I was a Mormon stay-at-home wife for years – now I’m a ‘hot grandma’ & proud cougar but my kids have blocked me online
AN ex-Mormon left her modest religious life behind and became one of the faces of CougarTok.
Tara Gen ditched strict rules to embrace being the hot "granny next door," though she admitted it's made things a bit awkward with her kids.
As a teen mom who married young and had four children, Tara didn't have much time for herself over the last two decades.
She spent years managing her home and devoting herself to her Mormon faith, but it all came crashing down when she split from her long-term husband.
"It wasn't a great relationship," she told The U.S. Sun.
“After the fourth [kid], I thought, 'I’m not going to let my daughters see me go through this' and I said, 'I’m done.'
“If I hadn’t gone through it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I like who I’ve become.”
She thinks this is why her children are OK with her online behavior — although they don't love the dating side of it.
"They blocked me on TikTok," she said. "It's lighthearted and they laugh about it but don’t want it in their face, so I'm respectful about it.”
The fun-loving grandmother now makes a living as an influencer and content creator, as well as from numerous real estate investments.
The California resident cited the pandemic as the gateway into her new career venture after she was a stay-at-home mom for so long.
Despite having a large following of over 848,000 people on TikTok, she maintains that "she's just a regular mom in California" who enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren, aged one and three.
“I try to keep the whole dating thing classy. I notice too when I date younger guys they like older women with a classy vibe,” Tara said.
The last man she dated was 22 or 23 years old when their relationship began.
She thinks he was mature enough for her because they did similar activities and jobs.
Tara wasn't always interested in younger men but said that they are normally the ones who have the confidence to approach her and message her online.
She also admitted that her biggest critics are actually older men.
"Maybe they're jealous of the younger guys I'm giving attention to," she said.
"Maybe that's why I get along with younger men. I'm not looking for a husband and they're not looking for a wife.
"It’s fun to have a little jolt of youthful energy and not be so serious."
PLAYING INTO ILLUSIONS
Tara didn't always think of herself as a hot mom, but when her son got in a school fight because someone called her one, she quickly realized it.
"I think people think I'm having a lot of sex with a lot of men," she said. "I like the illusion that I do, but there is not enough time for it."
Tara explained that the main benefits of dating someone her age, as opposed to someone younger, are financial stability, confidence, and the ability to offer life advice.
“I’ve got a home, a life outside of them and not looking to create something out of this," she added.
I'm really down to Earth and, at the end of the day, I'm all about my family.
Tara Gen
The blond beauty is so popular online that she was even contacted by a casting company to appear on a reality show about cougar moms.
Though she's received plenty of opportunities, it hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows for her.
Since she's become popular online, Tara has received inappropriate messages.
Among the worst are unsolicited naked photos, or men saying that they know where she lives and would come to assault her.
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"I don't think I'm controversial, so for them to go out of their way to be mean or rude is ridiculous," she declared.
"I'm really down to Earth and, at the end of the day, I'm all about my family."