Viral Teenager and grandmother keep the Thanksgiving tradition going

Fans of viral text mix-up now have the chance to join Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench for Thanksgiving this year

Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench went viral seven years ago when the 66-year-old grandma accidentally texted the stranger inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. Now, the two have forged a lifelong friendship as their Thanksgiving tradition continues, and have even become business partners.

Back in 2016, the Arizona grandmother texted the number she thought belonged to her grandson. Instead, she accidentally messaged then 17-year-old Hinton, who documented the mix-up in a series of viral tweets. Rather than ignore the unknown number, the two sent each other selfies. “You’re not my grandma,” Hinton replied, before asking if he could still come to Thanksgiving dinner.

“Of course you can,” Dench responded. “That’s what grandma’s do… feed everyone”.

That Thanksgiving, Hinton actually made the trip from Tempe, Arizona, to Mesa to join the Dench family for dinner. The unlikely friends have celebrated together ever since. Now, their viral friendship has even inspired an upcoming Netflix movie, an alkaline black water brand, and a partnership with Airbnb.

On 1 November, the 24-year-old shared a selfie with Dench on Instagram in honour of their special announcement. “To celebrate our eighth Thanksgiving together (yes, eight!), we’re partnering with @airbnb this year to host a couple extra seats at our table,” Hinton captioned the post. “Booking for our favorite holiday tradition opens November 14 at 11am MST at the link in our bios. Join us!”

For just $16, Hinton and Dench are offering a one-night stay with them at a home in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Thanksgiving. According to Airbnb, the booking price is a special nod to the year they spent their first Thanksgiving together. The booking period has already closed, meaning one lucky person will be spending the holiday with the viral pair.

“Some may recognise us from our viral text mishap that led to our first Thanksgiving together back in 2016. And eight years later, we’re practically family,” the listing reads. “To commemorate our lasting friendship, we’re excited to become Airbnb Hosts and welcome new guests into our holiday tradition, creating meaningful connections in the process.”

“Our unexpected friendship may have started accidentally, but our love for meeting new people has kept it going strong almost a decade later. That’s why this year, we’re expanding our annual tradition and inviting new guests to spend Thanksgiving with us at Wanda’s home - because that’s what grandma’s do: feed everyone.”

A lot has changed since 2016, when Dench accidentally texted Hinton inviting him to Thanksgiving. In 2020, Dench and her husband Lonnie were both diagnosed with Covid-19 but Lonnie was sent to the hospital with pneumonia. Sadly, her husband passed away that year but Dench, her grandson, and her daughter met up with Hinton and his girlfriend, Mikaela, to keep the tradition alive.

Hinton also made sure to send their support for Dench during the difficult time. “I heard some rustling at my front door, and I opened it up and Jamal and Mikaela were dropping off a whole bunch of food and gifts and stuff,” Dench previously told Today.

A week after his passing, Hinton shared a heartwarming video of himself and his girlfriend at lunch with the couple, and captioned the tweet: “We miss you Lonnie.”

Dench has also revealed how her relationship with Hinton has taught her that friendship has no age limit. “Jamal taught me that age made absolutely no difference,” she told Today. She recalled one time when she and her husband ate dinner with Hinton and his girlfriend at a restaurant, and the couples lost all track of time. “That’s when it dawned on me that there doesn’t have to be a generation gap to have friendships,” she explained. “So now I look at a lot of young people in a different light than I used to and I make it a point to talk and get to know them.”

“He’s changed my life a lot, I know that.”

In 2022, Hinton announced on Thanksgiving that he and Dench had gone from “family” to business partners. The friends launched an alkaline black water brand together, called Black MP. “From year one as strangers, to year seven as family but now BUSINESS PARTNERS!” Hinton captioned a selfie of the pair holding up their alkaline black water. “I’m very thankful for my family, friends, fans.”