
Ten years ago, a mistaken text message led to an incredibly heartwarming friendship. This Thanksgiving, Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton marked their tenth holiday together, continuing a beloved internet tradition.
It all started in 2016 when Judi Dench mistakenly texted David Hinton, believing she was messaging her grandson about vacation arrangements. After the error was realized, Hinton playfully responded with a selfie, quipping, “You’re not my grandma,” but then jokingly asked for something to eat.
Dame Judi Dench famously extended a dinner invitation to him regardless, explaining, “That’s just what grandmas do.” The heartwarming moment quickly spread online and has since become a beloved annual tradition on social media every Thanksgiving.

Unlikely Thanksgiving duo keep the tradition alive
Dench shared with Fox News that the memory still feels very vivid. She explained, “It feels like yesterday because it was such an exciting, fun, and completely surprising experience when the media started paying attention to us.” She added, “Meeting Jamal was the absolute highlight – that’s the truth.”
She also told People magazine that she believes meeting Jamal was meant to be. She said everything seemed to align perfectly beforehand, and she feels incredibly lucky and grateful to have found someone as amazing as him in such an unexpected way.
Honestly, hearing Hinton talk about it really got to me. He said that moment when everything changed happened when he was just 17! He told Fox News he remembers it like it was yesterday – he was already pretty popular in high school, but after that, he became really popular. He said it’s amazing seeing how excited people get when they see them, and that knowing their story makes people happy means the world to him. He actually always dreamed of being famous, and it’s incredible to think that dream came true and brings joy to others.

Their surprising friendship has touched many people over the years, and at one point, a movie about their lives was in development with Netflix. Though the film was put on hold, both friends haven’t ruled out the possibility of seeing their story told on screen in the future.
“Maybe something will come up in the future,” Dench said.
Even after ten years, that famous online moment still feels special to many people, and they have no plans to stop recreating it anytime soon.
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2025-11-27 23:48