🚨You’re not my grandma🚨
Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench went viral seven years ago when the 66-year-old grandma accidentally texted the stranger inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. Now, the two have forged a lifelong friendship as their Thanksgiving tradition continues, and have even become business partners.
Back in 2016, the Arizona grandmother texted the number she thought belonged to her grandson. Instead, she accidentally messaged then 17-year-old Hinton, who documented the mix-up in a series of viral tweets. Rather than ignore the unknown number, the two sent each other selfies. “You’re not my grandma,” Hinton replied, before asking if he could still come to Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course you can,” Dench responded. “That’s what grandma’s do… feed everyone”.
That Thanksgiving, Hinton actually made the trip from Tempe, Arizona, to Mesa to join the Dench family for dinner. The unlikely friends have celebrated together ever since. Now, their viral friendship has even inspired an upcoming Netflix movie, an alkaline black water brand, and a partnership with Airbnb.
On 1 November, the 24-year-old shared a selfie with Dench on Instagram in honour of their special announcement. “To celebrate our eighth Thanksgiving together (yes, eight!), we’re partnering with
@airbnb this year.