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Ana Navarro’s dirty jokes are a coping mechanism for ‘frustration’ with 24-year age gap in her marriage, says expert
THE View's Ana Navarro's NSFW gags surrounding her love life could point to a less-than-idyllic marriage, a psychologist has suggested.
And she claimed the daytime TV host is perhaps using her job to give real-time oxygen to her personal struggles surrounding age.
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Recently, The View’s Instagram page featured a video clip of some co-hosts answering the question: "What is the coolest thing you’ve done?".
Alyssa Farah Griffin, 33, mentioned going on Air Force One, while Sara Haines, 45, said her coolest things were skydiving and bungee jumping backward.
Ana, 51, appeared to murmur: “What is the coolest man I have done?”
She then mentioned swimming in a cage with white sharks off the coast of South Africa.
The June 3 clip is not the first time Ana has joked on camera about her love life.
In January, the Nicaraguan/American TV star raised eyebrows after saying she would date a younger man if she ever became single again.
That time, Ana started off by saying older men made better boyfriends: “Frankly, they’re better in bed,” she remarked.
Ana then added: “They know what to touch and what to press and what to do. You don’t have to train them.”
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Later during the show, the political strategist said: “Just because I’ve been with older men all my life and married one it doesn’t mean I don’t reserve the right to be with a younger man at some point.”
Ana has been married to Al Cardenas, 75, since 2019. The pair have a 24-year age gap.
Before Al, she was in a long-term relationship with Gene Prescott, 77 with the pair having a 26-year age gap at the time.
In a segment in April Ana also said: "I am deep into the throws of menopause; I'm having to take a shot to have sex with one person."
In an exclusive interview, psychologist told The U.S. Sun: “Ana appears to be using humor and teasing suggestions as a coping mechanism.
“Similarly, with the jokes and banter before now, Ana seems to be carefully planting a seed of possibility that all is not perfect in her marriage.
“In all, I sense restlessness and frustration in Ana’s marriage.
“The 24-year age gap is huge in terms of sexual needs and ability.
"It can often reveal issues that perhaps didn’t seem to matter in the early days.
“There also seems to have been a big age gap in her last serious relationship.
“Sometimes, with her dirty jokes, it is almost as if Ana is thinking aloud.
“The root of her jokes may however not be sexual at all.
“The fact that she is even talking about ever being available again, or thinking about having had sex with someone else, more than hints at some sort of difficulty.
“It may be that she has not even discussed any issues with her husband.
“When Ana voices her doubts with a bit of humor, she is giving some real-time oxygen to issues that she is clearly feeling.”
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The CNN commentator tied the knot with Cuban Al Cardenas in Miami Beach, Florida.
Her husband is a Cardenas is also the former chairman of Florida’s Republican party.
He is divorced with four children.
When she married Al and celebrated with celeb pal Eva Longoria, Ana told magazine: “I feel full of love and surrounded by love.”
She added: “He treats me like I’m a princess, he treats me with so much love and respect… I like everything about him.”
Before the wedding, Ana was with Florida businessman and fundraiser Gene, who has three adult children.
While little is known of their time together, Gene is President of the lavish Coral Gable's Biltmore Hotel.
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“Ana obviously has - or has had - a thing about older guys and could even possibly have Daddy issues,” said Jo.
“I do not know much about her background or earlier relationship experience.
"Women who have been hurt in some way can often see an older guy as the safe option.
“But then as they heal and get more secure, they might feel more inclined towards someone closer to their own age again."
She continued: “This may be why Ana has referred to younger men.
“Sometimes it can feel a bit too much to speak relationship doubts out loud.
“This can happen especially when a husband or partner hasn’t actually done anything wrong like lie or cheat and the concerns are one-sided.
“It can feel like betraying your partner who doesn’t deserve these concerns.
“I would say she has a pretty open personality but also likes to manage things her way – maybe she is even a little bit controlling.
“She might have his implicit blessing that she can hint at problems in their marriage.
“He might be open to her taking a younger lover or to mentioning the coolest man she has ever done in order to sustain their relationship.
“Or he might be oblivious and shocked, or even not take it seriously at all.
“I think time will tell how this situation evolves.
“Above all, without speaking about issues to partners, they can build up resentment and arguments.
"Making jokes on air means Ana could be allowing herself to get her voice and her thoughts heard.”
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Ana’s other View co-hosts are all currently married - apart from Whoopi Goldberg, who is single.
She has been married three times in the past.
Joy Behar is married to Steve Janowitz, and Sarah is married to Max Shifrin.
The pair celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in November.
Alyssa married Justin Griffin in 2021, while Sunny Hostin is married to Emmanual Hostin. The couple has two kids together.
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“For the other View panelists, in part, they may admire Ana's honesty,” added Jo.
“But they may also wonder just where these comments are coming from and why.
“The other co-hosts might ask whether it is light-hearted banter with no substance.
"They could wonder if there is something more meaningful and significant behind it all.
“Ana’s dirty jokes and sex banter could be a bit disarming for them.
“The other thing is they might be bewildered in how to react.
"They may not know how much – if any – Al is aware or OK with what his wife is hinting at.
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“Especially given Ana's more recent ‘coolest man she has ever done’ joke.”
The U.S. Sun approached ABC and The View for a comment, but they did not respond.
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