Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton are still carrying on their surprise Thanksgiving tradition seven years later.

Dench and her 24-year-old grandson first met when Dench emailed him an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner in November 2016.

Her grandson, however, had changed his phone number, and Hinton, then 17, heard her message instead…

Following some initial confusion, the strangers exchanged selfies that demonstrated the mix-up.

When Hinton asked if Dench could still come over for dinner, the 65-year-old actress said, “Certainly. “Grandmothers do what grandparents do: they feed everyone.”

The two formed an unusual bond, and their story quickly went popular once it was shared online.

Hinton, now 23, said last year that he and Dench were working with Netflix on a screenplay based on their happy holiday story…

More importantly, neither has missed a Thanksgiving without continuing their annual tradition, with Hinton chronicling each holiday gathering at Dench’s Arizona home on social media.

On Tuesday, Hinton shared a selfie of himself and Dench outside a Cheesecake Factory restaurant on Instagram.

They also appeared in a pre-recorded segment on Wednesday’s Today show, discussing the impact their relationship has had on their lives.

“He literally changed my life and my perspective on new generations about being open to friendships even when you think you don’t have anything in common,” Dench added. “But what about when you just sit and converse with them? Oh, my gosh…”

“Sometimes, I honestly don’t know where I’d be,” Hinton acknowledged. “It’s amazing to have her as both a friend and a family member.

We always talk about it – “The cameras and the fame can go away tomorrow, but nothing will change between us.”

“Indeed,” Dench added. “I’ll have him for the rest of my life.”

They also don’t only talk on Thanksgiving. They stay in touch throughout the year by having dinners and talking on the phone.

Hinton had taken Dench to get her first tattoo and was with his girlfriend Mikaela when Dench’s husband Lonnie died of COVID-19 in April 2020.

“As I answered the door, Jamal and Mikaela were dropping down a load of food and gifts and stuff,” Dench told Today.

“She’s a part of anything I’m doing,” Hinton explained.

Dench is retiring and wants to move a few hours away, so Thanksgiving will be different next year. Hinton, on the other hand, indicated that he plans to return to visit her.

They’ll keep texting till then, despite the fact that it’s not Dench’s strong suit. “He texts me constantly. “I typically respond, ‘Just call me,’ she laughed.

“We’re going to work on your texting,” Hinton said.