A ‘TIMES’ FOR LOVE
Molly and Beth Davis agree that mother knows best. That includes when it comes to finding a man — even if it means having a billboard put up in Times Square.
Beth did just that for her daughter Molly last week, when a 47-by-25foot ad went up on Seventh Avenue near West 48th Street.
“Date my daughter,” it reads, with a photo of Molly, 30, and a URL for her dating profile.
It’s part of Beth’s quest “to know I am leaving her in good hands.”
Beth, 61, of Boston, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and treated with chemotherapy. In June
2020, doctors told her that she had developed metastatic breast cancer, and that it had spread to her bones.
So time is of the essence if she and husband Rick, a 62-year-old medical writer, are going to walk Molly down the aisle together.
“I would like to see my daughter well-settled,” Beth, who previously worked in pharmaceutical sales, told The Post.
“Considering that I have serious health issues, there is urgency.”
She is taking Ibrance tablets, which she hopes will keep the cancer at bay for at least two years.
So Beth, who also has a “happily married” son, placed a profile for her daughter on Wingman, a dating app where friends and family provide testimony for users. In the profile, Beth says she wants “a good man for my daughter to love.”
Casting ‘a wider net’
The profile touched Wingman founder Tina Wilson, who arranged for the billboard. (Beth also appears on the ad in a small photo next to a quote: “I’m Molly’s wingman and her mom.”)
Molly approves of the effort.
“It casts a wider net,” Molly, a medical-device salesperson in Boston, told The Post. “I want someone who adores me and someone I adore, as well. I want someone who adds to my life. If this broadcasts that, it will all be worth it.”
Mom agreed: “It is only fair since Molly acted as my wingman, escorting me to various oncology appointments.”
Beth said friends have told her that “their daughters would kill them if they did what I did. They thought it was meddling.”
But Molly said she appreciates her mom’s judgment.
“I’m letting my mom have the fun of filtering through profiles and responses,” said Molly, who had yet to connect with someone. “I value a relationship like that of my parents, where they talk things over and reach for high degrees of kindness.”
Mother and daughter saw the billboard together in person this past weekend.
“We stepped out of an Uber, turned a corner and there Molly was,” Beth said. “I threw back my head, my glasses fell off and I giggled. We both jumped up and down with excitement. Most people get 15 minutes of fame. But we are getting a whole month.”
While they were gawking, an NYPD officer looked at the billboard, then at Molly, and said, “Hey, that’s you up there.” The cop “commented on how beautiful my daughter is,” Beth noted. (Unfortunately, they didn’t get his number.)
Take note, fellas!
Whoever gets a shot with Molly will do well to take things slow at the beginning.
“I think a great first date is a lowstakes activity,” Molly said. “Maybe we’ll get a drink and play pool. Smart, kind and humorous would be the trifecta. Someone with the essence of Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Reynolds.”
Molly’s billboard does face some competition. It hangs right next to an ad for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” album. But Beth isn’t worried.
“Poor Olivia,” the mom said. “My daughter outshines her.”