Aaron Johnson, 18, proposed to Sam Taylor Wood, 41, before they even kissed

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I feel sorry for Sam Taylor Johnson. I know she’s not a victim of anything or anyone, but I still feel sorry for her. She had to deal with a mountain of crap from E.L. James and the studio, and I get the feeling that Fifty Shades of Grey isn’t really HER vision, her film, or anywhere close to the film she wanted to make. But she’s still shilling it and she’s being remarkably honest in her interviews. In fact, out of everyone involved in Fifty Shades, I think Sam’s interviews have been consistently the most interesting. Anyway, in the midst of Sam’s HuffPo Live interview a few days ago, she was asked a personal question about when she knew she was going to marry then-Aaron Johnson, who was just 18 years old when they got together (and she was 41). She was asked when she knew and this was her reply:

“The instant he asked me. There were two proposals, one before we had even kissed. It was pretty instant.”

[From HuffPo]

Whenever I write about Sam and Aaron, I feel like the world has gone crazy. In previous interviews, she’s said that Aaron was the one to bring stability and family values into the relationship, and now she’s saying that he proposed to her before they had even kissed and she knew instantly that they would marry? Still, they’ve been together for five years or so and they have two kids together. Maybe it really will work out in the long run.

Sam also has a Q&A with THR and she once again name-checks E.L. James as a “difficult” person to work with. I appreciate that neither of them are sugar-coating it. But what was really interesting in this piece was the part where Sam talked about Charlie Hunnam dropping out:

“It was devastating at the time. It was tough because I thought I had a true collaborator with Charlie. But I started to sense that he was getting nervous about the fact that there were three books. It suddenly proved a little difficult of a concept that 10 years of his life could be this character. I think that made him nervous. But I now can’t imagine anyone else but Jamie playing it. We just went through a real bumpy ride to get there.

[From THR]

Well well well. You know that’s not the official storyline, right? The official story was supposed to be that Charlie’s work schedule was just crazy and he didn’t have the necessary time to commit to the role. Charlie spoke very highly of Sam throughout his cop-out though, and I believe they truly liked each other. But now Sam says Charlie tapped out for other reasons: Charlie didn’t want to play the same dumb Sparkles-wannabe character in three films.

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Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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213 Responses to “Aaron Johnson, 18, proposed to Sam Taylor Wood, 41, before they even kissed”

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  1. ORLY says:

    Before they even kissed? Suuuuuuure, Sam, sure.

    • qwerty says:

      I read recently on this site that he was madly in love with her and she kept turning him down.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        17 yr old madly in love, …she the 41 yr old didn’t have to go for it. She seems creepy.
        She took advantage of a teenager imo.

        They need to stop explaining their relationship, it’s feels like they are continually apologising for something or feeling they NEED to explain it.

      • Dani says:

        It’s not taking advantage when he is a consensual party. She didn’t force him to marry her. I feel like people need to give Sam a freaking break. This would have blown over in about 2 months if it was an older man and younger woman.

      • ORLY says:

        Not really, Dani. I’m not saying Sam did, but an older person can manipulate a much younger person’s emotions to suit themself. Sam was a grown a$$ woman, she knows/knew how to play the game and get what she wanted without seeming like the pursuer.
        I’m all for May/December, just not teen and 40 year old. They don’t need my approval so it’s all good.

      • qwerty says:

        @ Someonestolemyname

        That’s not what I meant. I meant that I can believe he said it so soon, being a teen trying to convince her to be wth him.

      • Neonscream says:

        Someonestolemyname – when I was 17 I actively pursued a guy nearly 2 decades older than me, I may have also added a few years to my age when we first met (he knew before we did anything because even though it was completely legal and I knew I wasn’t being manipulated at all I didn’t want to lie for more than a date or two) admittedly I had zero interest in getting married but not all 17 year olds are children. Eventually we broke up but it was the healthiest relationship I had until I reached my thirties. Your life and emotional skills at 17 are not necessarily the same as everyone else’s. I was working full time, paying taxes and supporting myself but according to plenty of other people who felt like you did, I was mature enough to do all that (not to mention join the army) but not mature enough to make a decision about who I slept with. Always seemed bizarre logic to me.

    • P. Carter says:

      There are going to be three of these movies?? Hmmm… You think they’ll split the third book into two movies? Gosh no the studios are too classy to try such a blatant cash grab.

  2. Maria says:

    maybe he thought proposing would lead to it.

  3. aims says:

    I didn’t realize it was that large of age difference between the two. It kinda freaks me out. It would drive me over the edge if my son came home with a woman who was way older. It feels like he has mommy issues.

    • Zigggy says:

      Yeah, I’d be p*ssed if that was my son.

      • FreeSpiritedGirl says:

        what about young girls marrying guy double their ages?
        it’s good to see young guys faking for older women. 🙂

    • Suzy from Ontario says:

      Yeah, I think it’s way too much of an age difference, especially with him so young when they first got together. I mean, it’s not like he was 25 or 28. He was 18! That is still a child in so many ways. Obviously she must have been/is pretty immature if an 18 year old was the one that brought family structure and stability to the relationship. She had already been married and had children prior to them getting together! It’s very odd. Sometimes I wonder, in these kinds of relationships, if one of the reasons they end up staying together longer than expected is because they are so invested in defending the relationship from the beginning and proving to everyone how in love they are. How can you go from all that defending and posturing to say it’s not working and maybe everyone was right. It makes me wonder about his background though.

      • OhDear says:

        Hadn’t thought of that (the being invested in defending the relationship), but that’s a good point.

      • Ginger says:

        Yes, that’s a valid point. My friend is with someone far younger and I know they have to defend their relationship a lot and they aren’t even famous.

      • idsmith says:

        Interesting point and you may be right. I also remember an interview with Aaron that rubbed me the wrong way. He was talking about how wild and out of control he was before he met Sam (duh..you were a teenager) and that he doesn’t go visit his parents or his hometown anymore. He said something like, I’m with Sam now, if they want to see me they have to come here.” Something about that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s like he dumped his whole life and who he was before he met her. That has red flag written all over it. I wonder how his mother feels.

      • FLORC says:

        They really are on the offense more than not. I never really noticed before.

        Age difference aside this relationship seems bad from the start.
        He seemed like that young guy who just wanted a wife and family right away. No dating. Straight to monogamy. And that she didn’t take a step back is not great either. Sam says stuff here and there that she refused a date, but I doubt she really told him to stop. She was playful and enticing with him by all accounts.

        When someone wants to jump into a life long commitment with you before a kiss maybe it’s time to ask yourself why you want this and why it has to be sooner rather than later.

        And another note. They as a couple are life Leann and Eddie. They have a common bond. Brandi / defending their relationship.

        When you’re at peace with something you generally don’t bring it up anymore. Or you deflect.

      • Kloops says:

        Exactly. It’s not the age difference so much as his age at the beginning of it. I completely disagree with 18 year olds getting married and becoming insta-parents. They do not have enough life experience for that type of relationship. Our culture has moved away from these types of unions and very few 18 year olds are emotionally mature enough to make this type of decision. I feel this way regardless of gender or sex.

        The fact that he was the emotionally stable partner is a major red flag.

    • OhDear says:

      The age difference doesn’t bother me; it’s the fact that he was 18 when they got together. I get that he started working when he was very young, but still.

    • Maria says:

      On one hand, there’s this part of me that’s like f yeah, good for her (men get to do this with minimal speculation), however (please correct me if I’m wrong), wasn’t she his director when they met?

      If that’s the case, it skeeves me out due to the position of power, if I’m wrong then let them be.

      They clearly care deeply for one another, I guess only time will tell…

      As for her Charlie comments, I can see it, three movies is a minimum of eight years (if not more). I didn’t read the books but my ex girlfriend did, the way she described the main character, i genuinely see Jamie in the role-especially after seeing his character in The Fall.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      She looks almost like she could be his Grandmother.

      • Belle Epoch says:

        Not sure if this is what you meant, but they look alike! Adds to the creepy factor.

        This would be like me marrying one of my son’s friends. Love them all, but cannot go there! And at 18 they were still very young.

        How old are her kids?

      • qwerty says:

        Her oldest daughter was born in 1997. Her husband in 1990.

        As for the rest, 2005, 2010 & 2012.

      • FLORC says:

        I’ve got 5 years on him and I wouldn’t even feel ok going near him like that at 18.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      Agreed. And I don’t like it when the genders are reversed in huge age-gap relationships either. I would be beside myself if my son hooked up with a woman my age. It begs the question “why”. There are billions of people on this planet and I don’t beleive in the myth that there is only one person out there for each of us. I can’t help but analyze and it screams “mommy issues” and “insecurity/settling”. They seem happy and I’m glad for that. I hope they do stay together now that they’ve brought two children into the world. But isn’t it disturbing to think her children will lose her when their in their 30’s and Aaron will be left to parent by himself (becasue it never ends) and she will be lucky to even see grandkids born let alone be a part of their life in their formative years.

      I’m just going to say it – older women are going through hormonal changes. She’s either peri-menopausal or in full-blown menopause and that makes women’s sexual appetite go through the roof. Eighteen year old boys are horn dogs and want a partner who is uninhibited and comfortable with their bodies and sexuality. No conclusion necessary.

      • qwerty says:

        I’m sorry, what? That’s the part of their relationship that bothers you, her having kids at 43&45? Hal of Hollywood has kids after 40. Are you worried about Halle Berry’s or Julia Roberts’s kids as well? This makes no sense. If anything, it’s better that they’d ave a ypounger parent around for longer. Plys they are some of the most proviledged people on the planet, why would she only live till her kids are in their 30?

      • A~ says:

        Um, what? “Older women?” What age, exactly, are you pinpointing as “older?” Peri-menopause or full-blown menopause does not equal rabid sexuality, either. It depends on the woman.

      • FLORC says:

        It can also hinder her “appetite” and sometimes those young boys aren’t looking for a no holds barred bed room experience. That can be too much.

        And 41 is on the younger side of menopause. I haven’t seen many women hit it at that age and seeing women that age for that reason is a large part of my profession lately.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        If she’s 50 and she lives another 30 years, that’s pretty generous as it puts her in her 80s.

        I didn’t mean to imply that menopause or even peri always happens in the 40s, but peri does usually start in teh 40s. Regardless, most women’s sexual appetite increases as they get older – whether it be hormonal or not. Ask any older lady if she was as comfortable with her body and as uninhibited in her 20s as she was in her 40s. Most will say no. They became more uninhibited later in life. It’s natural.

        Yes, it does bother me that women have children so late in life. I don’t think it was cool of Halle or Julia. And in teh case of Sam Taylor Wood, she is 50 – not in her 40s. My opinion is it’s a selfish decision. She wants kids but she wont be around for them for very long. Her younger husband will be and that’s better than no parents at all, but it’s still lacking their mother.

        Being rich and priveleged doesn’t necessarily prolong age. Money helps if you need expensive treatment, but there is no treatment for many ills. I don’t see what money has to do with her life span.

      • fruitloops says:

        @FLORC
        I understood that she was 41 when they started and that she is 46 now, or am I wrong?

      • juniper says:

        Wait, so you’re okay that men do the same thing with young women, and have for centuries? And ‘hormonal changes’? You know, women don’t turn into raving lunatics once they hit 40, right? I suppose we should all go hide ourselves away and never emerge.

        Unbelievable.

      • Jaded says:

        Well Jennifer, my forties were probably my most rabidly horny decade of my life. The fifties weren’t too shabby either. So pffft goes your peri-menopause theory. Most of the women I know in my age (early sixties) are still either sexually active or, if not, they have their good friend Mr. Vibrator by the bedside.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        I think you’re confused between posts here. I am the one saying women in their 40s and 50s often experience an increase in sexual appetite and are more comfortable with themselves and less inhibited. I am almost 46 and I became more sexual in my 40s. I said I think their attractive is likely very sexual because she’s come into her own and younger men crave women who are comfortable with their bodies and uninhibited. So, what’s to “pffft” at? I said the opposite of what you summarized. Please re-read.

        Fruitloop – I was wrong about Wood’s age. She was 41 when she hooked up with him at 18. She is now 48. I had her confused with Sophie B. Hawkins.

        I consider 40s and 50s older and that includes me. We’re not going to live to be 100 so they’re not middle aged. Maybe I shouldn’t use math to determine the phases of life.

        What’s up with the attacks on my comment that this seems sexual and understandable? It all started with trying to figure out why they’d be together. It’s all pure speculation, so I don’t get the anger. Is it because it’s offensive to imply their relationship is nothing but healthy? Or did I unwittingly strike a nerve with women in their 40s and 50s who are still very much sexual or fearing menopause? Well, I’m one or becoming one of the “older” women and I love sex. I’ll probably be going through menopause in a few years if I follow my sister and mom’s lead and I don’t think it means imminent death to any aspect of my life.

      • Cate says:

        @JenniferJustice, are you sure you ARE a woman yourself? Cause your comments are one of the most misogynistic ones I ever read here on this site. Seriously, check yourself. There’s a lot of self-hatred happening there IF you are a woman. Jeeeez, people live to be older and older and a 20 year old mom can die as well, what’s your point even? You’re really something, let’s just leave it at that. Ageist, misogynist, I congratulate you.

      • Flower says:

        What’s age got to do with it, there are young 20’s and 30 year olds dieing every day in car accidents , of incurable cancers , heart attacks etc. Sounds more like making up any hypotheticals you can think of to justify your own disapproval of someone else’s perfectly legal life choices.

      • qwerty says:

        She didn’t have the kids at 50 because she’s not even 50 yet and the youngest is aoround 3.

        As for menopause… how could she have been going through it and be horny because of it when she met him if she got pregnant twice afterwards??

        “Being rich and priveleged doesn’t necessarily prolong age. ” I think if you look at global statistics you might be surprised.

      • FLORC says:

        JenniferJustice
        I get what you’re saying. I thought you were claiming because she’s 41 she’s entering “the change” and her age is too far off to generalize.

      • jenniferjustice says:

        What is mysogynistic about stating older women are not only still sexual but sometimes more so than in their younger years? How is saying most women I know in their 40s and 50s are still sexual and came into a more uninhibited sexuality as they got older?

        Aren’t we all making up hypotheticals and guessing at what’s going on here because none of us knows them intimately?

        Yes, I do disapprove of her getting with him in the first place when he was 18. They are both legal now, but so is Mary Kay LaTourneau and Villey, but does that make it okay that she got with him when he was a teen student of hers? No. Check your own self.

  4. kennedy says:

    Charlie Hunnam must be sitting back and laughing at this point. Dude made the best decision of his career. Kind of embarrassed he ever got involved (although I would have loved to see the Hunnam Hump on full display). Can’t wait for his next few films – especially Crimsons Peak with my girl, J Chastain!

    • Suzy from Ontario says:

      I don’t know. The books were so badly written that I read a paragraph online and could not read any further. I’m appalled that something so badly written would have become so successful financially for this author. Doesn’t seem fair for good writers everywhere who are struggling. That said, the reason she became successful is because a bunch of women, for whatever reason, got hooked on the naughtiness of the BDSM aspect (maybe new to a bunch of them?) and suddenly it was flying off the shelves. Those same women (or men?) or bought these books and made them into “something” will probably go see the movie and it’ll turn into a huge box office success for the same reason. I’m not interested in seeing it, but the trailers are actually far better than I expected and I’m glad they got her to direct rather than a man. I think she at least tried to bring something different and not a cliche to the movie. I do think she’s probably a good director. And based on what I read of the writing, I’m not surprised the author would be difficult to work with. I’m sure because of the huge success of the books her ego has been inflated and that is hard enough when the person with the inflated ego has real talent…the author of these books does not. She’s a horrible writer and I’m shocked anyone could get through a page of these books, much less three whole novels or more. It’s so funny, whatever drives these blips in sudden popularity, suddenly erotic novels are the new thing and bookstores everywhere are suddenly giving all this extra shelf space to them. I don’t think it’ll last, but the movie will probably end up doing all right, or at least better than anyone expected.

      • embertine says:

        I find it particularly weird that someone who obviously knows nothing about BDSM and strongly disapproves of it would go to the trouble of writing three books’ worth of crappy fanfiction about it.

      • Sos101 says:

        Same. I refused to read the books because of the poor writing. I also refuse to watch the movie because of said poorly written novels. it just irks me.

      • kennedy says:

        The fact that a successful screenwriter like Kelly Marcel and a pretty talented director like Sam TJ wanted to work on this job… I don’t know if it speaks to the lack of good material for not just women but anyone in the industry.

      • MaiGirl says:

        I really try to support other women, but everything about the phenomenon of 50 Shades exemplifies what I like least about my gender. And EL James is like the ultimate sexually repressed biddy who got a “saucy” idea and ran with it, scooping up a bunch of like-minded contemporaries in her wake.

      • FLORC says:

        It was painful to read. The writing was that bad. And that stuff in it was hilariously awful. It’s like Ana is speaking 1st person to us, but she has the mind and language skills of a child. That she’s a writing in the story is perfect irony.

        BTW
        has anyone else seen that copy of 50 shades where an english teacher took a red pen to all the errors. It was hilarious.

      • qwerty says:

        It will be basically Twilight. Bad reviews and lots of memes but raking in tons of money for everyone involved due to a strong fan base.

      • Dani says:

        50 Shades of No was awful specifically BECAUSE of Ana. Ana was modeled after the author (hence the bangs and frumpy clothes). EL was just living out her dream, and is continuing to do so. I find it disturbing that a woman in her 50s (or late 40s when the book was written) is so juvenile and uniformed about BDSM and sex in general. So much so to the point that this book took of the way it did. There are so many great writers out there (even on Tumblr!!!) who deserve such recognition. Right place, right time, eh?

      • qwerty says:

        @Dani

        Twilight’s author was not exactly known for her maturity either lol. She had freaking dreams about Edward.

        As for the bangs thing, I just realised this when I saw this pics for the 1st time. It makes it so much worse.

      • Flower says:

        Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty books were wonderfully written but not particular best sellers, they need to be re-marketed on this new BDSM wave, but they are obviously way over the heads of 50 Shades fan base. Some early episodes of CSI which featured the dominatrix were also very well written but Shades is just so juvenile.

      • Nic919 says:

        I don’t know if the Anne Rice books could be made into movies though. Maybe a cable series. This silly movie was made to an R rating so there is a lot they can’t do.

      • Maria says:

        I’m slightly outing myself here, but I’m among those struggling writers out there who hasn’t been writing fan fiction either for amusement or to get a foot in the door. In fact, I tend to view people who write fan fiction as kind of cheating. It is so much harder to try to create something original, to create YOUR own particular world, even if your starting point is something familiar, like Greek mythology or the Olympian deities, or Faeries, Jinniyahs, whatever. It is harder to try to create your own particular perspective than it is to basically write down your wish-fulfillment fantasies featuring other authors’ characters, names changed or not.
        It still burns me that Meyer, the author of those wretched Twilight books, another series I refuse to waste my time reading, especially when I only just got around to reading East of Eden at long last, wrote her vampire books without really knowing or caring to know what vampires are like in folklore or in the horror genre. When I finally did a fantasy novel in which vampires figured, I did a lot of research in the folklore as my starting point. And my vampire was certainly a demonic character, not some sparkly heartthrob, and a pure villain, as true folkloric vampire would be.
        They had the author of the Grey series on a news program last week talking about how her books were romance novels and they were better than people thought because the heroine redeemed the male protagonist…some such rot.
        Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go gnash my teeth for a few minutes before I resume roughdrafting yet another non-fan fiction fantasy/supernatural novel.

      • Flower says:

        Another much more literary set of books are the Kushiel’s Dart Series by Jacqueline Carey , lovers of Game of Thrones would find this one fascinating, the sexual context is not at all tawdry, or juvenile but written quite beautifully, tackling all variations of sex as a form of worship in an alien society.

  5. Red32 says:

    Yeah, because that’s the kind of crap teenage boys do with their high school girlfriends. I know mine did.

    • Esmom says:

      It’s true, love at that age can be so passionate and dramatic.

      Honestly I don’t know what to think of them as a couple anymore. The ick factor is increasing for me as of late, maybe because my sons are nearing their mid teens now and if either of them got together with a woman in her 40s within a couple years I would keel over, no matter how awesome or youthful she might be.

      • Greyson says:

        I would freak out and wonder where I went wrong as a parent.. Once kids they’re a certain age it’s hard to influence these things.

        Sam and Aaron could stand the test of time. But in older man/younger woman couples where the younger party was a teenager eventually they break up. The woman is in her prime saddled to an old guy, stuck in his ways. They break free.

      • qwerty says:

        Unless they’re Megan Fox, then they marry the guy and have kids with him (she was 18 when she started dating BAG who is 13 years older)

      • homegrrrl says:

        I wouldn’t connect to an undeveloped mind on anything but a mentor level. It’s scientific knowledge that the cerebral cortex isn’t fully developed until age 25. There’s no “old soul” bs compensation. A young brain can be malleable, yes but not compatible with a 40 year old’s experiential or intellectual capacity. I don’t give this one a high five, no matter what the gender of the male female may December. I suppose however if someone wants a mentor/mentee/lover/spouse it’s technically lawful.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      True… That’s what teens do.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      Ahahahaha! Burn. I don’t like them as a couple simply because they creep me out but I always imagined they probably tried to stay away from each other and couldn’t. But nope. A teenage boy got a massive crush and lost his shit. And instead of keeping it together, she thought this was the ultimate proof of love at first sight. Man, I’m 30. If an 18-year-old proposed to me before we kissed (which, if it happened, would mean I’m drunk as f*ck), I’d pat him on the head and tell him to check himself. If you’ve been a teenager, you know they’re insane.

      • Jen43 says:

        I think you’ve nailed it. So utterly creepy.

      • Granger says:

        Absolutely! When I was 28, I worked for a theatre company and one of the 18-year-old actors developed an unabashed crush on me. One night when we’d all been drinking, he slurred out that he loved me and wanted to get it on. It was so adorable and weird and insane and TEENAGE that I had to stop myself from laughing in his face. And I was only 28!!!! I can’t imagine how I’d react now, 15 years later.

      • original kay says:

        she was his director, too, so that adds to the ickiness for me.

        I’d freak if my son came home with a 41 year old. I am presently 42 and could not imagine dating an 18 year old.

      • FLORC says:

        lol yup.
        She said she refused him a few times, but accounts were she played hard to get, but showed interest.

        And yea. Pat him on the head and tell him to get a few more years in him. If he still thinks it’s love then pursue.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        @ FLORC: She said that? Well, she should’ve refused him for a few YEARS then. … At least a few months. No, sorry, it has to be years.

        Gawd, the more I think about it the weirder it gets. Sure, it takes all kinds. But what makes me laugh is that she probably thinks she just revealed something utterly romantic. Woman, you should know better.

      • Lola says:

        You said it perfectly. I’m old and I go to uni, lots of 19-21 year olds have tried to get close to me, and I would never ever consider even talking to them outside class. What they are doing is normal and healthy for their age, but nor for mine.

  6. Jess says:

    It seems like Aaron started working early and has a lot of perspective. He spoke once about how his peer group gets wound up in the hype, the prestige of jobs-awards and he sees through all that potentially unfulfilling stress. He found somebody, they created a family, and they’re good. I was definitely side-eyeing the whole thing initially but it seems to work. I absolutely wish them the best.

    • ORLY says:

      He also said he cut out all his friends and most of his family once he started dating Sam. That sort of thing sets of warning bells to me, because he immersed himself in her world and lost his. Had he not been so young, and she so much older and experienced, it wouldn’t seem so wrong (???).

      • Zapp Brannigan says:

        Yeah cutting out family and friends is a major red flag right there. I think people would be reacting very differently if a very young woman had that type of relationship with an older man.

      • original kay says:

        is there a link where he said that?

        that’s very sad.

      • FLORC says:

        The timeline of his statements are red flags. Much of what he has said has been realigned with new dates and with that new context.

        Original Kay
        I don’t know of a dedicated site that keeps a log of his articles. I’ve just sifted through web searches of phrases and the articles have dates attached. Also, the comments boxs are telling of dates as well. Some commenters on those sites really know their stuff 😉

      • original kay says:

        I can;t find much, I must be googling the wrong key words.
        thanks FLORC 🙂

      • FLORC says:

        Original Kay
        He let slip a lot of of things that give the impression he’s extremely immature and his values are screwy.
        When asked to address his commentns he plays the judgy card and pretty much says anyone who isn’t on board are haters

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      She creeps me out.
      It’s the teen factor. Yuck just creeping me out.

  7. kri says:

    Wow. If that’s true it’s odd as hell. I don;t care about large age differences, but an 18 yr old?! I don’t even know what I would say to an 18 yr old. Except maybe have him explain the new Playstation controller, or not to jerk off on “the good towels”.

  8. mom2two says:

    It does feel like Aaron has some Mommy issues or something, I don’t know. Wow…I did not know he was 18 when he proposed to her.
    I am sure this film will do well despite my wishes that it wouldn’t do well…they’ve already green lighted the next two and supposedly Sam will be directing them…but I will still say that Charlie Hunnam dodged a bullet here. However, I think Charlie has way more screen charisma than Jamie Dornan, who is just flat in any advertising/trailers I’ve seen for this movie.

    • I read a review on the Hollywood Reporter last night that said that the sex scenes were quite flat…..it’ll be interesting to see. It praised the acting of the two co-stars, but I thought Dakota sounds bland and monotone.

      • Maria says:

        i havent read it but i thought Dakotas character was supposed to be like that.

      • Luca76 says:

        Well in the books the sex scenes fell flat too. It’s probably because it stayed so close to the books. I honestly think the women that enjoyed these books have never had good sex BDSM or vanilla.

      • Darya says:

        @Virgilia- the review from Variety was so well written, I wish that writer had written the books. I was laughing out loud at my desk. It’s not that they gave it a horrible review but they managed to convey how ridiculous the entire scenario is and so it makes perfect sense the movie turns out vaguely ridiculous too.

      • littlestar says:

        Virgilia – I think Dornan looks so hot in this movie :S. But yep, Dakota looks so flat (then again, that’s how the Anastasia character was). I’m giving it a few weeks and then will probably go see the movie on a Monday night when the theatre is empty LOL.

        I have to go read this review…..

  9. taxi says:

    This pairing is still odd. Maybe he wanted a mother & she a boy-toy. Her eldest child is 17. Hope it still works for them when she is 67 to his 44, and beyond.

    • Annie says:

      I don’t see him sticking around after he’s 25-30. There will be a point in his life when he’ll question what they did. Because he missed out on a lot of key experiences a man had to go through, before settling down with anyone. I think at one point he will feel like something was stolen from him, and he’ll ask himself why didn’t she let him live that essential part of growth, and why she turned him immediately into a family man, so he’d know he had huge responsibilities and wouldn’t leave her so easily.

      I know I’m being super cynical. But these are the college years! The time in which he was supposed to figure out some major things about himself, grow, experiment, have fun. I feel like she just took that from him selfishly and chose for him what he should experience instead. Fatherhood so young, a marriage with someone in a completely different stage of life, with a different perspective of things, new goals, wanting to start over. As legal and mature as Aaron is, he was not an experienced man yet. He hadn’t live anything more than just a tough life at home. And men can be taken advantage of by women too. For sure.

      • Maria says:

        what would a man have to go through, Annie?

      • Cass says:

        Annie:
        Aaron has said in interviews that before Sam he went through everything a teenage boy has being through according to his circumstances. He was an actor for some time before being casted in the movie which Sam was the director, he hated school, he hated his hometown, he has done illicit drugs and used to be an alcoholic, he has being in too many parties and he does not have good relationship with anyone from his family.

        I hope ths relationship is real and honest without trouble because there is too much crazy going on to the outside world.

      • Bridget says:

        You’re working under the assumption that 1) every man needs to spend his “college years” partying, sleeping around, and being generally irresponsible and that 2) Aaron hadn’t already done that. He was a young working actor, he was already exposed to incredibly adult temptations and was already shouldering adult responsibilities. Their age difference is weird (and skirted the edge of legal) but your premise is flawed.

      • Irishserra says:

        @Annie: I agree with your first paragraph wholeheartedly. I don’t even think it’s about partying and sleeping around. I know plenty of young teenage men who are not promiscuous, are rather sentimental but are still functioning with young teenage brains. I think it’s just a bad idea all around for anybody, male or female, to make such a huge commitment at such a young age.

        I can’t help but view Sam’s part in this relationship as extremely selfish and Aaron’s as extremely immature. As he matures, I hope he is still happy with his decision and and I hope they will continue to make one another happy, but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. Additionally, I agree with other comments on this thread about the casting off of friends and family that Aaron did when he entered into this partnership. It just rubs me the wrong way.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        @ Maria: Growing up? 18 is YOUNG as hell. I’ve never met anyone who knew who they were at 18.

        @ Bridget: That’s not what she said at all. She said college years and that can mean a number of things.

      • ella says:

        I agree. I knew such a couple, but they were much closer in age. Still, he basically went from his parents’ home to having a family with kids, whereas his wife had lived on her own as an adult for 10+ years. He never got that experience. Several years in, he was realizing what he’d missed out on.

    • Luca76 says:

      I don’t think it will be out of some ageist disgust for Sam Taylor-Wood that will wnd the relationship. I think it will be more like a Jude Law, Sadie Frost situation. At a certain point Aaron will want back the pivotal years he lost and he may struggle with impulse control and fidelity in the future because he married too young.

  10. lucy2 says:

    Last time there was a story about them, I wondered what was going on in his life/family at the time that he jumped into this relationship with her. Hearing this makes me wonder even more.

    LOL at her busting Charlie’s “scheduling” excuse. I don’t blame him for ditching the project, but his reasoning at the time was pretty lame.

    • Bridget says:

      It’s not like Hunnam could have said what he was really thinking. A couple of thing came out when he left: that he didn’t realize how much scrutiny he’d be under by the fans of the book, and also that he thought he’d be able to give input about his character and the movie but James utterly shut that down. What Sam’s saying pretty much confirmed that – Charlie was really interested in collaborating to make the movie, but we know that James absolutely wasn’t. And that’s not something that an actor could say. I’m surprised Sam’s said as much as she has.

      • lucy2 says:

        I agree he was in a tough spot, but they should have just clearly said he left for creative differences, rather than make up a scheduling conflict.

      • Bridget says:

        Part of an actor’s job is not to badmouth. It would have reflected poorly on him to say that.

    • Maddie says:

      I don’t buy Charlie’s excuse as lame, just think about three movies years apart and the scheduling. Potential movies offers that will not be offered because he’s on the movie set doing movies 2 or 3.

      Just think Nicole Kidman was suppose to do Mr. and Mrs. Smith but dropped out due to scheduling complications with another movie ….IIRC.

  11. Luca76 says:

    i don’t have a problem with age difference when people are really adults (21 & up) but at 18 your brain isn’t fully formed. You say and do things that years later you will regret. To me it’s gross and the whole he proposed isn’t dissimilar to all the men who claim that their younger girlfriends pursued them. At some point you have to say to yourself I’m an adult and this is a child and I have to say no.

    • Cirien says:

      Not that you’re wrong really but scientist have found that the brain isn’t fully formed until you’re 25
      (I think)

      • Luca76 says:

        Yeah I know but I think there is a huge difference in maturity level between an 18 yr old (probably 17 though they won’t admit it) and a 22 year old.

      • littlestar says:

        You are correct, the reasoning part of the brain isn’t fully developed until you’re around 25ish. That’s why all us “old” ladies here are side-eyeing Sam and Aaron when they are saying they knew what they were doing. Maybe she knew what she was doing, but he definitely didn’t fully understand. I just look back at myself when I was 18 – I thought I knew EVERYTHING, but I really did not know anything.

        I hope it does work out for them though. They have two kids together. I’m sure a breakup could cause a lot of turmoil for those kids.

  12. Annie says:

    Aaron had a very difficult life at home before meeting her at age 17. She was his boss. The power imbalance here is disturbing, especially when you consider Aaron’s background. As sweet and romantic as she might want to paint it, she stole an important part of life from him that will never come back: the years when you explore, date around, get to know girls, study, be free, make mistakes, learn and grow, etc. He pretty much skipped all of that to become a family man, a dad, a stepdad. She had those invaluable years to do what she wanted, but she took that from him. He was just a kid fresh out of high school. She was already a middle aged woman. As romantic as she wants this to be, we’re talking about a teenager having to deal with a middle age woman and her issues, past, history, baggae, and the knowledge and experience she has over him.

    And while he might have consented to being with her, and I don’t think he was raped or anything, he was still taken advantage of by someone in a position of power. 18 is too young to know what you’re signing up for.

    • Santolina says:

      This. ^^^ She was his director in “Nowhere Boy” and he fell under her spell. The fact that he’s now in his 20’s and they have two kids is no excuse. She “indulged” in that power imbalance when he was young and vulnerable. The ends don’t justify the means.

      That said, I respect her as an artist and a woman persevering in a male-dominated profession.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        Annie & Santolina, well said I fully agree with you both.

        This 40 something woman, took advantage of a 17,18 yr old. I don’t care how it’s framed.

    • Bridget says:

      I don’t think I agree with your assertion that S T-W stole her husband’s youth. We’re talking about someone who may have chronologically been a youth, but as a working actor was already being treated with those same adult expectations and responsibilities. Look at how many child stars leap into serious, committed relationships at a young age (remember when Macauley Culkin ran off and got married at 17?). Aaron has talked about difficulties growing up and being a pretty wild youth, and I think this is his attempt at creating that ‘normal’ life that a lot of these young actors crave. We can question Sam’s role in this, but I disagree with your viewpoint here.

      • scylla74 says:

        @Bridget: I agree with you. It sounds like he was all over the place and out of control. And not happy about it. And he was working for years. This is quite a different background than a sheltered suburban upbringing. So I can see what he saw (and obviously still sees) in this relationship.
        Even so I am generally sceptical with large age gaps I think not everyone is the same and not everyone thinks “he misses out” when experiencing OTHER things.

      • Bridget says:

        It’s a recurring theme when people talk about child actors that they’re essentially little adults. I’m not saying that these two are true love and will work out (statistically that’s a pretty big leap) but this isn’t the same circumstance as an 18 year old in your home town marrying their teacher.

      • Kitten says:

        What Bridget said.

      • fruitloops says:

        I don’t think that running away at 17 to get married (as Macauley Culkin did) is a proof of a person being a grown up, that is a double standard IMO, if actors do it they are little adults, when a regular high school drop out does it then it’s a failure.
        Being a grown fully (or almost fully) formed person doesn’t just come from a working experience or knowing your drugs 101, just because young actors have more experience in the world of acting doesn’t mean that they are able to understand their impulses and decisions and put them in the right perspective.

      • Bridget says:

        I’m not saying that they *are* grown ups, rather that we see a lot of them grasp for that idealized version of ‘normal’. They’re treated as adults for a young age and think that the next step is an adult relationship. We have noproblem with them working adult jobs, working adult hours, and making adult money, but we’re going to quibble that they’re not adult enough to get married even though they’ve reached the legal age?

        Though to be honest, it’s w eirding me out a bit to see people arguing over the maturity level of people we don’t know. At this point, they’ve been married and together for a while and this is a moot point.

      • ORLY says:

        Bridget, though child actors make adult money, they do not work adult hours. Child labour laws prohibit it. This argument may be a moot point, but this a celebrity gossip site and we’ll gossip. We can agree to disagree.

    • snowflake says:

      exactly

    • Mare says:

      Does this mean that highschool sweethearts who get married have also “stolen” each other’s youth?

      • fruitloops says:

        No, they stole their own youth.
        I don’t know of a one couple that started their relationship in high school and are now married with or without children that didn’t break up at least once since the beginning of the relationship and dated other people for whatever short or long period before deciding that the first choice obviously really was the best one. And if you do I’m pretty sure that that couple is one out of a gazillion (figuratively, I don’t know the statistic on that) and is an exception rather than a rule.
        But the difference is that high school sweethearts are both in the same position emotionally and mentally, and these two are worlds apart.

  13. Jess says:

    it might be good. Sam’s uncompromised vision would have been better probably but I might see this in theaters. I didn’t read the book but Sam’s interviews have been so compelling. She envisioned a ‘Grimm’s fairytale’ vibe and seems to have focused on meticulous details, the sets, everything. It does seem as if it could be quite decent-good.

  14. tmh says:

    Poor young boy was trapped by that old woman, he is wasting his young years playing daddy and messing with a woman that could be his mom. And by the way she is lucky to pull such an attractive guy because she is not a looker.

  15. hermi says:

    Well, at least he didn’t wait until she was pregnant. Ha.

  16. BW says:

    They seem very solid together. I have know rare 18 year olds that were old souls. It’s not like he was playing gigolo and gold digger to her, like some of the young women / old men pairings.

    • Esmom says:

      I’ve known a couple 18 year olds who seemed remarkably mature but still I’d side eye them marrying anyone at that age, let alone a 40-year-old. Just not enough life experience yet.

    • MeloMelo says:

      He doesnt sound like an old soul in his interviews tbh

  17. Chihiro says:

    I think someone proposing to me before we even kissed would be a huge red flag, and also kind of creepy. It also seems to me that something like that would be a sign that he wasn’t really that mature (something she is always insisting).

    • FingerBinger says:

      The whole relationship is creepy. That she finds it necessary to tell us that he pursued her and getting married was his idea says a lot.

      • ToodySezHey says:

        @Fingerbinger

        Finds it neccesarry?? It’s called answering a question! None of us would even know who Sam Taylor Wood was if not for her relationship so of course people are gonna ask her about it. Why can’t she answer questions about her relationship? ??

      • Chihiro says:

        Yeah, I agree, she is always trying to paint him as this really mature old soul, but the things she has said about him actually make me think the opposite. Which makes me side eye her a lot.

      • lucy2 says:

        They do talk about the relationship a lot, in every interview. I get that the questions are asked, but they could also simply decline to discuss their private lives.

  18. scout says:

    Oedipus complex for that 18 yr old kid? I bet she was delirious happy.
    I am glad Charlie Hunman got out that movie role very quickly, what a nightmare bunch these are to work with.

  19. Eleonor says:

    I don’t feel sorry for her: she choose to make a movie out of trash.
    I think she was greedy.
    And for the record: watch The Secretary.

    • Luca76 says:

      I love The Secretary! That movie is hot and romantic and David Sapder is at the top of his game. 50 Shades of Grey will never ever come close.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        The Secretary is artsy, deep, great writing. Every time I see it, I find something new in the film, I didn’t see the first time. There are so many subtle aspects to the film also.

  20. ToodySezHey says:

    Hmmm
    .I remember the interview where Aaron said in the years leading up to Nowhere Boy he was basically a rowdy kid: drinking, fighting , picking up random chicks. He basically said when he met Sam, he lost all impulse to live that way and pretty much knew from jump he wanted to be with her.

    I could see him ditching his rowdy friends if he decided to give up that lifestyle.

    And what’s all this nonsense of Sam trapping Aaron?? Again, criticize them if you want but be factual.

    Aaron pursued *her*. For months. He had to wear her down to give them a chance.

    Aaron was the one who wanted to start a family right away while it was still safe for her to get pregnant and carry children.

    Please stop this nonsense about her preying on him or trapping him.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      It’s gross
      17 yr old
      Teenage boy chasing a 40 yr old. Creepy as hell.
      That goodness Charlie Hunnan steered clear of her.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        It’s the fact that she started a relationship with a teenager, and this had to have started at 17 which is just gross to me.
        She’s creepy and I find her reasoning,just a way to hide her own selfishness.

        This is a selfish move, taking a teenagers still formative years. I find her selfish.

        If he were in his 20’s, he’d have had a few more years to grow. She could have told him to wait a few more years until he had some maturity, like hitting his 20’s…but no..,instead she decided to get involved with, bed and marry a teenager. The whole thing stinks of selfishness. IMO

      • JenniferJustice says:

        I agree. It’s also selfish to bring kids into the world that she won’t be around for just because she wants them. I’m getting reamed for my stance on her selfishness higher up on the thread, but I’m standing firm. Having kids when you’re 50 is not cool. If it were an accident, it would be one thing, but it wasn’t. If it were an older man having kids with a young woman, everybody would roll their eyes and think “selfish perv” but with an older woman, we’re all suppose to jump on the PC bandwagon and praise her for doing what she wants with her life. It’s not just her life. Aaron isn’t a kid anymore and what’s done is done, but the kids thing is totally self-serving.

    • ell says:

      what bothers me is that I bet you wouldn’t say the same if it was the other way round, and it was an older man with a 18 year old girl.

      • Luca76 says:

        Personally I would. Actually it bothers me that people like Lainey who makes fun of Sookie Waterhouse and Bradley Cooper goes on about how hot this relationship is. Both are gross but what makes it worse to me is that they immediately had a family while he was still in his teens.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        Why do people always say this? Of course we’d think an older man with a much younger woman is a perv and a gross seflish knob! Like Heffner, Johnny Depp, Jeff Goldblum, the dude that married that Courtney Snodden chick, even Steven Tyler – just gross, And all these magnates who can’t even get it up without viagra but they’re marrying young women and pretending it’s love. No. Nobody likes them or thinks it’s love or anything other than selfish and gross. The women are gold-diggers. The issues are different in cases of much older women with younger men and it is usually more of a sexual nature for the women and for the young men – yes, they most often have mommy issues.

      • Serenity says:

        I don’t agree with your statement. A lot of us find the huge age gaps between older men and their younger wives/girlfriends very disturbing.
        On this site we’ve bashed Johnny Depp several times about the age gap between him and Amber Heard. We’ve seriously side eyed Patrick Stewart for his much, much younger wife……so nobody is condoning the actions of old men going after younger women…….in their case though, those women were past their teens and already into their 20’s/30’s and everyone still was like, what?
        In this case though, Aaron was still a teenager when Sam started up with him and I guess that also raises the ‘ick’ factor. She’s like the Doug Hutchison to his Courtney Stodden (bleh!)

    • Gabriella says:

      @ToddySezHey Yes, please!!! I totally agree!

      @JenniferJustice Are you implying that people over 40 shouldn’t have kids? Also, people with cancer and other diseases? So they’re not entitled to the joy of being a parent, because it’s so selfish of them to die? God, you people are so bitter!!

      I don’t ever comment here, but I’m amazed by all the hate. This hardly seems like an abusive relationship. Sometimes it feels like you people are jealous or something. I’m sorry, but that’s what it seems to me. Let them be happy. Just because you’re not happy, you shouldn’t knock other people’s happiness down. Everyone’s entitled to seek happiness the best way it suits them, if it doesn’t harm anyone else. No one seems harmed in this relationship. Go worry about something else, please! Go worry about the people close to you that really might be harmed, or being abused, but you’re so absorbed in your bitterness and jealousy that you can’t see. There’s nothing wrong here, and even if there were, your judgement and sanctimony aren’t helpful. Move on, women.

      • fruitloops says:

        It’s not selfish of parents to die, it’s selfish to have children (planned, of course, unplanned is another story) if you know that you probably won’t be around in their teens, let alone later in life. 40 is not too bad IMO, but 50s and beyond is just wrong, for more reasons than the one of dying in the child’s early years. .

    • Cate says:

      Sigh. She’s not 50! And she def. wasn’t 50 when she had her kids. Learn to read and also don’t confuse one CB thread with another. She is NOT Sophie B. Hawkins. Also, educate yourself on life statistics, people are only getting older and older, esp. women. And everyone’s parents die at one point. I sadly know quite a few people who lost their mothers when they were babies, infants & toddlers. You’re now just being ignorant for the sake of it and coming across like a troll.

      And btw, maybe take a few history lessons when you’re at it too – how many still young mothers used to die not even a 100 years ago? Take a guess. Do you think these perfectly normal ladies with perfectly normal age appropriate marriages were acting irresponsible too? Because even giving birth was very risky back then … But never mind, men could just remarry another poor dear right away. Problem solved. New mommy. So don’t you worry, maybe Aaron will do that too when his victimized self is left alone with adult children. *Rolls eyes*

  21. happymama says:

    He was 18. An adult. Live and let live. If my son falls in love with a successful older woman that he shares a mutually respectful and harmonious relationship with I will be happy for him. Some men see more than age and aren’t attracted to the stereotypical norm. That’s a good thing in my opinion.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      He was17 when it started really…. It’s creepy.

    • Greyson says:

      You’re more progressive than I am! I wouldn’t want my son to take on children/stepchildren when he’s barely more than a boy himself. Nor, would I want him to proceed with marriage that is likely to collapse once he gets to know himself.

      • happymama says:

        Thank you, and I hear ya! It just seems that when you look at it, there are a lot worse things a young man can do than settle down with a successful older woman. For me personally, it wouldn’t feel right to partner with someone that much younger because I find experience and maturity attractive. I guess he does too!

    • A.Key says:

      You’d be happy if your 18-year-old son married a 41-year-old woman with two older kids from a previous marriage? Really??
      I’m not trying to judge, but I honestly doubt ANY mother would be happy with that. Even Sam Taylor-Wood. I doubt SHE’D approve of her now 18-year-old daughter Angelica marrying some 41-year-old dude with two kids. Come on.

      • Ronia says:

        I truly hope yours is not the representative voice of the American population or it will ruin any illusion of progressive nation I may nave had. I am two times boys mother and the only tning tnat interests me is and will be what makes THEM happy. Not me. They don’t live my life. I’m so fed up with men’s mothers who “know” who tneir sons should marry and who will make them happy. Not! And what’s wrong with single parents with kids? Do they ashame tje “right” in-laws or what? In the 21 century it’s frightening to read such comments. Really.

      • fruitloops says:

        Ronia why is it progressive to think that just because it’s 2015 anything in the world should go? A 40 year old and an 18 year old are hardly on a same level, intellectually, emotionally, life experience wise…, it’s really creepy.
        So what if parents wouldn’t be happy with their children’s choices, parents are always parents, they have the luxury of having more life experience and knowing some things better than their children and they always want the best for them (the normal ones, ofc), as a parent you don’t just stop caring and worrying just because your children are living their lives and not yours.
        And why do you equal disagreeing with forbidding? You can surely disagree and not be happy with your son’s choice of wife and still not make his life miserable, bad-mouth her, make him break up with her…but instead respect his choice as long as it makes him happy.

      • Bridget says:

        I wouldn’t be thrilled if one of my kids came home with a 40 year old… but I also wouldn’t send my kids into showbiz in the first place. We’re not dealing with normal people or normal parents here.

      • happymama says:

        A. Key, seems like you quite a few others on this site are being judgmental without trying to sound rude in my opinion. Sorry if my remark comes off as such. It’s not up to others to decide what’s right for them as a couple. I’d rather my son be truly happy than do what others wish for him as long as he isn’t hurting anyone. That couple seems happy and they aren’t hurting anyone. Live and let live folks. Thanks for sharing those points, Ronia. Agree with you that the single parent jabs aren’t cool. Whoever makes my son smile and truly loves him for who he is will be ok with me regardless of age or former marital status as long as he is happy.

      • A.Key says:

        Way to read between the lines. I wasn’t slamming single parents or saying that mothers should choose for their sons – where did you get that from?
        I was implying that an 18-YEAR-OLD is too young to get married to someone more than twice his age who has kids that could be his siblings instead of his step-children! That’s what seems wrong to me and that’s what I believe most moms wouldn’t be thrilled with.
        If he had been 30 marrying a 45 year old woman with kids I wouldn’t find anything wrong with that, that’d be normal and cool.
        All I know is, as someone who is Aaron’s age, my own parents would freak if I had told them in high school I was marrying a 40-year-old dude. But ok, I guess we’re just a backwards, non-liberal family…

  22. ToodySezHey says:

    Let it be known Aaron Johnson is the creeper seeing as he pursued her. Good to know.

  23. Julia says:

    Am I the only one here who thinks: “GOOD FOR YOU SAM! You have a hot young husband – enjoy!” ?
    There are thousands of men who have very young wives and nobody expects them to explain why they married someone 20-30 years younger. Those double standards. If I were in her shoes I’d take Aaron whithout a blink of an eye 🙂

    • bluhare says:

      No, you aren’t. I’d have said yes before he kissed me too. He’s hotter than hell.

    • ORLY says:

      It’s not the age difference, if she was say…50 and he was 25, it wouldn’t have mattered. It’s just difficult to get past a teenager and a person in their 40s.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        Thank you…Orly, this is about him being a TEENAGER, IMO teenagers are off limits.

        If he were 21, I’d say well whatever…but this guy was a teenager.
        I just find her creepy and selfish. Selfish that she acted on it.

    • Ronia says:

      You’re not! She deserves to be happy just like anyone else and it’s no one’s business how if both parties willingly participate. Wonder why no one is whining anout Steven Fry and his toy boy! Oh wait, he is gay and we must be PC. Right.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        Teenagers are off limits, IMO to 40yr olds.
        If he were in his 20’s I wouldn’t say a word , because he’d have had a few more years to mature.

        It’s creepy, a 41 yr old getting with a Teenager.

        He was a TEENAGER, that is my problem. Teenagers are still in their last years of childhood.

    • happymama says:

      Nope.

    • Mltpsych says:

      I dated a 20 year old when I was 30 and the only real thing we had in common was sex. The sex was amazing but yes his mom was not happy and I don’t blame her. He couldn’t even go out to dinner and have a drink. We had no couple friends and basically stayed in most of the time and had sex. I could not imagine us getting married then. Now at 47 and 37 it would make more sense. We both have had life experience. And I think any person man or woman who at 40 dates a 17 yo is a messed up individual.

  24. vdubs says:

    He’s gorgeous. I’m 29 dating a 22 year old and there’s definitely some immaturity on his side but we get along very well and he’s very cute lol

    Their age difference is crazy. I couldn’t imagine making a relationship work with someone that much younger. Sleep with him? Yea he’s hot. But definitely not date/marry.

    • ell says:

      this. for sex why not, but an actual relationship is pushing it. 29&22 isn’t this massive age difference btw ;P

  25. Jenny says:

    This relationship is so damn creepy. I don’t care if they say they’re happy, it’s NOT healthy and it’s wrong. Sam was Aaron’s BOSS, and he was only 16 when they met.

    • Greyson says:

      Ew! Ew! Ewww!

      It gets worse.. She knew him when he was 16?? That’s really gross she thinks in 2 years he became a suitable husband/stepfather??

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I hear you and I second it. Tired of this idea that PC automatically equates to accepting and encouraging every alternative relationship that pops up no matter how inappropriate or egregious. And if we don’t follow like lemurs, we’re not progressive. Sorry, but a grown-ass woman taking up a relationship with a teenage employee is sick and it doesn’t matter that he’s no longer a teen. Any psychologist would say the damage is already done. His view on romantic relationships is now warped. What’s done cannot be undone, but that doesn’t make it any less disgusting. She’s a homely woman who took advantage of the only hot guy that ever hit on her even though he was only 16. That is all.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      That’s the problem, this dude was a Teenager, in his last years of teen years and she knew damn well what she was doing.

      I have no intention of seeing her film either. She just creeps me out.

  26. snowflake says:

    he is hot!!

    • skipper says:

      I agree! I cannot stop looking at him. He was super hot in Savages. He is definitely on my “WOULD I!” list.

  27. Jan Harf says:

    This is the best she has ever looked- mad props.

  28. platypus says:

    One one side it seems a bit weird and wrong that they’ve been together since he was 18… But then again, I’ve known 18-20ish guys and girls who seek out much older people for a fling, and I don’t generally see anything wrong with those situations (of course there are exceptions). So I guess there’s just something about the idea that she’s chosen to “steal” all these years of his youth after hers is over and done with? As long as they’re happy, she hasn’t exploited his naivete, and he’s realistic about what his future will look like with her, it’s not like I’d wish for them to break up just because of the “weird” factor tho.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I dont’ wish for them to break up. They have kids now. That doesn’t make her perving on a teen any less shocking and shameful. And yes, she should be ashamed. If it were out in the open and she was just a regular woman (not rich or famous), she would have had her name dragged through the mud, but because she’s powerful and waited until he was 17 (supposedly), she walks away unscathed.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        +1

      • platypus says:

        If it’s true that he was 17 when they started dating, I agree with you. There’s no justification for an adult to get romantically or sexually involved with a minor. If it’s not true, then I don’t think it’s right to forcibly victimize an adult for being with an older person, if she’s a predator then surely he must be a victim, and I doubt he sees it that way.

        After giving this some further thought, I do believe she’s basically admitting here that they started dating when he was underage, or else her story just doesn’t make any sense. I think what happened is, she started “courting” him when he was 16 or 17. It must have been a while, since they were serious enough about eachother for him to propose (considering people are saying he was mature for his age, he wouldn’t have proposed after just a couple dates). She didn’t kiss him because he was still underage at that point. He probably proposed shortly before his 18th birthday, so they could get married then. She knows people suspect that she was already getting seriously involved with him while he was underage, and she’s saying they didn’t even kiss early in their relationship as some way to cover her ass about this, legally or morally speaking.

  29. taxi says:

    Pretty boy needed a mommy & got one. His early carer experiences gave him a sophistication and worldliness that the average high school boy doesn’t have, but that is very different than emotional maturity. It is very common to attribute very bright, articulate & precocious children with greater emotional maturity than they actually have.

  30. Irene says:

    Nah, their relationship sleeves me out. She was his boss, twice his age, when he was 16, and a couple years later they’re married and having kids? i think she’s a predator like any other middle aged person who sleeps with a teenager, I don’t care if they work in Hollywood or that it’s an older woman and a boy or if they stay married for 50 years. It’s gross.

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      Well said.

    • Aww says:

      @Irene – if it grosses you out, don’t do it. It’s their relationship.

      • Irene says:

        @Aww

        Of course I wouldn’t sleep with a child, don’t be ridiculous.

        Civilized society has rules against this sort of thing for a reason; he wasn’t mentally capable of entering into a relationship with an adult who had power over him at the age of 16 (or 18 if you believe them, which I don’t). An 18 year old should be in relationships with 18 year olds. He still has a lot of growing up to do, and he shouldn’t be doing that in the arms of someone who could be his mother.

        A grown-a** woman is at a place mentally where she thinks sleeping with, and marrying a CHILD is a good idea. So she either liked having a hot young kid that she could control and manipulate, or she’s mentally on the same level as an 18 year old. Either way – Gross.

        If Sam was a man and Aaron was a girl, no one would be defending this. They’d be calling Sam out for the Paedophile she is, and Aaron for the victim he is.

      • snowflake says:

        @ Irene totally agree

      • Aww says:

        @Irene – I began dating my husband at 17 and married him when I turned 19. He wasn’t as old as Sam Taylor but older and I could care less if anyone outside of our relationship thought us to be gross.

      • Amy says:

        I’m glad you could care less, but frankly most people in the thick of certain situations never have a clear head about what’s happening around them.

        If it works for you then that’s great, but I’m sure most people around you are simply counting down waiting for the moment reality hits.

      • FLORC says:

        No. There’s shade because the age they started up was so young.
        We shaded that guy and coutney stodden and that guy who played percy in Shawshank Redemption.
        Patrick stuwart and his young wife Sonny. Also Jeff Goldblum and his wife.
        Meawhile the late Duchess Alba took a younger husband and there was littleshade.

    • Soporificat says:

      Where are you getting the 16 years-old part from? Do you have sources that aren’t available to the rest of us? As far as I know they met on the set of Nowhere Boy, which was released at the end of 2009, at which time Aaron was 19. Given that it takes probably a year to get a film made, my guess is that he was 18 when they met on set.

      You can’t call that pedophilia. That’s just being melodramatic, lol.

      • Irene says:

        You’re right, I’ve seen other commenters on other sites talking about how he was 16 when they filmed that movie, and I never fact-checked it. Pedophile isn’t the right word.

        But it doesn’t change my opinion about their relationship. Still gross.

      • Someonestolemyname says:

        Well said Irene.

      • Aww says:

        @Soporificat – where do these people who were never involved in this relationship get their facts from and haste to yell “pedophilia”?

  31. Amy says:

    Yeahhhh this couple creeps me out like crazy.

    I don’t really know what to wish for them since as others have said if this was my brother I’d freak hard. A lot of people say that ‘he lived his life before her and was ready to settle down’ but I just don’t think that’s true. There’s something to be said about not indulging yourself in flattery from someone else and instead trying to do what is right for another person.

    16, 17? That’s called grooming. Yeah yeah every teenager feels like they’re so mature and adult and can handle being with someone older. I certainly did. But an actual ADULT is supposed to step up and go, “No we’re not doing this” If he still seeks her out years later then fine, but all I’m hearing is the excuse every molester makes about how the person was so into THEM, and how they were so adult and mature and ready for it.

    Blah.

    Creepy lady. You know what? Good for Charlie Hunman for staying away from this entire Freakshow. From author to director to rabid fanbase.

  32. Emily says:

    There’s never been a more appropriate time to use the word thirsty. In fact, he might need a special new word created for him.

  33. CH2 says:

    damn, they should have just cast that gorgeously fine piece she’s with… DAYAM!

  34. jefferson says:

    More than half of marriages end in divorce, many within the 1st couple of years. While it might be fun to analyze relationships, we’ll never know which ones will last, and which won’t. Two adults in this one, let them be happy.

  35. A.Key says:

    To be fair, I think she’s more immature and crazy than she looks.
    Her age and appearance would lead you to assume she’s this stable grounded adult, but if you look at her work and her struggle with cancer at a young age, you’ll see she’s more crazy and free-spirited than most youngsters.
    I’d say they are mentally more closer in age than physically.

  36. InvaderTak says:

    I have a huge problem with the fact that she thought it was ok for her to accept him. She was in a position of authority over him, he is closer to her kids’ age than hers. What was she thinking? I don’t see how a rational woman would even take that seriously. I really don’t. When the genders are reversed most people think that he’s an old fool and she’s a gold digger, or worse that he’s a predator and she’s naive. No one really thinks that a great love will happen. Why do people rush to defend these two?

    • Someonestolemyname says:

      I don’t get it either.
      This 40 something woman had a romantic relationship with and bedded a TEENAGER.
      He was in his last years of his teenage childhood.
      …….. the teen factor is what makes this so creepy.

  37. Florence says:

    I have no intention of watching this movie but admire Sam for being so honest and vocal about the difficulties with the film and the making of it , that’s quite rare in hollywood

  38. Sara says:

    I for one would be just as disgusted if it were an older man/younger woman. Too big a gap IMO. We are talking 23 years. And he wasn’t 38 and she 61 which wouldn’t be quite as bad but he was a teen. Creepy no matter ifolder man or woman.

  39. rudy says:

    I hate to judge couples I have never met and for all we know Sam and her boy match well.
    Just read an article interviewing Sam in Vanity Fair. The whole family just came home from abroad and Aaron decides to make a cherry pie from scratch and accidentally cuts his finger to the bone. The whole group troupes off to the Emergency Room.

    After reading these posts it doesn’t seem to funny.

    Yet, I spent my youth,traveling and living and working, now I am spending the later years staying home, having a kid and living and working.

    My cousin did just the opposite. All that matters is you do what is right for yourself.
    I know a young woman who started having her kids at age 16. She is doing wonderful right now. But she is the exception to the rule.

  40. Vera says:

    No one knows what the future holds for anyone, but they come off as a committed and loving couple. Much love and happiness to them both.

  41. Josh says:

    ALL FOR THE MONEY.
    BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY…
    Not even a million dollars…. to have sex…. with Gollum… every night.
    #EnjoyTheCashBoy

  42. kca says:

    Hmmm… It’s hard to read all the comments and not get my own thoughts jumbled.
    For me, hmmm… The age difference is a bit much, and I’d like to say in advance that I would say the same if it were an older guy twice a girl’s age. It was creepy yes, probably gross for me, for a 41 year old woman to have a relationship with an 18 yo. Even if he was the relentless party. BUT, who knows? Maybe he really did fall in love with her. Teenagers are hormonal, and they can be stubborn most of the time. Like when they want something, they push through to get it. Not everyone, but just generally speaking. Maybe that is what happened to them. Maybe she played hard to get, and maybe he thought that was a challenge. Then boom, a relationship started, next thing we know, they have 2 kids already. Yes it’s creepy. And up to now, I kinda feel for Sam in a way that she’s so much older than him, and he’s gonna be surrounded by people (mostly women) who are closer to his age, more beautiful and sexy, when he’s working or promoting something. He’s 24 now or 25. It’s considered a prime age for men. It will take a lot of love, fidelity, loyalty and sense of family not to get tempted. If it’s true that he snapped out of his former life and is now a good family man, then good for him and good for her. But, I wish he’d reconnect with his family too. STJ should encourage him. No matter how trashy his past was, he’s a better man now, I presume.

    • jwoolman says:

      Not every family is worth reconnecting with. His might be pretty toxic for all we know. He’s said they can come to visit him if they want. They don’t. So he hasn’t shut the door.

  43. Jen says:

    More power to them, they seem like a solid happy couple. Not every 18 year old is the same and no one knows what he’s really like, from most accounts he’s a pretty serious guy and mature for his age. I doubt either of them will regret the marriage when it’s over and like they’ve said everyone who matters is happy and everyone else can f*ck off.

  44. Blenam says:

    I’m copying and pasting a comment from somewhere else:
    She is loaded too, paid 11 million cash for her house. He wasn’t doing much until she came along, now he has a fantastic career, is incredibly rich and part of the celebrity set in London. What young actor wouldn’t want that.
    I’m surprised there are 200+ comments and nobody’s mentioned this little nugget of information. He’s British, she is part of that Primrose Hill set and was part of the Young British Artists of the 90s. He knows that.