Lionel Richie's New Relationship Is Raising Eyebrows

Now, to be clear, the relationship choices of two consenting adults are really none of our business. So why can't we stop talking about this recently re-noticed couple? Studies tell us that when viewing a giant age gap (such as 40 years), there is often an assumption that the elder person is exploitative in some manner (via Psychology Today). This assumption is backed up by examples such as Holly Madison's accounts of Hugh Hefner and Bill Cosby in 2008 (via ET Online). The idea of exploitation has recently been on our minds too, as stories of Evan Rachel Wood's accusations against Marilyn Manson are front and center right now (via Vanity Fair). 

Yet, to be fair, we have absolutely no evidence to be making these assumptions about this specific couple. In fact, they look pretty darn happy.

Some psychologists say that, while there may be some evidence to back up our "ick," there is definitely no one-size-fits-all predictor of how happy or healthy these pairings can be. Studies also find that your ick factor can be very subjective, based on age and upbringing. So, while we can make "all night long" jokes all day long on the internet, we don't really know how this dynamic works — and we definitely don't know why this long-term relationship has finally come to attention now.