I know that it's a different culture, but in my country (South America one), people would not see that age difference with good eyes. I'm not sure about public shaming (assholes are not a new thing, though), but I guarantee you that people would be weirded out by a guy almost in his 40s approaching a woman with half his age, and I live in a mostly "open" country in that regard.

It's not necessarily about the age gap, but her being younger than 25, at least here where I live.