Here's How Old Dane Cook's Fiancee Kelsi Taylor Was When They Met
Dane Cook and his longtime girlfriend Kelsi Taylor announced they were engaged in August 2022. The engagement was notable not only because they had been together for five years, but also because of their big age gap – Cook is 50 years old and Taylor is 23. They took to social media to make the big announcement public on August 2, 2022. "Fiancé has a nice ring to it ... The secret's out! @danecook and I are engaged," the Pilates instructor wrote on Instagram. Both the comedian and his fiancée gushed over how perfect the day was when Cook popped the question. "I was so ready to ask her. I was completely zen about it," Cook told People in August 2022.
Once they were officially betrothed, Cook decided to incorporate the taboo portion of his relationship into his act. "We have a bit of an age difference, so it's in the show," the "Dan in Real Life" actor told E! News in October 2022. He tested out some of his marriage-related jokes on Taylor, and she signed off on the material.
Years earlier, Cook spoke openly about how he and Taylor met each other at one of his game nights. Initially, they were just friends "for a while" but eventually "upgraded to love," as Cook revealed during a 2018 Instagram Live session (via Us Weekly). Considering their sizable age difference, fans wondered how old Taylor was when they started hanging out.
A deep dive into their past
Dane Cook and his fiancée Kelsi Taylor have a 27-year age difference and started dating when she was 18 years old. After their engagement was announced, writer Tracie Morrissey did a deep dive into when they first met and posted her findings to her Instagram Stories in August 2022. "She was 100% underage when they first began hanging out," Morrissey wrote about Taylor and Cook. The writer noted that Cook had previously said that he met Taylor while hosting a game night. Morrisey posted a group photo Cook uploaded in 2016 which featured Taylor — she was 17 years old at the time.
Morrissey's research into these posts also focused on other younger women who attended the events. Actor Joey King was also featured in multiple posts when she was 16 years old. As pointed out by Newsweek, King's older sister, Hunter King, often attended the comedian's game nights. Morrisey also mentioned Cook had group pics with other young actors like Saxon Paige Sharbino who was 16 when she attended one of the game nights. Other photos featured Bella Thorne, who was 18 years old at the time, and Amy Forsyth, who was 20.
This was not the first time the age of the "Employee of the Month" star's girlfriend caused a stir. In 2018, Scary Mommy posted an article titled, "Literally Everyone Is Creeped Out That Dane Cook, 46, Is Dating A Teenager." Fans had also voiced their disapproval online over the years.
How did the couple react to backlash?
Once Dane Cook and Kelsi Taylor started dating, the "Mr. Brooks" actor was not shy about posting photos with her online, but the relationship did not sit well with some fans. In 2017 — when Taylor was 18 years old — Cook uploaded a snap to Instagram of the pair hugging each other tightly. "My girl @itskelsitaylor is one of my favorite people on the planet. She's a talented singer but more importantly, she's a genuine person," the comedian wrote in the caption. While most had kind words for Cook and his girlfriend, several followers voiced their disapproval. "I just can't see what a 46-year-old can have in common with [a] 19 [year] old," one Instagram user wrote.
Taylor had also drawn the ire of Instagram followers because of her relationship with Cook. She posted a snap cuddling up to the "Good Luck Chuck" star in 2018 and included a touching caption. Multiple disapproving fans chimed in. "You are a baby and he is a dirty old man," one wrote. However, the singer also had fans defend her choice to date Cook. "She's legal and love comes in all forms," an Instagram user noted.
The disparaging comments seemed to fall on deaf ears. Undeterred by detractors, Cook and Taylor not only had plans to get married but were eager to start a family. "I can't wait, to be very honest with you," Cook told People in November 2022 while discussing the prospect of having kids.