It’s time to ask the age-old question. I’m sure that we’ve all wondered at some point whether it is acceptable to engage in a romantic relationship with someone young enough to be your child. 

Recently, Leonardo DiCaprio has come under fire on popular social media platforms such as TikTok and from fellow celebrities for dating women significantly younger than him. After a thorough analysis of DiCaprio’s dating history, a clear pattern has surfaced. It seems that Leonardo has a “cutoff age” of 25. Once his current boo thang reaches the age of 25, he leaves them to find a younger woman. According to a chart made by Reddit user TrustLittleBrother which spans a period of over 20 years and 8 different relationships, DiCaprio’s average girlfriend age is 22.9. DiCaprio is 48 years old and shows no signs of slowing down his roll. 

As of now, DiCaprio is reported to be dating 19-year-old model Eden Polani. Critics of Leo’s current and previous relationships argue that the age gaps between him and his girlfriends are too big. But this argument is clearly ageist. What right do we have to discriminate and deny Leonardo DiCaprio and his significant other(s) the right to true love and happiness on the basis of age? Who cares if his current girlfriend is younger than some of his movies? Age is just a number and a superficial factor; judging someone based on their age is the equivalent to judging someone based on their appearance. Besides, we’re talking about Leonardo DiCaprio here. The dude is gorgeous. Personally, I would set my firstborn child on fire for a chance to date Leonardo DiCaprio. He will forever be 20 year old Jack Dawson on the Titanic with piercing blue eyes like the cold depths of the Atlantic in which he sadly drowned. 

Moreover, everyone is entitled to their own preferences. You do you, Leo, or in this case, someone who is young enough to be your daughter. Having a preference for a significantly younger significant other is just the same as having a preference for a specific type of food. Having a younger partner and older partner in a relationship adds a more mature perspective to the relationship. 

In terms of the older men who date younger women, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most qualified. In Baz Luhrman’s 1996 adaptation of Romeo +Juliet, Leo starred as 16-year-old Romeo whilst wooing the 13-year-old Juliet. So really this whole dating younger women thing is just method acting for him.

But perhaps the most compelling argument in support of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating habits is that he’s actually doing a service to the world. Many girls grow up in a home without a stable paternal figure. According to fatherlessdaughters.com, girls who grow up in such situations are more likely to experience sadness, addiction, lack of friends, the death of a childhood pet, and difficulty establishing secure and loving relationships. The truth is that Leonardo DiCaprio is actually doing the world a favor by stepping up as a strong, older male figure for those who need that extra support. Everyone deserves a daddy, and who would be a better daddy than Daddy DiCaprio?