MARIAH Carey and Anderson .Paak have a ‘flirty connection’ after spending months hanging out in the studio working on music together, but sources claim he’s become a ‘Hollywood ladies’ man.’
The pair sparked romance rumors after they were seen holding hands leaving a restaurant in Aspen over Christmas.
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Photographs show a beaming Mariah with Anderson, who put his arm around her waist and escorted her out.
Fans on X were quick to suggest they would be a hot new couple, but Mariah, 55, might need to tread carefully if they do end up getting together.
STILL MARRIED
The U.S. Sun can confirm Anderson is still legally married to his estranged wife, Korean musician Jae Lin, as he only filed for divorce in January after 12 years of marriage.
The former couple share two children; Soul, 13, and Shine, six, and court documents show Anderson has requested joint legal custody.
Days after announcing their split, Anderson, 38, was seen in Mexico cuddling up to Dutch singer, Sterre Marith Tapilatu, 25.
Anderson, who is one half of the musical duo Silk Sonic, has since been enjoying the single life, according to insiders.
“Mariah and Anderson have been hanging out for months, and have a flirty connection,” a source said.
“But he has a reputation as a ladies’ man in Hollywood and is still legally married to his wife.
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“Since filing for divorce in January he’s been pursuing several different women, including those 10 to 20 years his senior who are in the industry, so it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he got together with Mariah.
“He’s not just hanging out with younger women.
“Anderson is a very cool guy, fun and generous, but he might not be in the right place for a serious relationship at the moment.”
The U.S. Sun understands they first began working together around June – when Anderson posted a video of the pair at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
He admitted in the clip, which was shared to TikTok, that he was blown away by working with her.
Anderson said: “You ever been starstruck, like when a star strikes you, that what it was. [But] I couldn’t just like freeze up, we had to get in the studio and just make some [music].”
Mariah was then pictured celebrating Halloween at Anderson’s new West Hollywood bar, Andy’s, in an Instagram photo shared to the venue’s official account.
She went all out wearing a sexy rubber cat outfit and was seen playfully touching the face of a man believed to be Anderson dressed up as Daft Punk.
The stars were seen hand-in-hand at Catch Steak in Aspen before Christmas, with Mariah dressed to impress in a tweed skirt, knee-high boots, and a white shirt.
She covered up in the cold in a giant matching brown tweed coat with fur lining.
BREAKUP POST
Anderson also looked dapper in a black corduroy puffer jacket with matching pants and a pair of Timberlands.
After their cozy meet-up, sources told TMZ the pair are not dating but have been in the studio again in Aspen.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Mariah and Anderson’s reps for comment but did not hear back.
Mariah is currently believed to be single after splitting up with Bryan Tanaka after seven years together.
They were rumored to have parted ways after Tanaka was not present on Mariah’s Merry Christmas One and All! tour in November 2023 and skipped her annual Aspen trip.
He later announced their breakup on Instagram on December 26, writing, “With mixed emotions, I share this personal update regarding my amicable separation from Mariah Carey after seven extraordinary years together.
“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.“
Mariah was previously married to American businessman Tommy Mottola from 1993 to 1998.
She later wed Nick Cannon in 2008, and they welcomed twins Monroe and Moroccan in 2011, but they split up in 2014.
Mariah was also previously engaged to Australian billionaire James Packer.
HALFTIME SHOW
Anderson is also believed to be single after filing for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason.
Meanwhile, Mariah was slammed for not taking time out of her schedule to perform live for the NFL Halftime performance on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri.
She was scheduled to perform her hit All I Want For Christmas before Beyonce for the event, which was streamed on Netflix.
However, viewers were left disappointed when a pre-recorded video was played of her singing on a rooftop along with a montage of clips of football games.
The two-and-a-half-minute set also featured snippets of families wearing Santa hats, smiling, and singing along as they watched a TV screen with Mariah lip-syncing.
One viewer wrote on X, “We wanted it live” after watching the song.
Another slammed the singer’s energy and described the show as “a pretape where she can’t even keep her eyes open.”
“So embarrassing,” they added of Mariah’s performance.
Despite criticism, many commented on how good Mariah looked and said they were happy she was included in the event.
“Mariah’s voice, football, Christmas – perfect combo,” said an excited viewer.
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