Mariah Carey, 55, sparks dating rumours after holding hands with Grammy-winning rapper, 38-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

Is romance on the cards for Mariah Carey as she heads into the new year? (Picture: Backgrid)

The Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, has fuelled dating speculation after she was spotted holding hands with rapper Anderson .Paak.

The All I Want for Christmas hitmaker, 55, has been single since ending her seven-year relationship with choreographer Bryan Tanaka in December 2023.

But almost one year later, could she be striking things up with a new flame?

The music artist was spotted heading into Catch Steak in Aspen, Colorado hand-in-hand with the 38-year-old – best known for songs like Come Down and Cheers – on what appeared to be a romantic dinner.

Mariah wore a stunning ankle-length, fur-lined tweed jacket with a matching skirt and knee-length brown boots and her rumoured beau accompanied her in a simple black jacket.

Later in the evening, the pair left the restaurant separately, further fuelling speculation over the nature of their connection.

The pop icon held hands with him as she entered a restaurant (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

Anderson .Paak has won multiple Grammy awards (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

Mariah entered the restaurant with him but they did not leave together (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

It’s unclear how the pair would have met, likely through the music industry. Anderson – real name Brandon Park Anderson – has won an impressive eight Grammys during his career including for best R&B performance for Leave the Door Open.

Meanwhile, the six-time Grammy award winner concluded her month-long Christmas tour last week in New York City.

Now she has plans to perform to open the NFL game between The Chiefs and the Steelers on Christmas day which will be livestreamed on Netflix.

If she is dating Anderson it would mark her first public romance since her relationship with Bryan came to an end.

Bryan confirmed the news in an Instagram post after he was noticeably missing from the entourage on Mariah’s 2023 Merry Christmas One And All! tour.

In the post, he wrote: ‘Our decision to embark on different paths is mutual, and as we navigate these separate journeys, we do so with profound respect and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the invaluable time we’ve shared.

‘The memories we’ve created and the artistic collaborations are etched in my heart forever.’

He also noted the mum-of-two’s ‘dedication to her family and commitment to her craft’.

The 38-year-old rapper has won eight Grammys (Picture: Olivia Wong/WireImage)

Mariah Carey was wearing a tweed, fur-lined jacket (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

Anderson is known for songs like Come Down (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

Mariah will perform for the Netflix live-streamed NFL game on Christmas (Picture: The Daily Stardust/ LA Gossip TV / BACKGRID)

Mariah parted ways with her partner of seven years, Bryan Tanaka, in 2023 (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NARAS)

Mariah’s first marriage was to music executive Tommy Mottola, 76, between 1993 and 1998. She later described her time in that marriage as akin to ‘being a prisoner’ and a ‘child bride’ in a 2019 interview with Cosmopolitan.

In 2008, she married TV host Nick Cannon, with whom she shares her 13-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe. At the time she called them ‘soulmates’ and said she ‘never felt a love like this was in the cards’ for her.

The couple parted ways in December 2014 and agreed on joint custody of the children.

This year has been tough for the Emotions singer who lost her mother, 87, and 63-year-old sister on the same day in August in a ‘tragic turn of events’.

She added in a statement: ‘I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.’

There are plans in the works to bring Mariah Carey’s bestselling 2020 memoir to life from director Lee Daniels.

Offering an update on the project, Mariah said in an LA Times interview: ‘The status of that is that I’m still waiting for him to send me the first script. Hopefully he can hurry up and get it done. He keeps telling me he’s going to.’

And when asked if she felt nervous about it, she added: ‘It’s based on my book, so I don’t feel nervous about it. And the amount of control that I have with it is strong.’

Metro has reached out to Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak’s representatives.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More