Famous Ephebophile: Jerry Seinfeld (39) & Shoshanna Lonstein (17)

I was perusing the trending section of Twitter when I indirectly came upon Jerry Seinfeld's relationship with Shoshanna Lonstein.

Per Jordan Sargent's article, "Remember When 39-Year-Old Jerry Seinfeld Dated a 17-Year-Old?", posted on Defamer (06/29/15):

1993 was a good year for Jerry Seinfeld. His sitcom, which was on its way to becoming one of the most celebrated shows in television history, won an Emmy in the category of “Outstanding Comedy Series” [...] And, just a hair shy of 40, he met a woman who would capture his heart: a high school student he picked up one day in Central Park.

Shoshanna Lonstein was a senior at the prestigious Nightingale-Bamford School on the Upper West Side when, on a spring afternoon, she was approached by one of the most well-known comedians in the country [...] a short conversation, she gave her phone number to the comedian, sparking a relationship that would begin around her high school graduation and end right after her college one.

Per  Karen S. Schneider's People cover story, "LOOK WHO'S IN LOVE: Jerry Seinfeld, 39, and Shoshanna Lonstein, 18, make an unlikely romance work" (March 28, 1994), Jerry referred to the nymphet as: “[...] the most wonderful girl in the world.” And Seinfeld shared, “Shoshanna is a person, not an age. She is extremely bright. She’s funny, sharp, very alert. We just get along. You can hear the click.”"

Schneider wrote that Seinfeld claimed that “the age issue” was immediately “forgotten.” I doubt that, but I can imagine Seinfeld periodically pinching himself and exclaiming, "I can't believe she's only 17!"

And unlike most men, Seinfeld wasn't shy about being open with his nympholepsy. Schneider wrote:

Within weeks after their first date, friends and neighbors grew accustomed to the sight of the Seinfeld limousine idling outside the Upper East Side luxury apartment building where Lonstein lives [...]

The Lonsteins have always approved of the romance. “Shoshanna is very mature,” says a source close to the family. “Jerry is thoughtful, a good person.

If Seinfeld weren't famous, one would have assume that the age-gap affair would not have been condoned by the nymphet's family. And it probably didn't hurt that Seinfeld was Jewish and wealthy. Schneider elaborated:

At George Washington University in Washington, where Lonstein, now 18, enrolled in September, the couple walk arm in arm across campus when Seinfeld pops in for an occasional visit. 

On weekend trips to Los Angeles, where he tapes his show”, they have eggs and cheesecake with his friends and cast members at Jem’s Famous Deli in Studio City before heading off to spend an afternoon shooting hoops in the park.

Sadly, they never married, and the age-gap affair ended after approximately five years.