R&B singer Marques Houston has spoken out about his decision to marry a 19-year-old when he was nearing 40 after being hit with backlash over the romance.
Houston, who produced tracks with the group Immature/IMx and as a solo artist, was 39 when he tied the knot with his wife, Miya Dickey, in 2020.
They first met through the daughter of Houston's former manager, Chris Stokes, and in 2021 the couple welcomed a daughter, Zara.
Houston often shows off his wife and daughter on Instagram, but he's spoken out recently about the criticism he's faced over the 20-year age gap between himself and Miya.
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Speaking during an upcoming episode of TVOne’s Uncensored, the singer explained that Miya was just 17 when they first met, but he insisted their relationship didn't develop until she turned 18.
“Me and my wife’s situation is a little different," he said. "How we met through mutual friends and everything like that. When I met my wife, she was 17. So, we had no [real] conversation…no [real] connection until…you know…she was of age.”
He described how the pair connected over music, adding: "And her spirit, her kindness, her heart, reminds me a lot of my mom. We just connected on so many different levels."
Houston insisted the people 'don't understand' their relationship, saying he 'got a lot of backlash for marrying someone that was 19'.
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He said: "When we did finally start to talk, I was like, ‘This woman is like me’... When I would talk to her, she’d just. … For one…we had a spiritual connection and I feel like that’s the most important thing. We both love God. We both love Jehovah and that was key.”
It's not the first time Houston has attempted to defend himself from backlash. A few months after beginning his relationship with Miya, the singer took to Instagram to shed some light on how they met, insisting he didn't 'even know she existed' until being introduced through a mutual friend.
Houston added: "Miya is like a daughter to Chris Stokes because we are all like family. Being a Jehovah’s Witness, we all showcase true love like family. That’s it.
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"Chris’ real daughter, Chrissy Morales became friends with Miya in 2018, where we all first met Miya at a Jehovah’s Witness convention. It was then that Chrissy and Miya became friends. Miya and I didn’t start dating until she was an adult. We fell in love and got engaged in March of 2019.”
Houston is set to open up more in the episode of Uncensored which airs Sunday (9 April).
Topics: US News, Music, Sex and Relationships