Mariah Carey has been doing what she does best at this time of year – spreading festive cheer and joy with her iconic Christmas songs and performances. However, the legendary songstress has been through tougher times recently as it's been reported that she and her partner of seven years, Bryan Tanaka, have parted ways.
Clues of a break-up began to circulate when Mariah and her family took their annual trip to Aspen, with Bryan being noticeably absent. The rumors were then confirmed when the 40-year-old took to Instagram to confirm that he and the 'Honey' hitmaker had split up.
Although it's not yet clear why they broke up, Bryan's statement confirmed it was amicable and a mutual decision. Like so many, Mariah isn't a stranger to heartbreak and she has had several high-profile relationships and marriages in the past…
Not long after Mariah catapulted to fame with her self-titled debut album, released in 1990, the 'Vision of Love' singer married the successful Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola in 1993 after five years of dating. Mariah was 23 years old at the time and Tommy was 43 when they exchanged vows at a lavish ceremony in Manhattan. But the romance wasn't to last as they were officially divorced by 1998.
Mariah is known for keeping the finer details of her personal life quite private, but when she released her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, in 2020, she revealed that during her marriage to Tommy, she felt he had an "oppressive" presence. "I couldn't talk to anyone that wasn't under Tommy's control. I couldn't go out or do anything with anybody. I couldn't move freely in my own house," she wrote.
In an interview with Vulture in 2020, Mariah said that a blossoming romance with New York Yankees player Derek Jeter was another reason which sparked the divorce from Tommy.
Mariah and Derek only dated for a year, but the singer even admitted that she wrote the songs 'My All' and 'The Roof' about the baseball player.
They met at a dinner party and Mariah described the relationship as "sensual" and a "short and sweet dream."
By 1998, Mariah's divorce from Tommy was finalized and she had moved on from Derek Jeter with the singer Luis Miguel. The pair dated for three years and in her book, the star described him as "over the top" and "authentic". However, they ultimately split due to the "dark cloud" which hung over the Mexican singer.
In the early 2000s, Mariah made her feature film debut in Glitter which also starred the actor Eric Benet. Not much was said about the couple's romance and both parties kept very coy about their time together, but they were rumored to have dated between 2000 and 2001. Soon after, Eric married actress Halle Berry.
If Christian Monzon looks familiar, that's likely because the Dolce & Gabbana model had a starring role in her music video for the 2005 track, 'Don't Forget About Us'.
They dated for a year but, again, not much is known about their time together because Mariah liked to keep things on the down low.
Perhaps Mariah's most high-profile relationship was with rapper and TV presenter, Nick Cannon. The couple fell head over heels in love and wed in 2008. Three years later, they welcomed their twins, Moroccan and Monroe. However, by 2014, the pair had split and they finalized their divorce in 2016.
Despite not making their marriage last, Nick and Mariah continue to co-parent their son and daughter successfully, with Nick admitting in an interview that they have a strong friendship and that he'd even marry his ex-wife again.
A year after she split from her second husband, Mariah had embarked on a new relationship with Australian businessman and billionaire, James Packer. By January 2016, James had popped the question with a huge 35-carat diamond ring and was set to get hitched.
However, they never made it down the aisle and by October 2016, they had called off their engagement after their relationship turned "unhappy."
Bryan Tanaka
By December 2016, Mariah had moved on from James and found love again with her backing dancer, Bryan Tanaka. Although the pair had an on-off relationship, Mariah and Bryan were clearly very happy up until their split this year.
Bryan explained in a statement: "The memories we've created and the artistic collaborations are etched in my heart forever."
He also shared his affection and appreciation for Mariah and her children and underscored the profound respect and gratitude they hold for the time they shared.
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