After meeting Mary, a Canadian woman in her seventies, on Facebook, 35-year-old Naeem Shahzad of Pakistan became an internet sensation. Social media users accused Naeem for being a “gold-digger” and married the more senior woman in order to obtain a Canadian passport, casting doubt on their union. But the pair made it clear that they got married out of love in an interview. According to Naeem, the couple first met in 2012, and after talking about getting married in 2015, they ultimately got married in 2017.
Addressing comments that he’s a gold-digger, Naeem said he married Mary because after struggling with depression and other mental health issues, adding that he could open up to the woman who supported him in every way, after which he fell in love with her.
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“I’m not a gold digger. You are in my house you can see we have nothing luxurious here,” Naeem clarified. “We have necessary things like a sofa set for when guests arrive. We brought our beds from our own homes. Let people say what they want to say.”
