Tracee Ellis Ross is looking for a match who shares her outlook on life, but not her age. The 52-year-old actor recently spoke about why she is only open to dating men younger than her, and it’s not just because of looks. The real reason she’s solely interested in age gap relationships is actually due to the generational divide she sees in how men treat their romantic partners.
“A lot of men my age are steeped in a toxic masculinity and have been raised in a culture where there is a particular way that a relationship looks,” Ross said during her April 16 appearance on Michelle Obama’s IMO podcast. “Anything that starts to smell of that for me — I did enough of it where I was controlled and felt like I was a possession or a prize. I just have no interest in it, and I will not do it again.”
Instead, Ross explained that she prefers men who are more accepting of differences and freedom, which he sees more in the younger generations. And she doesn’t want to have to explain new ideas to a man who is rigidly set in his ways. “I have been long been past the age where I feel like it’s my job to teach somebody or grow them up,” she said. “That, I’m not interested in.”
To her point, Ross is adamant that she won’t settle for anything less than a truly perfect partner. And if that takes some time, she has no problem continuing to enjoy her single life for as long as necessary. “I’m a very unique sort of unicorn of a woman and so it’s gonna take a unique person,” Ross said. “And in the meantime, I’ve really learned how to live my life and enjoy it and not sit around waiting.”
While she does have low moments where she is unhappy with her love life, Ross clarified that she’d rather be single than with someone who isn’t her perfect match: “As much grief does surface for me around not having children and not having a partner, I still wouldn’t want the wrong partner.”
