Mark Sanchez & 17-Year-Old Eliza Kruger Another 'Too Young' for Celeb Hook-Up?

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, 24, has apparently been dating a 17-year-old woman. The young lady in question, Eliza Kruger, daughter of hedge funder Konrad "Chip" Kruger, is still a senior in high school. Sanchez is not the first famous person to fall for a hot young thing. While he may become the butt of crude jokes, minimal, if any, damage should be done to his reputation or career.

The Internet has been ablaze with Sanchez and Kruger's alleged May-December romance, which happens to be perfectly legal in the states it transpired in. Kruger checked. Legal age of consent in New York is 17, a fact she informed the football player of when they met in a club on New Year's Eve. New Jersey age of consent is 16, which is handy to know since she claims they "hooked up" at his house located in that state. Kruger claims her last contact with Sanchez was a text sent on Jan. 24.

Celebrities with Too-Young Loves

Other celebrities have been known to hook-up with, date and even marry younger partners. Famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld, then 38, met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in 1993. The romance started in New York's Central Park, where Seinfeld approached the then-high school senior. The couple continued their long-distance romance while Lonstein attended George Washington University in Washington. They were ever-popular tabloid fodder and eventually split up in 1997.

Superstar Tom Cruise began dating his now-wife, actress Katie Holmes, in 2005, when he was 42 and she was just 26. The 16-year age difference got some play in the media, but people quickly realized the girl from "Dawson's Creek" was no longer a teenager. It also helped that Cruise looked younger than his age. The celebrity couple married in 2006 and now have two children.

May-December Celeb Romances Don't Mean a Thing

Some may be disgusted, some envious and many will laugh about Sanchez and Kruger's relationship, but one thing is almost certain--the quarterback's career will survive. Use the above "age is just a number" celebrity relationships as examples; each one still enjoys a lucrative career.

Seinfeld is the prime example of dating a 17-year-old woman and maintaining a stellar career. The comedian and actor was starring in his hugely popular self-titled sitcom (NBC 1989-1998) when he began dating Lonstein. Unlike other actors, who might be able to trade in on the popularity of the character they play, Seinfeld acted and did comedy as himself. He became the punchline in many jokes, but still did and does enjoy success. The syndication of his show alone, which still airs multiple times a day, put $225 million in the comedian's pocket.

Seinfeld even carried on his May-December trend and married his wife, Jessica, in 1999. She is 18 years younger than her famous husband.