Bernie Eccleston, 89 and his wife, Fabiana Flosi, 44, have announced they are expecting a baby in July. With a 65-year age difference between his first and now fourth child, there has naturally been a big reaction to the news.
With social media users ranging from sheer shock at the biological feat to congratulating Eccleston for ‘still doing bits’, there has also been some anger at the idea that Eccleston will likely pass before his child reaches secondary school.
‘Bernie Eccleston becoming a Dad again at 89 is both gross and a dick move,’ one Twitter user commented. ‘Imagine putting a child through the trauma of losing a parent when you didn’t need to.’
Eccleston however, has told reporters he doesn’t see anything wrong with becoming a father aged 89. ‘I'm very happy and happy really for my wife, she's been looking forward to this happening for quite a few years so I'm happy she'll have someone after I'm gone,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘It's fun, I don't see any dramas, I've got grandchildren and I'm looking forward to having another baby,’ he added.
Of course, one can only imagine how violent the reaction would be if it were a woman announcing her intention to have a baby aged 89 – either by adoption or perhaps, a miraculous reproductive system.
Earlier this year, Shirley Ballas, 58, announced she was thinking of adopting and was trolled heavily – something she has previously opened up about battling for years. And when Janet Jackson announced her pregnancy aged 50 in 2017, she too received similar treatment. These are women that firstly, do not owe anyone explanations about their reproductive systems or ability to carry a child, but secondly, are decades younger than Eccleston and yet received much more vitriol.
And talking of sexism, Eccleston’s wife Flosi is now facing her fair share.
‘So Bernie Eccleston is to become a father at 89,’ one social media user tweeted. ‘His eldest child is 65... His new wife is 43. I just don’t know what attracts all these young, beautiful women to this short, old billionaire.’
The implication that Flosi is with Eccleston for his money has been shared by many online, proving that no matter where a woman sits in conversations about having babies later in life – she will undoubtedly become the target for online trolling.
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