Sam Taylor-Johnson shares how cancer battles shaped her response to trolls over 24-year age gap with husband

The pair met back in 2009 on set of the film Nowhere Boy, and at the time the Bullet Train star was just 18 years old – making her 42 at the time.

Eyebrows were soon raised when it was revealed they were dating, but they put the negative comments behind them and got engaged in 2010.

Their daughter Wylda Rae was born in the same year, with their son Romy Hero coming along two years later – as well as getting married in the same year.

Before their publicised relationship, the Fifty Shades of Grey director was married to art dealer Jay Jopling and they have two children together – Angelica, 26, and Jessie, 16.

She has since opened up on how her two cancer diagnosis put a new perspective on her relationship with the Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging star.

The 57-year-old was treated for colon cancer back in 1997 at the age of 30, and then was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.

During a recent interview with The Sunday Independent, she explained how overcoming the illness has shaped her response to critics

“Going through all the c**p I’ve been through, I don’t really listen to other people’s opinions. I just follow my heart and my instincts,” she began.

“People like to talk about it. I’m like, ‘But it works better than my last marriage.’ It lasted longer than a lot of my friends’ marriages.”

When previously discussing how she met her husband, she told The Guardian: “I managed to hold off really until almost the end of the film. Maybe feelings were there but un-acted upon.

“The thing is, we had quite a psychic link when we were working together. I knew from a flicker of an eyelash what kind of performance I was going to get. I felt that link almost from day one of meeting him.”

Since the rumours of the 33-year-old becoming the next James Bond began to swirl, he has also hit back at the trolls who have judged their relationship.