A decade after a wrong-number text sparked one of the internet’s most wholesome traditions, Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton have celebrated their tenth Thanksgiving together.
The pair first connected in 2016 when Dench accidentally texted Hinton, thinking she was messaging her grandson to sort out holiday plans. After realizing the mix-up, Hinton replied with a selfie and joked, “You not my grandma,” but still asked for a plate of food.
Dench famously invited him to dinner anyway because in her words, “that’s what grandmas do.” The moment went viral and instantly became an annual feel-good event that social media rallies around every November once it’s Thanksgiving.
Unlikely Thanksgiving duo keep the tradition alive
Dench told Fox News the memory still feels fresh. “I remember like it was yesterday because it was exciting and fun, and totally unexpected when all the media kind of circled us,” she said. “Meeting Jamal was the best thing ever. That’s true.”
In a separate interview with People, she added, “I know it was fate. All the signs beforehand just fell into place. I feel every day I’m grateful and blessed because I would’ve never met somebody as wonderful as Jamal just randomly like that.”
Hinton echoed the sentiment, saying the moment changed his life at 17 years old. “I remember it like it was yesterday, my senior year. I was already like the popular kid, and I became like the super popular kid,” he told Fox News. “People get so excited to see us. As a kid, I always dreamed of being famous, so to know our story brings joy to people, it means everything.”
Jamal HintonThe two celebrated their eigth Thanksgiving together in 2023.
The duo’s unlikely friendship has inspired millions over the years, even leading to a planned Netflix film before the project was shelved. Both say they’re still open to the idea of their story hitting screens someday.
“Maybe something will come up in the future,” Dench said.
Ten years later, their viral moment remains one of the internet’s purest traditions and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
