She sued an ex for $50M and sold his ring for $2M — Mariah Carey's husbands and boyfriends' history
Mariah Carey’s husbands and high-profile romances have remained a constant topic in entertainment news for decades. Over the years, she has been linked with famous figures such as Tommy Mottola, Nick Cannon, Derek Jeter, and Eminem. The award-winning singer is not currently married, but she is reportedly dating American rapper and songwriter Anderson .Paak.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Mariah Carey has been married twice, first to Tommy Mottola and later to Nick Cannon.
- Her love life includes relationships with high-profile personalities in sports and music, including Derek Jeter, Marcus Schenkenberg, Luis Miguel, and Eric Benet.
- The singer is the mother of twins, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Nick Cannon.
- She is reportedly dating Anderson .Paak. Rumours of their relationship began in December 2024 after they were spotted on a dinner date, but they have never commented on the nature of their relationship.
Profile summary
Full name | Mariah Angela Carey |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 27 March 1969 |
Age | 57 years old (as of 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Aries |
Place of birth | Huntington Beach, California, United States |
Current residence | New York City, New York, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in feet | 5'9" |
Height in centimetres | 175 |
Weight in pounds | 145 |
Weight in kilograms | 66 |
Body measurements in inches | 38-26-35 |
Body measurements in centimetres | 96-66-89 |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Mother | Patricia Hickey Carey |
Father | Alfred Roy Carey |
Siblings | 2 |
Relationship status | Dating |
Partner | Anderson .Paak |
Children | 2 |
School | Harborfields High School |
Profession | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, entrepreneur |
X (Twitter) |
Mariah Carey's husbands: meet all her former spouses
Mariah Carey’s marriages attracted massive media attention and shaped different stages of her career. Although they all ended in divorce, they remain among the most-discussed chapters of her personal life.
Tommy Mottola (1993–1998)
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Mariah Carey married music executive Tommy Mottola in June 1993. At the time, Tommy was the head of Sony Music Entertainment and played a major role in launching her music career. Their lavish wedding at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Manhattan, New York, became one of the most-publicised celebrity weddings of the 1990s.
The relationship, however, later became controversial. Mariah has spoken publicly about feeling controlled during the marriage, claiming she experienced isolation and strict monitoring inside their home. Their 20-year age gap also attracted public scrutiny.
The pair separated in 1997 before officially divorcing in 1998. After the split, Mariah reinvented her image and music style, embracing a more independent and modern sound that helped redefine her career in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mottola spoke about his marriage to Mariah Carey, saying:
I came to the conclusion long ago that I gave the marriage the best that I could, as did she. The good news is that she went on to have a huge career, and so did I. Our personal life didn’t work out, but I continue to be her biggest fan and support her.
Nick Cannon (2008–2016)
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Mariah Carey married Nick Cannon in April 2008 after only a few weeks of dating. Their wedding took place in the Bahamas.
During the marriage, they became one of Hollywood’s most-followed celebrity pairs. In 2011, they welcomed twins, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, often referred to as “Dem Babies".
Rumours of marital problems surfaced in 2014, and Nick later confirmed they were living separately. Their divorce was finalised in 2016, though the two maintained a friendly co-parenting relationship. Nick has continued to speak positively about Mariah, and during an interview with VLADTV, he spoke about their reason for divorce, saying:
I always feel like when one person turns their on, the other has to turn theirs off. It got to a place where I was not able to step into the next realm of my existence by trying to work within her existence and it wasn't no beef or none of that type of stuff.
He added:
As I begin to figure out some more things as a man, she was doing her thing but what I never wanted was there to be any competition because we are two beautiful children. So that idea was like, if I could be a better father outside your bubble then that's what I want to do because I'm here for my children.
Who are Mariah Carey's ex-boyfriends?
Mariah Carey’s dating history includes athletes, billionaires, singers, actors, and dancers. Some of the relationships were short-lived, while others lasted several years. Several of her romances also inspired headlines, public feuds, and chart-topping songs.
Derek Jeter (1997–1998)
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Mariah Carey dated former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter in the late 1990s shortly after separating from Tommy Mottola. Their relationship reportedly began while she was still legally married to Mottola but they were in the divorce process.
Mariah later revealed that Derek played an important role in helping her regain confidence and independence. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she also revealed that the songs My All and The Roof were inspired by her relationship with the former baseball player.
Although the relationship eventually ended, Mariah described it as meaningful and transformative. While speaking with Andy Cohen, she said:
It was really the main thing about that moment for me. I talk about it in the book because what it is is that just knowing there was somebody else out there that was like me because I did feel so ambiguous and like such an outsider and yet I was living my dream but didn't really feel connected to anybody and I was in an abusive relationship and I knew that that was over and it was only a mater of time.
The singer continued:
He became a catalyst for me because all my life when I was a little girl I was like one day maybe I'll meet somebody that's similar to me that won't necessarily judge me but won't look down upon me because they feel superior to me.
Marcus Schenkenberg (1998)
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Mariah Carey briefly dated Swedish supermodel Marcus Schenkenberg in 1998. Their romance came during a period when Mariah was embracing a more liberated public image after her divorce from Tommy Mottola.
The pair's relationship was short-lived lasting approximately four months, during which they attended multiple high-profile events together. In 2017, the model shared a throwback photo of them attending P Diddy's birthday party.
Luis Miguel (1998–2001)
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Mariah Carey began dating Latin music superstar Luis Miguel in 1998 after they met on a blind date. At the time, both artists were among the biggest international music stars, making their romance a major entertainment story. For approximately three years, their relationship seemed to flourish until they decided to end things amicably in 2001.
In her memoir, Mariah Carey described Luis Miguel as an authentic, over-the-top Latin lover. She also revealed that cultural gaps about race complicated the relationship. Furthermore, personal struggles by both singers made the relationship impossible.
Eric Benet (early 2000s)
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Mariah Carey and R&B singer Eric Benét were briefly linked in the early 2000s. Their rumoured relationship started when they met on the set of Glitters and it attracted attention because Eric was already a recognised star in the music industry.
Eminem (2000s)
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Mariah Carey’s alleged relationship with rapper Eminem became one of the most famous celebrity feuds in music history. Eminem claimed the two had dated, while Mariah repeatedly denied that they had a serious romantic relationship.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Eminem claimed he dated Mariah Carey for approximately seven months in 2001. However, the We Belong Together singer refuted the claims saying that she only hunged out with the rapper a handful of times and spoke on phone but there was not romance between.
Their disagreement led to a public feud resulting in the release of several diss tracks against each other. Some of Mariah's songs believed to be about Eminem are Clown and Obsessed. Eminem is also believed to have responded to her with his song The Warning.
Although the exact nature of their relationship remains disputed, the controversy became a defining pop culture moment of the 2000s.
Christian Monzon (2005)
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Mariah Carey reportedly dated model Christian Monzon around 2005 after he appeared in her music video for Don’t Forget About Us, on which he played her love interest. What started as a professional collaboration, seemingly turned romantic after their on-screen chemistry sparked dating rumours.
The two kept silent about the nature of their relationship unlike some of Mariah’s other romances. Their relationship allegedly lasted less than a year.
James Packer (2015–2016)
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Mariah Carey’s relationship with billionaire businessman James Packer became one of the most dramatic chapters in her dating history. They started dating in 2015 and became engaged in January 2016 after James proposed with a massive diamond ring reportedly worth millions of dollars.
The relationship ended later that same year amid intense media speculation. Mariah sought a settlement reportedly worth $50 million, arguing that the breakup caused emotional and financial disruption. Although the exact settlement details were never publicly confirmed, the story dominated entertainment headlines worldwide.
One of the most talked-about moments came when Mariah reportedly sold her engagement ring from James Packer for around $2 million. The sale attracted widespread media attention and reinforced the public fascination surrounding their split.
In her memoir, while Mariah Carey mentioned the names of some of her lovers, James Packer's name was conspicuously missing. In an interview with The Guardian, the singer said:
If it was a relationship that mattered, it’s in the book. If not, it didn’t occur. We didn’t have a physical relationship, to be honest with you.
Bryan Tanaka (2017– 2023)
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Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka had an on-and-off relationship for several years. Bryan first worked with Mariah professionally as a backup dancer before their friendship evolved into romance. Her closeness to Bryan Tanaka reportedly made her then fiancé James Packer jealous and suspicious about the nature of their relationship.
After Mariah parted ways with James Packer, she started spending more time with Bryan Tanaka, with the two frequently attending public events and going on holidays together. Bryan also appeared on Mariah’s reality television series Mariah’s World, where viewers saw glimpses of their relationship.
For a long time, the two did not confirm a romance between them, but in a February 2017 interview, she seemingly confirmed their relationship by referring to Bryan Tanaka as his boyfriend. Later during that month, they went Instagram official when they shared a picture of them kissing.
Their relationship ended in December 2023 after approximately seven years together. Bryan Tanaka announced their breakup with a statement on Instagram, saying that the separation was amicable.
Anderson .Paak (2024 – present)
Source: Getty Images
Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak sparked dating rumours in December 2024 after they were seen together at multiple public events and recording sessions. The pair reportedly connected through music collaborations before developing a closer personal relationship.
The relationship has attracted significant attention not only because of their celebrity statuses but also because of their age difference. Anderson .Paak is 17 years younger than Mariah Carey. Despite the speculation, neither star has publicly confirmed extensive details about the relationship.
FAQs
- Is Mariah Carey still married? She is not currently married but is reportedly in a relationship that remains unconfirmed.
- Are Mariah and Nick still married? They are no longer married. The couple separated in 2014, and their divorce was finalised in 2016.
- How many times has Mariah Carey been married? The singer has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Tommy Mottola, and her second marriage was to Nick Cannon.
- Who is Mariah Carey’s partner? The singer is reportedly dating Anderson .Paak. Dating rumours began after the two were spotted together at public events and music-related outings.
- How old was Nick Cannon when he married Mariah Carey? He was 27 years old when he married Mariah Carey in April 2008. Mariah Carey was 39 at the time.
- Are Mariah and Anderson still together? As of 2026, the duo is reportedly still together, although neither has publicly shared many details about their relationship.
- Why did Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka split? They reportedly parted ways because of personal differences and lifestyle priorities.
- Does Mariah Carey have children? She shares two children, twins Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, with Nick Cannon.
Mariah Carey’s husbands and former boyfriends have remained a major topic in entertainment for decades. From high-profile marriages to headline-making breakups, her relationships have often attracted global attention. The singer’s relationship with Anderson .Paak remains a speculation, as neither has confirmed it.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
