After sparking an online controversy, 23-year-old Shauna Rae Says She’s open to dating other men.
Previously, she dated a hunky blogger from Wales named Dan Swygart.
They developed a strong friendship during the filing of Shauna’s TLC reality series; I Am Shauna Rae.
But as soon as the video went viral, many people criticized the duo, especially Dan, for having a relationship with someone who looks like a child.
Some even went too far and called him a pedophile for having feelings for Rae.
However, Swygart slammed the haters by making a video on the issue and asking people to get some sense and show respect towards Shauna.
In the clip shared by Dan in December, he told people that Rae had suffered a lot in her life and didn’t have a very happy childhood.
He said he developed a connection with her based on the kind of person she is and how she is an amazing individual rather than her appearance.
He revealed that he watched Rae’s show and became so inspired by her emotional strength that he sent her flowers and a card that read, “Go live your best life. Wishing you all the happiness you deserve.”
Dan added that he knew the show was going to get them some hate, but that doesn’t matter.
“It’s very important to remember that Shauna is an incredible 23-year-old woman who has a disability,” he said. “So as you are building a connection with her, it’s important to acknowledge her disability and look past that and build it with who she is an individual.”
The blogger added, “She’s this incredible, inspiring 23-year-old woman who just happens to be a little bit short.”
He said Shauna’s an amazing human being and she deserves to have relationships and connections with whomever she wants.
The couple started talking on social media before Swygart flew out to her hometown in Long Island to meet her in person.
“As soon as you say that she can’t have a real-world connection with someone else, you dehumanize her, which is absolutely disgusting,” he said.
Shauna Rae’s actual age is 23 years for people who don’t know. However, physically she looks like an 8-year-old child.
Rae is only 3 feet, 10 inches tall and only 50 pounds. Someone unaware of her real age could mistake her for a third-grader.
Shauna’s brain growth was stunted as a child when she suffered brain cancer. Although after her treatment, she became healthy, however, it impaired her growth.
Shauna’s disability didn’t stop her from making milestones in her life, but there’s one department she couldn’t make much progress in – love and relationships.
After receiving tons of negative comments from people on the internet, Rae has now said that she has moved on from her relationship with Swygart.
In a recent I am Shauna Rae episode, the 23-year-old got ready to go on a blind date. However, her date was canceled at the last minute, and she ended up having a great night with her sister and her dad anyway.
“I was relieved when he canceled,” Shauna said in the video. “It just kind of showed all of these characteristics I don’t want in a person in my life.”
“Even though it was supposed to be a date, I probably enjoyed it better this way with my family than I would with a complete stranger,” she added. “I’m still open.”
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Sources: TLC –
That’s so stupid to move on from a guy who actually cared about her.
I think she is amazing and so beautiful I bet she’s so lovable and people need to stop judging and get on with their lives
I don’t know. I get that she has a disability as he said but I still don’t understand how anyone is going to be able to move past emotional and onto a physical relationship with her. Look at the picture of him and the guy she just broke it off with. Maybe I’m wrong but she does indeed physically look like a child and physical attraction is important in relationships