Well, this is awkward…
If you’ve never heard of it I’m Shauna Raethat’s the story Shauna Rae Lesick, a 23-year-old woman is essentially trapped in her body for 8 years. In her TLC show, Shauna Rae deals with the ramifications of being an adult considered by the world as a child because she is 3′ 10″, 50-lb body – the result of brain cancer treatment when she was a baby.
The least exciting part of the show – for viewers and their parents – was Shauna Rae’s dating life. She was the size and shape of an average 3rd grader, but with the mind of a woman in her twenties. She always wants to date people her age, but it’s a real conundrum – not only for her, but also for the people she goes out with. And last month a hunky Welshman found out why.
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And Swygart went on several dates with the reality star, all of which was documented in pictures in December. He makes sushi, he goes paddle boarding, he meets his parents – who grill him about his future plans. It’s all very sane and normal. Except… you know.
Audiences can’t get past the age difference. Of course, Dan is 26, only three years older – but *apparently* the age difference kills people. The comments went pretty hard on the clip from the episode Youtube page, claiming:
“I’m sorry, but anyone who wants to date her – there’s definitely something wrong with her. Yes, she’s 23, but she looks and talks like an 8-year-old. She also doesn’t act like a grown woman. She’s like a child! If any man or woman can honestly say that they can see themselves as a “sexual woman,” they are either lying or sick. PERIOD.”
“Yes, this is very strange and parents should be careful… Why would they go with an 11-year-old?”
“100% men have charms. Despite the good looks of a young woman, she still looks like a child”
“I don’t know about this guy…I still think it’s creepy”
“Oh yeah, he’s a creep who just wants to be on TV”
How does Dan feel when he is called “spooky”? Well, he actually responded to her Instagram after the episode aired – and had a chance to experience some backlash!
In the video she defends her own date with the reality star, as well as her right to date as an adult woman. He called the haters “absolutely disgusting,” explaining:
“If you tell her that she can’t have a real relationship with someone, you’re doing her a disservice, which is really disgusting. She’s a human being. She deserves to have a relationship and a relationship with whoever she wants. And I think some people aren’t emotional enough to know that you can have a deep relationship based on personality rather than just looks.
He also said:
“It’s important to remember that Shauna is an amazing 23-year-old woman with a disability. So when you’re building a relationship with her, it’s important to acknowledge her disability and look past it and build on who she is as an individual. She’s an amazing 23-year-old woman and inspire, which happens very little.
We certainly understand the sentiment. Everyone deserves to live life to the fullest, and disability shouldn’t stop them from experiencing dating.
HOWEVER…
Viewers are clearly just concerned for her to know that there are going to be some creeps out there who are attracted to Shauna Rae especially because she looks and sounds like a little girl. Her parents even expressed their own concerns about her appearance attracting pedophiles on the show. It’s totally unfair to him, but sadly, that’s the world we live in, and that’s why they worry. So how did he sort this out? It is not an easy question. If it was us, we would probably have to consider it like… How did they first meet him? Where do they get to know him over time? Maybe in an online situation where you can’t see each other?
Or, say, seeing them on TV or social media for the first time – making that superficial connection and then taking the next step? In the video, Dan explains that he saw Shauna on the first season of the TV show and was “inspired by her emotional strength.” She then sends her flowers out of nowhere, along with a message:
“Go live your best life. May you receive all the happiness you deserve.”
They started online messaging from there, and he flew from Wales to visit her on Long Island.
So he was totally unfamiliar with her before, and then he saw her on TV and reached out? Some would call it a red flag even though she’s 5′ 9. That said, people can approach reality stars who don’t know her all the time, and considering her IG feed has influencer vibes, we wouldn’t be surprised if people wonder if there’s some clout chasing join.
But what do you think, Perezcious readers? Are viewers guessing wrong here? Does this situation raise alarm bells for you? Let us know in the comments (below)!
Wishing Shauna lots of fun, true love, and good times. He deserves to be happy just like everyone else.
[Image via Dan Swygart/Instagram.]