Man who married pensioner when he was 18 after meeting at funeral pays tribute as she turns 80

A lad who married a pensioner when he was just 18 years old has paid tribute to his wife on her 80th birthday.

Almeda and Gary Hardwick, from Tennessee, US, tied the knot back in 2015, just two weeks after meeting at her son’s funeral.

And it was on their wedding night that the pair consummated their relationship.

Almeda said at the time: "I wasn't looking for a young man, but Gary just came along. I just knew straight away that he was the one."

Their whirlwind romance quickly made headlines around the world, with people fascinated by their relationship and age gap.

But while some people had their doubts about whether it would work, the pair have stood the test of time.

And now, in another display of his affection for Almeda, Gary, now 26 years old, has shared a special birthday message.

In a post to Instagram, Gary, referring to his other half as his 'baby doll', said he was 'the luckiest husband' for being with her.

"Happy birthday to the most amazing wife in the world," he said.

"Today is not only your day, but most importantly, today is about celebrating the birth of such a wonderful and true woman with such a heart of gold.

"I’m the luckiest husband for everyday that I get to wake up beside you. You make me the happiest man each and every day and I want to always make you the happiest woman.

“You deserve the world and until my last breath I’ll work hard to give you that. All of my happiest moments are moments I share with you. I hope you have the best birthday ever today and I hope you enjoy all of your surprises my love.

“You’re truly the love of my lifetime and I love you with every beat of my heart. Here’s to celebrating my queen. Happy Birthday Babydoll.”

And if the heartfelt message wasn't enough, Gary also prepared a special birthday meal for Almeda.

He added: "Wine infused salmon supper, really good wine, birthday cake, and surprises for my babydoll."

Back in 2020, the couple revealed they had set up their own OnlyFans page.

At the time, they charged their subscribers to access their 'fully explicit content'.

Some of their content even led to them being temporarily banned from TikTok, with posts being taken down.

Who said romance was dead, eh?