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American singer Marques Houston garnered severe backlash online after he revealed why he does not date women of his own age. While speaking to news outlet Page Six in an interview published on April 18, the 41-year-old star addressed the age gap between him and his 22-year-old wife and explained why he refrains from being with women of older ages.
“There’s a lot of women my age I’ve dated, they may have baggage. A red flag to me [was] always with a woman that had a kid. Nothing against single women, but single mothers with children are a red flag for me."
Explaining his stance, he continued:
"I tip my hat and respect women that are raising children on their own. But when I grew up, I never really wanted to have kids.”
Marques Houston made headlines in 2020 when he got engaged to then-19-year-old Miya Dickey. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Zara Denise Houston, in December 2021.
However, not everyone was happy with Houston's stance on not dating women his own age and slammed him for his words.
Internet reactions on Marques Houston's explanation on not dating women her own age
After Marques Houston explained why he does not date women of his own age, the internet was furious. Several users called him out for being a "predator" and "pedophile" for marrying a teen despite being in his late 30s.
Others stated that not every older woman comes with "baggage" and "kids" and that Marques Houston just wanted to marry a teen, justifying his choice with anything.
Marques Houston also pointed out what according to him is another "red flag" in women
While speaking with Page Six, Marques Houston shared how his father always explained the importance of having your own kids.
“I would talk to my dad a lot, and he would always tell me to have your own kids because you never know what the baby daddy's are about. So if you’re gonna have kids, make sure it is with a woman that never had kids. So that was always my red flag… and a woman with an attitude. I don’t like women with funky attitudes.”
The former You Got Served actor went on to remark that women his age sometimes come with "baggage" that younger women don't, as well as a degree of independence that can make some men feel as if they're not required in a relationship.
“Women that are my age… they kind of have a different outlook on life. Like a lot of women my age are very independent. They are very like, ‘I don’t need a man to do this for me ’cause I can do it for myself.’ I come from a generation that I love to provide for my wife.”
Explaining why he fell for his now-wife Miya Dickey, Marques Houston said:
"There’s so many different women I’ve been with throughout my life, and it just so happens to be that this one [Miya] caught my heart. Everything that I prayed for — and everything that I wanted in a woman — she came with. Although she was young, I’m young in spirit.”
Marques Houston appeared on the latest episode of Uncensored and shared that he and his wife did not begin dating romantically until Dickey was of age.
