Mariah Carey’s love life has made headlines for decades along with her music career, and now the “One Sweet Day” songstress is opening up about the reality of her relationships with younger men.
“I haven’t had that many, but there has been a variety pack,” Carey, 49, whose current boyfriend, dancer Bryan Tanaka, is 13 years her junior, told Cosmopolitan in her August 2019 cover story. “I’ve only been with five people in my life, so I’m kind of a prude, honestly, compared to most others in the field.”
The New York native also spoke candidly about her high-profile relationship with Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola, who was 20 years her senior. “You might want to picture a child bride,” Carey explained of their 1993 wedding. “There was a conscious effort to keep me as this all-American, whatever that means, girl. It was very controlled. There was no freedom for me as a human being. It was almost like being a prisoner.” Carey and Mottola split in 1997.
After her relationship with Mottola, Carey went on to date many other celebrities, including Derek Jeter and Luis Miguel, before finding love with ex-husband Nick Cannon, whom she wed in April 2008.
Cannon — who shares 8-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with Carey — filed for divorce from the pop star in December 2015. The two have worked to continue to remain on good terms as they coparent their son and daughter.
“We got our egos and this selfish behavior [but] when you put your children first, you understand that it’s all unconditional love. All that other stuff just falls apart,” the former America’s Got Talent host explained to Us Weekly in April. “I always want what’s best for my children.”
While separated from Cannon, Carey began to date Australian billionaire James Packer, to whom she became engaged in January 2016. The pair split in October of that year.
Shortly after their broken engagement, the Glitter star and Tanaka ignited a romance. The twosome briefly split in April 2017, but have since rekindled their relationship.
