Did she lose her “Santa Baby”? Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka sparked split rumors after the backup dancer was noticeably absent from her Christmas tour kickoff show at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland, California.
While Bryan, 40, has been a longtime dancer on Mariah’s stage for over a decade, fans noticed he was nowhere to be found during the 54-year-old icon’s most recent set of shows starting on Wednesday, November 15. In addition to being one of the “We Belong Together” singer’s dedicated dancers, he also serves as her creative director.
“We need Bryan Tanaka back!!!” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. “I don’t see Bryan Tanaka. Where is he?” a separate person asked in the comment section of a video of the concert.
Another red flag is that the couple has been radio silent about each other on social media in recent months. Bryan has not shared anything on his feed since wishing his dad a happy Father’s Day in May, and prior to that, he celebrated his seven-year anniversary with the “Fantasy” singer on March 27. As for Mariah, her beau hasn’t appeared on her Instagram grid since December 2022.
Mariah and Bryan began dating in 2016 on the heels of her split from billionaire fiancé James Packer. The dancer recalled that they clicked right away and knew they would always be “connected.”
“Something connected with us back in the day and there was just a mutual admiration,” Bryan previously told E! News about his early work with the songstress. “She saw something in me that I actually didn’t recognize at first, from that it was over. It was set in history that we were gonna be connected some way, somehow.”
The pair have experienced many ups and downs over the years, including a reported split in 2017. However, they were spotted kissing shortly after, solidifying their relationship.
In addition to Bryan’s support of the “Always Be My Baby” singer, a source previously told HollywoodLife that he has a close bond with her children, twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon.
“Bryan is a great role model to her kids and is so close to them,” the source exclusively told HL in December 2022. “They look at him like a second father, but they do not call him dad. That word is reserved for Nick who is very active in his children’s lives.