When Derek and Hannah Jeter started dating, he was in the twilight of his career, while she was about to peak. The year they met, Hannah turned 22 in May, while Derek celebrated his 38th birthday the following month. This means they are 15 years and 11 months apart in age. Derek retired two years into their relationship and Hannah snagged her first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit spread a year into. The gap also means that when Derek signed with the New York Yankees, Hannah was 5 years old.
While their age difference is considerable, it was never an issue for the Jeters. “Her mom told me, when Hannah was about 16, that she was an ‘old soul,'” a family friend told the New York Post in 2015. “I think of that often when we are talking about her career and making big decisions. She definitely has a wisdom beyond her years.”
Read Related Also: Brits say firms should NOT be able to force staff to declare pronouns
Derek and Hannah have a chemistry that goes way beyond their age. “Their relationship works because they are both supportive and sweet to each other,” a source told Us Weekly in October 2015, shortly after they sparked engagement rumors. “They almost never fight.” As loving as the couple is, not everyone was OK with their relationship… or Hannah’s age. “She was like 7 when him and I dated,” Derek’s ex Vida Guerra told TMZ. Hannah was actually 15 in 2005, when Derek and Guerra went out, but we get her message.