In addition to being a musical icon, Mariah Carey is often known as being quite the diva. The thing is, Mariah Carey doesn't seem to mind the label, and has even admitted to playing into the trope. Yet she hasn't always been a high-powered diva all on her own.
Her career started with the help of her ex, in fact, when she was only in her 20s. But over time, Mariah learned what she wanted out of her career and her relationships, and things shifted dramatically. After two marriages, one high-profile engagement, and welcoming her twins with Nick Cannon, Mariah seems happily settled with Bryan Tanaka.
Will Mariah Carey's relationship with Bryan Tanaka lead to walking down the aisles, though? Will she ever get married again?
Mariah Carey Has Been Married Twice
Over the years, Mariah Carey has had two high-profile marriages, plus a canceled engagement with billionaire James Packer, that also made headlines. Her first marriage to Tommy Mattola was arguably an excellent move for her career, as her then-husband helped Mariah break into the Christmas music sphere.
But things ended on a sour note after Mariah reportedly felt that Tommy was too controlling. Not to mention, her newfound fame resulted in far more attention than Carey anticipated. There was also the fact that he was more than 20 years older than Mariah...
In a podcast conversation with Meghan Markle in August, 2022, Mariah explained how she had felt "kind of locked away" in the marriage to Tommy. She elaborated, "I was sort of, you know, given the rules and had to stick with them."
By the time she met Nick Cannon (while working on a music video), Mariah was ready to settle down and have kids. After a miscarriage, the two eventually welcomed their twins Moroccan and Monroe.
While some fans judged Mariah for marrying Nick (things moved quickly, and Nick is about 12 years younger than Mariah), the two seemed so happy together that fans had no choice but to accept the unlikely union.
Their breakup wasn't as acrimonious as Mariah's first marriage, but it might have stung for Nick to see her engaged to James Packer afterward.
But after her split from Nick Cannon and her broken engagement, Mariah eventually met Bryan Tanaka, a younger guy who also happened to be a choreographer who works in the industry. With Mariah calling her own shots at that point, it seemed she was ready for a different kind of relationship.
Is Mariah Carey Still Dating Bryan Tanaka?
Mariah Carey is said to have officially begun dating Bryan Tanaka in October 2016, after breaking off her engagement in January of that year. Yet it took ages for Carey to admit she was dating Tanaka and go public with the relationship. Part of the reason may have been that Tanaka was one of her backup dancers—and reportedly part of the reason for her prior breakup.
It's said that James Packer was jealous of Mariah's close relationship with her then-pal Bryan. His instincts may have been correct after all.
By 2017, Mariah confirmed the relationship, though she noted that she didn't want to talk about it. The two have since been very public about their relationship. Initially, they were spotted and snapped by paparazzi going on beach dates and dining out. Later, Bryan and Mariah began posting one another on social media, from birthday shoutouts to loved-up posts during holidays and anniversaries.
As of 2023, Mariah Carey and Bryan Taneka still seem to be very happy together.
And although her seemingly ideal relationship didn't seem "real" to ex Nick, even Cannon is on board with Bryan Tanaka as he expressed he just wants Mariah to be happy.
Mariah Carey May Not Want To Get Married (Again)
Although Nick Cannon is clearly not interested in monogamy and has said he would only ever do marriage for Mariah, she doesn't seem to feel the same way. The singing sensation hasn't expressed an interest in getting married again, but she doesn't seem to necessarily want to pursue the same lifestyle as her ex, either.
Reflecting on her time with Tommy Mottola, Mariah elaborated that she wanted to own her own home so that she didn't have to experience the moving around her mom did due to changing boyfriends (and getting kicked out).
She elaborated, while speaking to Meghan Markle, that her experience with marriage wasn't necessarily a positive thing, especially because she was so young and her husband was also her manager.
Now, Mariah clearly has more power in her relationship, not only because she's about 14 years older than her man, but because she's clearly the major breadwinner. Tanaka doesn't seem to be milking his famous girlfriend for all she's worth, though. He often posts his work and projects on social media, and his life doesn't seem to revolve around Mariah, either (but in a good way). Ultimately, marriage may not be in the future for Mariah and Bryan, but that doesn't mean they don't have a loving and healthy relationship. At least, if Mariah sticking with her beau for so long means anything.
