23-year-old woman who looks like an 8-year-old announces split from boyfriend after he was criticized for dating her
A 23-year-old woman who has the body of an 8-year-old has announced that she and her boyfriend have broken up over the negative reactions that trailed their relationship.
Dan Swygart, 26, recently began romancing reality star Shauna Rae, whose growth was stunted due to treatment she received as a child for brain cancer. Rae — who weighs 50 pounds and is 3 feet 10 inches tall — is the subject of the TLC reality series “I Am Shauna Rae.”
Swygart recently shared several snaps with Rae on Instagram, before posting a video to the social media site vehemently defending their connection.
It’s long been a struggle for Rae to date, with the pint-size personality previously telling The Post that she’s underestimated and excluded because of her appearance.
In his clip, Swygart revealed that he reached out to Rae with flowers after seeing the first season of her show. The pair soon met in person and went on several dates together.
“It’s very important to remember that Shauna is an incredible 23-year-old woman who has a disability,” he explained. “So as you are building a connection with her, it’s important to acknowledge her disability and look past that and build it with who she is as an individual.”
Swygart continued: “As soon as you say that she can’t have a real-world connection with someone else, you dehumanize her. She is a human being. She deserves to have relationships and connections with whoever she wants.”
Swygart — who hails from the UK — appears in the second season of “I Am Shauna Rae,” where he is seen forging a connection with the pint-size star.
Swygart was heavily criticized because of his relationship with Shauna, and was labelled a creep and pervert for dating someone who looks like a child.
Days after they went viral and received heavy backlash, the pair have publicly announced their decision to part ways in a post shared on Instagram.
According to the couple, they have decided to end their relationship and remain good friends due to the bad publicity.
