A 69-year-old man has spoken out after online trolls accused his wife, 25, of using him for money.
Joop Evers from the Netherlands lost his friends and family after he tied the knot with Rona from the Philippines but the couple explained that money has nothing to do with their marriage.
However, Joop’s family and friends turned their backs on him as they do not accept his wife due to their huge age gap.
Joop, who has two children from his previous marriage, said: “In the Philippines age gaps are highly accepted, but I don’t have contact with my family and a lot of friends anymore because they don’t accept my relationship.
“When I told them about my relationship, they just refused to accept my wife because of how young she was.
“I’m a divorced man with two children already so it was a big change, but this is my life and they chose not to accept it.”
Many have accused Rona of using her husband for money but they insisted that it wasn’t the case.
“This is a real love story, not an attempt to get money or a Green Card. It’s true love, I know people won’t believe it, but there’s so much love and understanding between us,” Joop said.
“She doesn’t want a Green Card, you read a lot of people want them to go to the US but I’m from the Netherlands, we don’t have them there.
“We don’t care what people think or say, it’s our life and we are really happy together. It’s no problem for me or Rona, she is happy to have an experienced partner that is in balance and loves her the way she is.”
The couple met when the father-of-two messaged Rona on Facebook after noticing her while he was visiting his brother and his wife in the Philippines.
“I used to travel a lot to the Philippines because I worked for a worldwide call center organization, I also visit my brother and his wife there, so I know the country well. So, we connected through Facebook, we had mutual friends,” he shared.
“When we finally met, she flew over and it was a huge culture shock for Rona because the Netherlands is so different to the Philippines, I know the people and culture of the Philippines, but she had never been to Europe, so it was a nice meeting but a lot to adjust to.”
Joop also said that whenever they go out, they receive a lot of stares. “I think it all just comes from jealousy,” he added.
Rona added: “My family have been so supportive of our relationship. Obviously, an age gap is a lot more normal in the Philippines, so they have always supported us no matter what.
“I don’t care what people say about us, I love him very much. We are good people; we love and care for people and just want that love back.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!