‘Tis the season of love and festive joy, but alas, the Queen of Christmas carols, Mariah Carey, won’t be serenading her beau of seven years, Bryan Tanaka, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.“
Reports suggest the couple has parted ways, driven by differing desires for the future.
While Tanaka, at 40, yearns to start a family, Carey, at 54 and already a mother of two from her previous relationship with Nick Cannon, isn’t looking to expand her parental duties.
The buzz around their breakup intensified when Tanaka, a regular fixture in Carey’s performances, was notably absent from her recent show at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in California.
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Observant fans noted Carey’s demeanor was “downbeat” and of “low energy” during the performance, igniting speculations about a recent split.
Their connection traces back nearly two decades, initially sparked by collaborations before their romantic involvement began post-Carey’s split from Australian billionaire James Packer in 2016.
Apparently, Packer felt a pang of jealousy towards Tanaka due to the dancer’s closeness with Carey.
Tanaka had spoken about their bond, acknowledging Carey’s perception of something in him he hadn’t seen himself.
“She saw something in me that I actually didn’t recognise at first, from that it was over. It was set in history that we were gonna be connected some way, somehow,” he reflected on E!News in 2016.
Their relationship seemed intertwined not just romantically but also with Carey’s 12-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, whom Tanaka reportedly shared a close bond with.
The dancer was frequently seen joining the family for holidays and gatherings, including Christmas in Aspen and Thanksgiving celebrations with Cannon, the father of Carey’s twins.
This isn’t their first rough patch; back in April 2017, issues around jealousy and finances led to a brief split, quickly followed by a reunion a month later, as per People Magazine.
Who is Bryan Tanaka?
Bryan Tanaka was born in Washington in April 1983 to an American mother and a Japanese father.
Tanaka describes himself as a “half-Asian, half-Hawaiian white boy” in an introduction video on his YouTube channel.
He is a master choreographer, dancer and has been working with Mariah Carey as her backup dancer since 2016.
He has embarked on over eight world tours, and his work has included choreography for Beyoncé.
He has also worked with Madonna, Rihanna, Usher, Lady Gaga and many more renowned artists.
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Mariah Carey’s Dating Timeline
Tommy Mottola
Mariah tied the knot with Tommy Mottola, Sony Music Executive in 1993 when he was 43years and Carey 23 years whom she met at a party.
They parted ways in 1998 and the breakup was revealed by Carey in her memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” released in 2020.
Nick Cannon
Mariah met with Nick at the Teen Choice Awards in 2005, started dating three years later.
She tied the knot with Cannon in April 2008 and the couple welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe.
James Packer
One year after their introduction at the 2015 “Hercules” movie premier, Carey and Billionaire James Packer made their romance public.
They were engaged from January to October 2016, until they broke off their engagement because he was toxic according to his biography “The Price of Fortune: The Untold Story Of Being James Packer.“
Bryan Tanaka
Mariah and Tanaka became romantically involved in December 2016, a decade after he served as her backup dancer on tour.
Their relationship was publicly acknowledged in February 2017 when Carey referred to him as her “boyfriend.”
They have dated for seven years and Mimi has called it quits after breaking up with Tanaka because he wants kids and she doesn’t.
Now, you can’t deny the fact that Mariah Carey is the Queen of Christmas carols and this remains the favorite Christmas song year in, year out!
