Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore... cougars or just women in love

New Delhi: If singer Jennifer Lopez is planning to marry Casper Smart, who is 18 years younger, Demi Moore is now reportedly dating actor Martin Henderson, 12 years her junior -- cougar relationships, where a woman gets romantically involved with a much younger man, are back in the spotlight in the west.

Reports of a romantic angle between Moore and Henderson`s chemistry emerged only recently, but the actress has earlier enjoyed marital bliss with 15-year younger actor Ashton Kutcher. For JLo, there`s no man more "secure" than Smart. "She calls him `love of my life`. She believes it; she thinks he`s the one she`s been searching for all these years. He may be younger, but she says he is the most secure man she has ever met. He constantly inspires her and lifts her up," contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying. The term cougar, to denote predatory instincts, is in itself controversial and sexist, women`s groups have long held. But the term has come into currency as celebrity women are increasingly finding love and romance in the arms of younger men. Actress Denise Welch, who was earlier married to Tim Healy for 22 years, is now engaged to Lincoln Townley, who is 15 years younger to her. Townley, 39, proposed to Welch, 54. Former model and actress Tyra Banks` reported `toy boy` was model Rob Evans, 14 years her junior. And the age gap between English model Kelly Brook and her rugby player lover Danny Capriani is eight years. There`s also actress Sharon Stone, 57, who has been spotted with 30 years younger Martin Mica on several occasions. In the past as well, Hollywood has witnessed the union of younger men and older women - some worked, some didn`t. Pop star Madonna, 54, had tied the knot with 10-year younger filmmaker Guy Ritchie in 2000, but they went splitsville. She also dated Brazilian model Jesus Luz, 28 years her junior, while 25-year-old Brahim Zaibat is said to be her current beau. In 2007, American actress Eva Longoria had exchanged wedding vows with basketballer Tony Parker, seven years younger to her. Their marriage didn`t last even five years. Oscar winning actress Halle Berry was involved with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, nine years younger, and Cameron Diaz had a three-year affair with singer Justin Timberlake with a perfect `cougar` age difference of eight years. There were also Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, with a 12-year age gap between them, and Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, who are enjoying their wedded life despite a difference of a decade in their age. Actress Julianne Moore, 52, is wedded to direct Bart Freundlich, 43. Even if they never married, the love story between Goldie Hawn, 67, and Kurt Russell, 62, has lasted 30 years. They first met when she was 21 and he was 16. "I thought he was adorable but he was much too young. And then years later we met up again and I liked him and I remembered that I liked him very much when I first met him," Hawn had said in an earlier interview to dailymail.co.uk. Clearly, age is no bar here - and why not! Radhika Bhirani/IANS