“This seems ridiculous. That age difference was not uncommon for the time the series portrayed.”
It truly is ridiculous. Does she not realize she was playing a part of a character from a century ago? Anyone who has read history understands that men of that time married young women in their prime child-bearing years. Both men and women died at a lot younger age than now. Women often died in childbirth and the husband remarried to provide a help-meet and a mother for his children.
It sounds as if Gilbert is just looking for “woke” accolades.
Yes, I think she’s looking for attention in general.