Age-appropriate love is the hottest trend in 2025 — and I’m looking for

The day I turned 40, something both terrifying and fascinating happened: My matches on dating apps plummeted.

It’s not that my appearance or biology has changed – just my age.

Apparently, many men set their match age preference to 39, excluding anyone over 40.

No matter how old the man is.

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So imagine my delight when pictures of 56-year-old Hugh Jackman holding hands with his new love Sutton Foster started popping up everywhere.

Shocking/horrible – she’s 48 years old!

Did I scream? I may have screamed.

Here’s a man with the world at his feet – a Hollywood star with a (perceived) healthy bank account and plenty of red carpets to show off some hot young stuff.

But he chose to fall in love with a woman of his own age. Women over 40 shaking their fists with joy!

I met Jackman last December in Tribeca at a breakfast hosted by one of his closest friends, and I can vouch for his good character. He was warm and friendly, without a hint of sleaze.

And, believe me, I was trying to wink and nod at him – but clearly his heart was beating elsewhere.

Jackman can have anyone. And, let’s be honest, a lot of men in his position would pick up the Victoria’s Secret catalog—ahem, Bradley Cooper—and cast a younger supermodel purely for ego’s sake.

But no.

Jackman found a woman in Sutton who shared his appreciation for theatre, musicals and art. Someone to sing with until his death.

He looks beyond the surface and finds a soul mate – not just arm candy.

Yes, in a world where middle-aged men casually waltzed in with women who weren’t even born when Titanic came out, Jackman’s decision felt downright revolutionary.

Forget Marvel’s Wolverine: This is his real Superhero move.

He is not alone.

Stage left, Keanu Reeves, 60. Sweet, affectionate Reeves has been with Alexandra Grant, 51, a woman about his actual age, for several years. Their relationship is so refreshing after decades of Hollywood’s obsession with pairing older men with younger women.

Reeves and Jackman are here to remind us that sharing life experiences and emotional depth may be the hottest trend of 2025.

You see, for years, women over 40 have been told that they are past puberty. And already very tired.

But it’s time to ditch the outdated notion that beauty has an expiration date.

Take the recently divorced Jennifer Lopez, who at 55 still turns heads with her flawless glow and gym-toned physique. Nicole Kidman, 57, exudes timeless elegance on red carpets and ad campaigns. At 58, Halle Berry is redefining sexy at a confident pace.

These women are living proof that confidence, self-care, and embracing yourself will only make you more attractive as you age.

Who won’t swipe right? That?

Hollywood is catching up.

Look at Kidman in Baby Girl,” to seduce young men while exuding the confidence of a grown woman. It’s not about inverting the trope; it’s about reversing the trope. It’s about leveling the playing field.

If men can date younger without raising eyebrows, why can’t women? Spoiler alert: we can, and many of my friends think it’s awesome.

But back to Jackman and Reeves – because I’m not done yet!

Their choice sends a powerful message to women everywhere: You don’t get ignored just because you’re 35.

Personally, leading up to my 40th birthday, I kept hearing the refrain that women over that age belonged on the clearance rack, while men upgraded to luxury items. But now, these two silver foxes are flipping the script and showing us that emotional maturity is worth far more than chasing someone who’s no longer alive in the Friends finale.

Let’s not lose sight of the sheer relief it brings. There are no awkward generation gaps to bridge, no TikTok dances to learn, and no explanations of who Nirvana is.

Case in point: Every time Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, models another model under 27 on a red carpet or yacht, I can’t help but think, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Of course, these young women aren’t lining up to hear his tales of “back in my day.” No, they should be having great sex with fit, bubbly men their age – not tending to dad bods on the dance floor.

So, here’s the big question: Can Jackman and Reeves’ examples inspire the rest of us to rethink our dating habits?

Imagine a world where we stop chasing things that are out of our reach and start valuing those who truly understand us.

Dating doesn’t feel like a cross-generational cultural exchange. (“What is an MP3 player?”… “What is TikTok?”)

Maturity and like-mindedness become the new aphrodisiac.

Revolutionary, right?

Hats off to Hollywood hunks Jackman and Reeves, the patron saints of age-appropriate romance. Their love life proves that a real connection is sexier than a six-pack ever.

For those of us in our 40s, it’s a reminder that not only are we still in the game, we’re winning.

Cheers to the magic of midlife. Let’s make it a trend.

Yes, even on “TikTok.”