Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

'Thanksgiving Grandma' Who Accidentally Texted Stranger Spends 8th Holiday With Him

Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench
@Jamalhinton12/X

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, along with a special Airbnb guest, spent their 8th Thanksgiving together after Dench sent a viral text in 2016 to Hinton mistakenly thinking he was her grandson.

One of our favorite Thanksgiving tradition continues...

No, it's not waking up early to catch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade or Googling "how to stream A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving this year." It's not even the food or football.


It's the annual Thanksgiving reunion of two strangers who found each other through an accidental text eight years ago.

In 2016, Wanda Dench thought she'd sent a text to her grandson inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. The message, however, was actually sent to Jamal Hinton, an absolute stranger, who let Dench know she texted the wrong number.

He jokingly added:

"Can I still get a plate tho?"

And the rest is history.

Hinton did attend Dench's—a.k.a. "Thanksgiving Grandma's"—holiday dinner that year, as well as every Thanksgiving after that.

This year marks their eighth anniversary, and it seems as though this one was as lovely as the rest.

Hinton took to X to share a photo of the annual get together, this time joined by an Airbnb guest.

Hinton and Dench also collaborated on an Instagram post featuring their "year 8 selfie."

They also thanked their Airbnb guest Arseni in the caption:

"Our year 8 selfie 🧡 Thanks for staying with us, Arseni, and for being part of the good in the world this holiday season #airbnbpartner"

Dench and Hinton partnered with Airbnb for a special promotion celebrating their anniversary by pricing a one-night stay for two guests at just $16, a nod to the year they met.

They wrote on Instagram ahead of the holiday:

"To celebrate our eighth Thanksgiving together (yes, eight!), we’re partnering with @airbnb this year to host a couple extra seats at our table 🦃."

People on social media are still as smitten with this story as they were in 2016.













Earlier this month, Hinton told PEOPLE that he loves sharing his story with others.

“It's always amazing to meet someone and talk to them for a couple minutes when you're out, or if anyone recognizes me from a Thanksgiving story or anything like that."
“But to be able to sit down and actually talk to them for a full day, and especially sometimes with no media around or to really just get to know each other, I think that that's going to be a beautiful friendship that can continue for years, kind of like me and Wanda."

It is a beautiful story—and we're officially counting down the days until next Thanksgiving.

More from Trending

Serena Williams; Coco Gauff
Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images; Robert Prange/Getty Images

Serena Williams Offers Cheeky Advice To Coco Gauff After She Smashed Her Racket Following Australian Open Loss

There's no better person to take advice from than someone who's gone through exactly what you're going through right now. Having four Olympic Gold medals might not hurt, either.

While participating in the Australian Open quarterfinals, tennis star Coco Gauff was moved to tears when she lost the competition to Elina Svitolina. But the cameras kept rolling after she stepped off the court, revealing that she smashed her tennis racket out of frustration once alone in the back halls of the athletic center.

Keep Reading Show less
TikToker Romeo Bingham; Dr. Pepper
@romeosshow/TikTok; Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/Getty Images

People Are Floored After Dr. Pepper Actually Uses TikToker's Catchy Jingle In Commercial

Let's be real: You'll never get what you want if you don't shoot your shot.

That was what TikToker Romeo Bingham decided when she was bored and suddenly came up with the idea for a new jingle for Dr. Pepper.

Keep Reading Show less
Jennifer Grey Shares Poignant Thoughts After 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel Is Set To Start Filming—And Fans Are Thrilled
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Getty Images

Jennifer Grey Shares Poignant Thoughts After 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel Is Set To Start Filming—And Fans Are Thrilled

In 1987, audiences had the time of their lives when Dirty Dancing hit theaters. Nearly 40 years later, that story is officially stepping back onto the dance floor.

Lionsgate announced Tuesday, January 27, that Jennifer Grey will reprise her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in an upcoming Dirty Dancing sequel. The project will be produced by The Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, with filming expected to begin later this year.

Keep Reading Show less
TikTok logo
illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images

TikTok Now Claims A 'Power Outage' Is To Blame For The App's Massive Glitches—But The Internet Isn't So Sure

The new owners of U.S. TikTok—American investors to satisfy safety concerns about the app created by the Chinese technology company ByteDance—have an explanation for ongoing problems experienced by users beginning Sunday morning.

For context, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump infamously ranted about the app and vowed to permanently ban it from the United States during his first term in office.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Megyn Kelly; Picture of Alex Pretti from memorial
The Megyn Kelly Show; Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Megyn Kelly Slammed After Boasting About Why She Doesn't 'Feel Sorry' For ICE Shooting Victim Alex Pretti

Right-wing talk show host Megyn Kelly was slammed after she shared her reasons for not feeling "sorry" for ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by ICE agents over the weekend.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep Reading Show less