Their friendship is sweeter than pumpkin pie — even 10 years later!
An Arizona grandmother who went viral
for inviting a teenage stranger to Thanksgiving dinner will celebrate her 10th holiday feast Thursday with the young man — who she now considers chosen family, she said.
“There was no generation gap at all… like we were just like pals for forever,” Wanda Dench, 68, of Mesa, told the Today Show this week.“That grew into family and love, and I feel so blessed.”
Dench didn’t know her grandson had changed his cellphone number when she accidentally sent the invite via a group text to Jamal Hinton’s phone in November 2016.
Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench now take turns hosting Thanksgiving, including last year at Hinton’s aunt’s house in Phoenix.
When Hinton was 17 and lived 45 minutes away, he jokingly replied to Dench’s invitation with a laughing emoji: “You not my grandma. Can I still get a plate though?”
“Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do… feed everyone,” she responded—sparking an internet frenzy over their heartwarming, unlikely friendship.
Hinton, who is now 26, took her up on the Turkey Day dinner — and has every year since, he told The Today Show.
“It’s just amazing to sit back and think that one mistaken text led to so many people’s happiness and joy,” Hinton said.
In November 2016, Wanda Dench accidentally texted Jamal Hinton an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner.
The unlikely duo now takes turns hosting the holiday, including last year at Hinton’s aunt’s house in Phoenix. They’ve continued celebrating together through challenging times, including the death of Dench’s late husband, Lonnie, from COVID-19 complications in 2020, and her battle with breast cancer.
This year, the unlikely duo will celebrate their 10th Thanksgiving together.
Dench recalls that the first year, the media presence at her home was so overwhelming that she barely got to know Hinton.
“We had more media people at my house than we had family members,” she said.
A few months later, she and her late husband, Lonnie, invited Hinton and his then-girlfriend to dinner at a restaurant—and it was a completely different experience.
“There wasn’t ever an awkward moment,” Hinton said. They chatted until the restaurant closed.
“Thanksgiving is the only time we don’t get to have really great conversations with each other because we’re always being interviewed!” Dench added.
Now cancer-free as of her last check-up, Dench is thrilled to spend another holiday with Hinton.
“We got to actually inspire people, and that’s all I want to do—encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and try something new,” Hinton said.
