they have lots in common - like a love of mountain climbing and travelling - and the pair rarely argue.
But she says strangers often assume he’s with her for money - and they often get laughed at on the street.
Tamela's eldest child, Ray, 39, is just three years younger than his stepdad.
A self-confessed “cougar” says trolls often mistake her for her partner’s mum - due to their 17 year age gap and claim he's after her money.
Tamela Stephey, 59, has been married to Zach, 42, a landscaper, since June 14, 2016, after meeting him four years earlier when he came to do some work on her pool.
Despite their age gap, Tamela says they have lots in common - like a love of mountain climbing and travelling - and the pair rarely argue.
But she says strangers often assume he’s with her for money - and they often get laughed at on the street.
Tamela's eldest child, Ray, 39, is just three years younger than his stepdad.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00It's hard for me, it really is.
00:02If I had it to do over again, I probably would not do it.
00:10We met back in 2011, 2012.
00:16He was a hardscaper building stuff outside of my house.
00:20And we just started talking and he pursued me
00:24and it just went from there.
00:26We ended up getting together and going out to eat.
00:29And decided that we liked each other.
00:31He has two kids.
00:33I believe we started dating in April.
00:36And then he moved in with me in January.
00:40And we just hit it off.
00:42With the age difference, I did not marry him right away.
00:46We dated for probably four or five years.
00:49And then we were married in St. Lucia.
00:52And we've been married for seven years.
00:54My kids are older, so I really kept fighting it
00:57and my kids kept telling me that it was a bad idea.
01:00They did not like Zach.
01:02Where now they absolutely love and adore him
01:04because he does everything for them.
01:06He's basically stepped in and is that dad role model.
01:09We got really ridiculed and stuff when we went out.
01:12I don't know why I'm getting emotional over this.
01:16When we would go out to places,
01:18people would point and say things.
01:20We went on a cruise once and I noticed a girl
01:24following us around, but I didn't really know why.
01:27And I saw the girl standing up on this platform
01:29and she was like, oh my gosh, that's her.
01:31Right there, that's her.
01:34And so I got eye contact with her and her friend's like,
01:36well, what do you think the age difference is?
01:38And she's like, oh, I bet it's at least 10 years.
01:40I bet it's at least 10 years.
01:42Zach looks younger than 42
01:44and hopefully I look younger than 59.
01:48My kids don't think that there's that big
01:50of an age difference looking at us,
01:52but obviously there is or people wouldn't say anything.
01:55I don't think he really copes with it.
01:57I just don't think it bothers him
01:58or he cares where I cry a lot.
02:00It hurts.
02:01All of my friends and family, they're fine with him now.
02:05I mean, we've been together for 12 years, married for seven.
02:09So they know that it's not an overnight thing.
02:11They know he's not after money.
02:13They know that he's not just hanging out to
02:16take care of himself and his kids
02:18because he actually contributes to everything.
02:20But outside people don't know that about us.
02:24It's hard for me.
02:25It really is.
02:27At times, if I had it to do over again,
02:29I probably would not do it if I know what I know now.
02:33And that's sad because I've never been happier.