The parents of the man who was reportedly the new love interest of a 23-year-old woman who is "trapped in the body of an eight-year-old" have defended their son and his romantic ventures.
Shauna Rae Lesick, the star of the TLC show I Am Shauna Rae, revealed in the latest series that finding love can be tricky due to her height and that she often draws the wrong kind of attention.
In the most recent series of the show, Shauna introduced viewers to Dan Swygart, a 26-year-old traveler from Wales, UK, who reached out to her after seeing the show and even sent her flowers.
The pair seemingly hit it off and went on a date at an escape room, before the 26-year-old met Shauna's mother and stepfather while making sushi at her house.
Shauna's stepfather Mark Schrankel appeared to take to his stepdaughter's love interesting, saying: "I think Dan would be a really good match for Shauna because he's very smart [and] adventurous. Shauna's smart but not very adventurous."
Her mother was a bit more apprehensive, especially about the prospect of the pair traveling the world together, as she rather candidly explained that she is worried about her daughter attracting pedophiles.
Dan has been the subject of brutal trolling on social media, with some branding him a "creep" for his attraction to 3ft10 tall Shauna.
However, the 26-year-old's parents who live in rural North Wales have jumped to his defense, claiming that their son holds no romantic interest in the 23-year-old.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, his mother Helen said: "Daniel rang me and told me the story has gone everywhere. They are just friends. There is no relationship."
Dan's father Steven added that his son had appeared in the show but that was the extent of the relationship between him and Shauna.
"He looks at her and thinks she is a tremendous person despite her disability, she's only small," Steven said, before adding that it's "extremely unlikely" that there is anything romantic going on.
Dan also defended his relationship with Shauna, saying on Instagram: "It's very important to remember that Shauna is an incredible 23-year-old woman who has a disability."
Dan continued: "So as you are building a connection with her, it's important to acknowledge her disability and look past that and build it with who she is as an individual.
"She's this incredible, inspiring 23-year-old woman who just happens to be a little bit short."
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