Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak Spotted Holding Hands in Aspen – Romance Rumors Sparked

Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak has ignited rumors of a romantic relationship after they were spotted holding hands after a dinner in Aspen.

The musicians are not tied to any significant others presently, so their dinner date raised eyebrows unsurprisingly.

However, insiders insist Carey and Paak are not dating but only working on new music together.

According to TMZ, Carey and .Paak had dinner on Sunday night at Catch Steak, a popular celebrity hangout destination in Aspen.

Witnesses at the restaurant noticed Carey and Paak behaving in a way that suggested they were developing romantic feelings for each other. They were seen holding hands upon arriving at the upscale steakhouse and seemed genuinely content in each other’s presence.

It was also observed that Paak displayed acts of chivalry by graciously opening the door for Carey and placing his arm around her waist, indicating a sense of closeness between them.

Despite the romantic gestures displayed at the steakhouse, reports mention that Carey and Paak departed from the venue separately, leaving room for speculation about the nature of their relationship.

Additionally, sources revealed that the singers’ relationship is professional as they are working on new music together. Insiders further shared that the pair had been in the studio in Aspen and took a break from their busy schedule to grab dinner together.

The “Places to Be” crooner posted a video of him and the “All I Want For Christmas” singer at the Electric Lady recording studio. However, it is uncertain what project Carey and Paak are working on.

In January, Paak filed for divorce from his wife, Jae Lin Chang, with whom he had been married since 2010. In the divorce filing, Paak requested joint physical and legal custody of his and Chang’s sons, Soul Rasheed and Shine Tariq.

Paak also asked the court to terminate its ability to award Chang spousal support. However, he did not list the official date of their separation.

A few days after filing for divorce, Paak was spotted with Dutch singer Sterre Marith Tapilatu at a Mexican beach. The pair held hands as they walked on the beach sands at sunset.

Carey has been involved in several high-profile relationships and has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Sony Music executive Tommy Mottola, with whom she tied the knot in June 1993. However, they divorced in 1998.

The “We Belong Together” singer began an affair with MLB star Derek Jeter while she was still married to Mottola. They dated from 1997 to 1998, a short but sweet relationship that led Carey to writing the songs “The Roof,” and “My All.”

Carey dated singer Luis Miguel and model Christian Monzon before moving on to Nick Cannon, who she married in April 2008. Cannon and Carey welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe three years after getting married. However, they announced their separation in 2014 and finalized their divorce two years later.

After Cannon, Carey dated billionaire James Packer— they met in 2015 and made their relationship official in 2016. They were engaged from January to October 2016, but things never worked out between them.

The songstress was next linked to choreographer Bryan Tanaka in December 2016. The pair started dating 10 years after he first toured as her backup dancer. Tanaka and Carey broke up in 2017 but quickly reunited. However, rumors of their second breakup made headlines in November 2023 and were officially confirmed in December 2023.

Cannon and Carey have maintained a great relationship since their divorce. The comedian has said good things about his ex-wife in several interviews, often describing her glowingly. However, he has also been candid about his struggles in their marriage.

In October, Cannon appeared on the “Ray Daniels Presents” podcast and reflected on his split from the “Emotions” singer. During the interview, he shared that he lingered in self-doubt while married to Carey.

Cannon also said that he struggled with his identity and masculinity in their relationship as Carey was already one of the biggest stars in the world, forcing him to succumb to her taking the lead.

He recounted per People, “I would lay up at night thinking, like, ‘Is this who I am? Am I Mariah’s man? Is that what my life is supposed to be?'”

The “Wild ‘n Out” star agreed that Carey needed a man to let her lead their marriage, but concluded, “I’m just not that dude.”