Elise Brisco | USA TODAY
We see it all the time in Hollywood: George Clooney and Amal have a 17-year-age gap; Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are 25 years apart, and Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson have a gap of 32 years.
While these relationships are often judged, some couples with drastic age differences find long-lasting happiness. Relationship expert and author of "He's Just Not Your Type" Andrea Syrtash understands why. May-December romances, as they are often called, can find success, she says, as long as they have healthy foundations.
"If a couple shares common values it can definitely work whether or not they are the same age," Syrtash says.
Experts say negative rhetoric surrounding these kinds of relationships can often begin with friends and family.
Polly Young-Eisendrath a psychologist and couples therapist who specializes in dialogue therapy says much of the stigma around May-December relationships comes from the assumptions about the power dynamics at play.
"I think the stereotype is usually that one person is going to be dominating the other person, usually with the idea that the older person is going to dominate the younger person," Young-Eisendrath says.
She added sometimes the parents of the younger partner can have fears surrounding their children's relationships but notes that times are changing.
"Younger people also have power, now and I don't think there are as many stereotypes about the age differences as there used to be," she added.
The reception these relationships receive can also vary culturally. Henry Offiah, 27, found himself in a serious relationship with a woman almost 10-years his senior. Although he says it didn't work out in the end, he didn't hesitate to enter into the relationship.
"I never really thought much of it, my parents are 12 years apart from each other," Offiah says. "I'm Nigerian ... so it's kind of common. Ten-plus years apart from each other is normal in our culture."
Offiah says after the relationship ended, he reflected on the role the age difference played between him and his partner. Marriage and relationship counselor Jean Fitzpatrick says lifestyle differences often lead to the demise of these relationships.
"The older partner may want to start having children before the younger partner, the younger partner may be focused more on going out every night and travel," Fitzpatrick explains. "So that's one thing that can be challenging."
How to make a relationship with a drastic age gaps work
Despite the challenges, many couples with age differences find success.
"There's a poignancy to being with someone older," Paulson told the New York Times of her relationship with Taylor. "I think there's a greater appreciation of time and what you have together and what's important, and it can make the little things seem very small."
Taylor said she believes Paulson is brave for embracing their age difference.
"A big age span is a challenge to any relationship," she told Us Weekly. "(Paulson is) very brave and she is very truthful and she’s going to live her truth. And so I basically am following her lead and I’m blessed."
Experts say there can be benefits to being in a relationship with a large age gap. Fitzpatrick says the older person often has a perspective where they get "less worked up" about things, while the younger partner has an enthusiasm that is also "a nice contribution." Other benefits of a multi-generational relationship include:
The relationship has a combination of maturity and energy
There is a diverse peer group to bounce ideas off of
Partners are able to teach each other
Couples who make these relationships work are not dissimilar to couples who embrace other stark differences in their lives Young-Eisendrath says. The key is not letting outside perceptions get in the way.
"The thing about age difference is that people have to realize the kinds of assumptions they're making," she said, "and then they have to make room for the reality of who the other partner is."
Syrtash says age gaps can be forgotten as long as there is communication in the relationship.
"I do believe in people dating with age gaps as long as they share values and as long as they're on the same page with life goals," Syrtash says. "What's normal in a relationship is what's normal to the peoplein the relationship."