"Thanksgiving Grandma Wanda Dench" and Jamal Hinton are planning to celebrate the holiday together for the 9th year in a row.
"Looking forward to a day filled with good food, great company, and lasting memories," Jamal said in a post on X.
The pair connected by accident in 2016 after Dench texted an invitation for Thanksgiving dinner to the wrong number. Hinton, who was 17 years old at the time, responded and said he was happy to drop by. Hinton and Dench have met every Thanksgiving since and developed a lasting bond that has captured the attention of the country every holiday season.
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In 2021, Netflix announced it would be making a film inspired by the story of Hinton and Dench’s unlikely friendship. The planned title for the film was revealed as “The Thanksgiving Text."
Just like every friendship that has lasted nearly a decade, the pair have been there for each other through life's challenges. They navigated the pandemic together as friends and Hinton was there for Dench when her husband died in 2021. And this year, Hinton shared a message from Dench, who revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through it all, she's tried to remain positive.
"I've learned a lot of life's lessons through it all, but what I want to stress most of all is just because you may be older, we still have a life to live," she wrote.
