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“Former child star Houston once again defends pursuing and marrying a woman 19 years his junior, noting that women in their 40s often have “baggage” and are too independent.
Actor and R&B singer Marques Houston made headlines in 2020 when it was revealed that his then-fiancée (and now wife) Miya Dickey was 18 years old — and that the pair initially met the year before when she was 17. Now, Houston is making headlines again and receiving backlash for comments he’s made further defending the 19-year age gap.
In an interview with Page Six, the now 40-year-old Houston said women his age often come with “baggage” and a red flag in his book: children.
“Nothing against single women, but single mothers with children are a red flag for me,” Houston said.
Houston said he has respect for women raising children on their own; he just didn’t grow up thinking he wanted to have children.
Elaborating further, Houston said his mindset stemmed from his father, who advised him to be wary of women with children because of potential drama with a child’s father. “So if you’re gonna have kids, make sure it is with a woman that never had kids. So that was always my red flag,” Houston said. “And a woman with an attitude. I don’t like women with funky attitudes.”
Ironically, Houston is now a father himself, having welcomed his first child in 2021 — a baby girl— with Dickey. Sharing his prediction for what might have happened if he had married someone closer to his age, he said, “I could’ve married a 44-year-old woman, and it could’ve been disastrous.”
According to Houston, women his age have a “different outlook” on life. He also takes umbrage at how independent single women in their 40s tend to be. “They are very like, ‘I don’t need a man to do this for me ’cause I can do it for myself.’ I come from a generation that I love to provide for my wife,” he said.
However, he does also admit this is a generalization. “There’s a lot of women my age I’ve dated; they may have baggage,” he told Page Six. “They may have kids, they may not.”
Houston is no stranger to scrutiny and backlash from fans and followers. He recalled how during his days as a member of Immature in the early aughts, the R&B group constantly faced criticism for casting primarily thin and light-skinned women in their music videos.
As for criticism about his relationship with Dickey, Houston is seemingly unfazed. “There’s so many different women I’ve been with throughout my life, and it just so happens to be that this one caught my heart,” he said. “Everything that I prayed for — and everything that I wanted in a woman — she came with. Although she was young, I’m young in spirit.”
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