Jamal Hinton Teases Annual Celebration with ‘Thanksgiving Grandma’ Wanda Dench: 'Year 9 Coming Soon'

Mar. 15, 2025

Jamal Hinton, center, and Wanda Dench, right, with Hinton’s girlfriend Mikaela, left, at their 2021 Thanksgiving celebration.Photo:Jamal Hinton/X.com

Jamal Hinton/X.com

Thanksgivingis just days away, which means it’s time for the latest celebration between"Thanksgiving Grandma" Wanda Denchand herstranger-turned-friend Jamal Hinton. And this year, they’re switching things up.“Excited to announce that I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for Wanda and I!" Hinton wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, Nov. 25.“Looking forward to a day filled with good food, great company, and lasting memories,” he added, alongside a series of photos from over the years. “Year 9 coming soon!”Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench in 2016.Jamal Hinton/ InstagramThe pair offered a few more details about this year’s celebration during a recent interview withThe Arizona Republic.Dench — who announced herbreast cancer diagnosisin October — told the outlet that although chemotherapy can be exhausting, she planned to make the two-hour drive to have dinner with Hinton and his family at his aunt’s home in Phoenix.“I feel blessed to have him in my life,” she said. “He’s changed my life for the good, and so we’re going to make it work.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I have a different appreciation now about life, and for me, it’s about being with the people that I love,” added Dench, 67.Hinton shared a similar sentiment in the joint interview, saying, “You really never know when the last time you have a dinner with someone, or be able to talk to someone. I’d always suggest seeing your loved ones.“Their story began in 2016, when Hinton, then 17,received a text message from an unknown number.“The text said, ‘Thanksgiving at my house’ and it was from a grandma, but I was like, ‘When did my grandma learn to text!?’ So I asked her for a picture and it definitely was not my grandma,” Hinton told PEOPLE at the time.Hinton then jokingly responded to Dench’s text, writing, “Can I still get a plate tho?” — and she replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.“And just like that, a friendship was born.“It was so unexpected, but she was just so sweet about it,” Hinton told PEOPLE at the time. “It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in this world.”

Thanksgivingis just days away, which means it’s time for the latest celebration between"Thanksgiving Grandma” Wanda Denchand herstranger-turned-friend Jamal Hinton. And this year, they’re switching things up.

“Excited to announce that I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for Wanda and I!” Hinton wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, Nov. 25.

“Looking forward to a day filled with good food, great company, and lasting memories,” he added, alongside a series of photos from over the years. “Year 9 coming soon!”

Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench in 2016.Jamal Hinton/ Instagram

Jamal Hinton/ Instagram

The pair offered a few more details about this year’s celebration during a recent interview withThe Arizona Republic.

Dench — who announced herbreast cancer diagnosisin October — told the outlet that although chemotherapy can be exhausting, she planned to make the two-hour drive to have dinner with Hinton and his family at his aunt’s home in Phoenix.

“I feel blessed to have him in my life,” she said. “He’s changed my life for the good, and so we’re going to make it work.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I have a different appreciation now about life, and for me, it’s about being with the people that I love,” added Dench, 67.

Hinton shared a similar sentiment in the joint interview, saying, “You really never know when the last time you have a dinner with someone, or be able to talk to someone. I’d always suggest seeing your loved ones.”

Their story began in 2016, when Hinton, then 17,received a text message from an unknown number.

“The text said, ‘Thanksgiving at my house’ and it was from a grandma, but I was like, ‘When did my grandma learn to text!?’ So I asked her for a picture and it definitely was not my grandma,” Hinton told PEOPLE at the time.

Hinton then jokingly responded to Dench’s text, writing, “Can I still get a plate tho?” — and she replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

And just like that, a friendship was born.

“It was so unexpected, but she was just so sweet about it,” Hinton told PEOPLE at the time. “It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in this world.”

source: people.com