Influencer, 21, Slams Critics over Relationship with 16-Year-Old Partner

A social media influencer aged 21 has lashed out at the public after being criticized over her relationship with a 16-year-old.

Tasha Newcombe, with a huge following on TikTok due to her videos on party lifestyle, went online last week to say she had been dating Marko Vituk for three months. Immediately after the admission, the couple found themselves in the thick of controversy due to their five-year age gap.

In a TikTok video that had almost reached two million views, Newcombe responded to the backlash by saying that although people reserve the right to their opinion, she doesn’t regret her choice. She added that she was in fact scared of being with him as she knew how the public would react.

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“If I decide I want to be in a relationship with him, I can because it is legal. Whether you think it’s morally right or not, it is legal,” Newcombe said, stressing the judgment comes more from personal views and less from the letter of the law.

Vituk, still in school and underage to drink or drive, is also building an online presence. He boxes and started a podcast called “Empowerred” [sic].

The relationship announcement has, however taken online charts by storm as many people debate the issue with questions of legal and ethical nature. Newcombe said she was shocked at the nature of some comments, most of them targeted at her family. She also revealed that some of the messages sent were pretty alarming, urging her to harm herself.

In fact, Newcombe has started filtering comments on her social media posts to avoid the influx of negative attention. She defended her relationship, describing it as “beautiful, loving, happy and healthy,” and advised her critics to shift their energy elsewhere.

@tashanewcombe

♬ original sound – Tasha Newcombe

It has further highlighted an even broader debate around age gaps in relationships—particularly when one party is a minor—and how social media can rocket such controversies into the mainstream public eye.