Actor Marques Houston is feeling the heat again for the same reason he was in 2020. Back then, social media users weren’t happy that he married his wife, Miya Dickey, when she was only 19 while he was 39 years old. Fast forward three years and a child later and social media users still hold the same sentiments.
The conversation about the significant age gap in the couple’s relationship was kicked up again because Houston spoke about it on his TV One Uncensored episode, which aired on April 9. The singer shared the story behind how he met his wife and the mother of his daughter Zara. His goal was to clear speculations about the timeline not adding up.
“Me and my wife’s situation is a little different; how we met through mutual friends and everything like that,” he said. “When I met my wife, she was 17. So, we had no [real] conversation…no [real] connection until…you know…she was of age.”
The Sister Sister actor also claims the version of Miya’s birth date floating around online was wrong. However, social media users aren’t buying it. Some argue that his behavior is still predatory, accusing him of having his eyes set on Dickey when she was underage and waiting until she was 18 to make a move. They also question what mutual friends he would share with a then 17-year-old.
“People don’t understand it and I got a lot of backlash for marrying someone that was 19,” he continued. “And you know, when we did finally start to talk, I was like, ‘This woman is like me’ and she was just…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.”
Marques said he and his wife also connected over music. “And her spirit, her kindness, her heart, reminds me a lot of my mom,” he continued. “We just connected on so many different levels.”
The married couple welcomed their first child, daughter Zara, in December 2021. Presently, Miya is 22 while Houston is 41.
The actor concluded, “So, yeah. She was 19 when we got married. She was 18 when we started dating. So, you know there’s a lot of misconception out there. A lot of people tried to twist her age online and make it seem like she was born a year earlier, but she wasn’t. She’s 22, going on 23. And she keeps me young and fresh. We have a love that people don’t really understand and I don’t really care to explain it. That’s what it is.”
Houston defended his stance when he ran into TMZ photos in LA this week when asked how he was feeling about the renewed criticism.
“Everybody has their own opinion. Opinions are like noses,” he said. “I’m the kind of person that don’t really care what people think about me. So say what you want. I’m happily married and I love my wife and we have a beautiful daughter and that’s just how we’re living.”