‘Thanksgiving grandma’ and young man she accidentally invited to dinner by text to spend 10th holiday together

A man who formed an unbreakable bond with his grandmother after the wrong Thanksgiving message is continuing the holiday tradition for the tenth year.

Wanda Dench, 68, and Jamal Hinton, 26, of Arizona, unexpectedly became friends in 2016 when Dench accidentally texted the then-teenager thinking he was her grandson. This confusion changed both their lives.

The two, who missed last year’s celebration in person as Dench was treated for breast cancer, will reunite this Thanksgiving at Hinton’s family home.

Their annual tradition continues to be a viral sensation, and this year, they’ve partnered with Green Giant to celebrate the milestone by celebrating both the brand’s 100th anniversary and their decade-long friendship.

While the company serves the duo classic holiday dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, rolls and pumpkin pie, Jamal’s family adds their own twist on prime rib, brisket and macaroni and cheese. Hinton shared photos of herself preparing the meal on her Instagram account and wrote: ‘Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing.’

Now cancer-free, Dench says she’s excited to continue the tradition that started with a viral tweet.

Their story began when Dench texted what she thought was her grandson and asked if he would come over for Thanksgiving dinner.

Instead the message reached Hinton, and Hinton jokingly responded: ‘Are you still going to get a plate?’ Dench responded without hesitation: ‘Of course you can. That’s what grandmothers do; to feed everyone.’

The two will reunite this year at Hinton’s family home after missing last year’s celebration due to Dench being treated for breast cancer.

After Dench was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, the two had to meet online instead of face to face.

That year, Hinton came to dinner and the two immediately embraced. From then on, they spent every Thanksgiving together except for 2024, when Dench’s cancer treatment weakened her immune system.

That year, they connected via Instagram Live, with Hinton handing her phone to family members and wishing her a happy holiday.

While answering questions from the audience during the live broadcast, Dench said, “I just finished chemotherapy, so I’m not 100 percent yet.”

‘And I live about two hours away from where Jamal lives. So we decided that this year would be best for my health if I stayed home.

‘I was looking forward to meeting his family and eating turkey with everyone, but we have to take things as they come and I’m sure next year will be much better.’

Hinton explained how she discovered her cancer after a routine check-up.

‘I had a CT scan to check my lungs. “That’s when a mass was detected in my chest,” he said.

‘I [and] He is currently undergoing chemotherapy. My family and friends quickly came to my aid and supported me through everything.’

Dench also added that there is no cancer in her family and all her previous mammograms have been negative.

They unexpectedly became friends after he texted her and invited her to Thanksgiving in 2016.

Hinton eventually went to Dench’s celebration and continued to do so.

Dench, who claimed in a previous interview that she was not a fan of Thanksgiving, previously admitted that she actually wanted to cancel the holiday dinner in 2016, but the universe had other plans.

Hinton’s girlfriend, Mikaela, also spent Thanksgiving with them, and they both became close to Dench’s husband, Lonnie, who died of COVID in April 2020.

On Dench’s first Thanksgiving without her husband in 2020, she hosted an early dinner attended by Hinton and Mikaela, as well as her daughter and grandson.

He said he assumed he would no longer have to buy them when he turned 65 in 2022, adding: ‘But I was wrong.’

Dench added that she “learned a lot of life lessons through all of this” and emphasized that “just because you may be older, you still have a life to live.”

To talk Today Hinton shared that she was surprised when Dench said she could attend her family’s celebration in 2021, but decided to attend.

‘Yeah, there was a lot of hesitation because it was all just a joke,’ he recalled. ‘I was in math class. I was testing. And I said, ‘Hey, why not?’ I said.

‘I’m just an extroverted person. I love meeting new people and then she said ‘Yes’ and I was basically star struck.’

Ironically, Dench isn’t a fan of Thanksgiving, and admitted on her morning show that she really wanted to cancel holiday plans that year.

“I was tired of having a feast every year, so I asked my husband if we could skip Thanksgiving that year and have a little holiday or something,” she said. ‘But little did I know that wasn’t what the universe had planned for me.’

Dench and Hinton schedule regular visits throughout the year, and during the pandemic, he and his girlfriend, Mikaela, have been dropping off food on his doorstep.

Hinton was just 17 when Dench sent him a text message in 2016, mistakenly thinking he was her granddaughter.

Hinton explained that he had texted the wrong person, but then asked if he could ‘get a plate anyway’. They spent Thanksgiving together for the first time that year

In December 2021, just a week after they spent their sixth holiday together, it was announced that a movie inspired by their story was in development at Netflix.

“I told him the cameras and the fame, everything could stop tomorrow and nothing would ever change between us,” Hinton previously told the Today show. ‘He’s in my heart for life,’ Dench admitted

In 2023, the duo teamed up with Airbnb to invite two strangers to their annual Thanksgiving celebration.

It was a difficult time for the widow, who lost her beloved husband Lonnie to COVID-19 on April 5, 2020, just days after contracting the virus.

On her first Thanksgiving without her husband, she hosted an early dinner attended by Hinton and Mikaela, as well as her daughter and grandson.

During the meeting, a moment of silence was observed in Lonnie’s memory and a framed photo of Lonnie was placed on the dining table.

During an appearance on the Today show, Dench tells how Hinton taught her to ‘be open to friendship’ [even] ‘When you think you have nothing in common with someone.’

‘He literally changed my life,’ he said.

‘It’s great to have him as a friend and family,’ Hinton added.