An Australian couple with a 35-year age gap are defending their relationship against critics who believe 22-year-old model Brightnye Quayle is "only in it for the money."
The former Miss NZ finalist met her 57-year-old beau, James, last summer during a drunken night out a casino.
Brightnye - who is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand - went on a bit of a spending spree, buying a whopping nine sandwiches to quench her insatiable appetite, she revealed in a TikTok video.
Taken by the young woman's confidence, James struck up a conversation - and even managed to snag one of her sandwiches for himself. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The pair now live together in Queensland, Australia, and spend much of their time posting age gap-related content on their joint TikTok account. They've even admitted to being mistaken for father and daughter when they're out and about.
In a recent video, James spoke about some of the hate the two get for their age difference.
James said: "Well, the comments are interesting - lots of love. So thank you for everyone who is mature enough to understand. But there are a lot of comments about money - she's only in it for the money."
He went on to say: "I was married for 30 years. Bought my wife a Maserati, paid for everything. What is the difference? Of course, every relationship - certainly traditional relationships, where the man looks after the woman - of course, you're going to spend money. It's just not an issue and not relevant."
In another video, James asked Brightnye what her mother thinks about their relationship, to which she responded: "She's coming over to live with us for a week, so we're going to find out."
The two then revealed that Brightnye's mother would be taking part in a TikTok Live with them, where she would be revealing what she really thinks of their age difference.
"I'd best be on my best behavior then," James tells his girlfriend, with her adding: "My sister will definitely go on the Live as well." James then goes on to reveal that he's feeling "petrified" about the Live.
The comments on their videos have been a mixed bag, with many followers expressing support for their relationship while others imply that she's only with him for the lavish lifestyle she gets in return.
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