The Today Show reminds us of a story that swept the nation back in 2016. Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench accidentally invited high school senior Jamal Hinton to Thanksgiving dinner, thinking she was texting her grandson. Jamal said he was pretty sure this wasn't his grandmother and asked her to send a selfie. When he saw a white woman he laughed and sent her back his selfie to prove they're not related. “Can I still get a plate tho?” he joked. “Of course,” she replied, “That’s what grandmas do. They feed everyone.”
He posted the text exchange on social media and local media outlets and then national media outlets started reporting on it. Everyone wanted him to go. “I was 17 at the time and it was scary, because it was about a 45 minute drive away from my house. I don't think I'd ever driven that far yet and I didn’t know Wanda, obviously, or her family. But with everyone pushing me to go and all the media said they would be at her house I got permission from my folks and went out there with my girlfriend"
Wanda says “We had more media people at my house than we had family members! I felt like there was no generation gap at all. like we were just like pals for forever, and that grew into family and love, and I feel so blessed to have Jamal in my life.”
A lot has changed since 2016. 2019 Jamal's family hosted the dinner. 2020 Wanda's husband passed. 2021 Nexflix signed the 2 for a movie on their relationship. 2022 Wanda let Jamal talk her into getting her first tattoo. Last year Wanda announced she was battling breast cancer. There's even a Wikipedia page about their relationship.
This Thanksgiving will be their 10th anniversary and a lot of Americans love their relationship. Now they're Thanksgiving dinners are sponsored!