Professional dancer Bryan Tanaka, who met Mariah Carey when he joined her 2006 tour, “The Adventures of Mimi,” announced his parting from the singer via Instagram.
Posted on December 26th, the statement read:
“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.
The memories we’ve created and the artistic collaborations are etched in my heart forever.”
Celebrating the pair’s time together, he continued,
“I want to express my love and appreciation for Mariah and her incredible children, whose warmth and kindness have enriched my life in ways words cannot capture.
During this sensitive time, I kindly ask for your understanding, privacy and respect. The outpouring of love and support from fans has been a beacon of strength, and I am extremely grateful for the encouragement that continues to uplift me. I eagerly anticipate continuing my journey, knowing my passion for inspiration, dance, and the creative arts will resonate in the unfolding chapters.”
Carey’s Response
The “All I Want For Christmas Is You” singer made her own Instagram post on December 26th, but it failed to provide comment on her recent separation. Rather, she celebrated the success of her hit Christmas single.
“Wow!! Woke up this morning to the incredible news of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” breaking the Spotify record and being #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 & the Global 200 charts!”
She expressed gratitude to her fanbase, adding, “I can’t thank you enough for making this Christmas (and honestly, this entire season!) so celebratory for me.”
“Even though it is December 26, Christmas never ends for me (ha ha!), and I will keep sharing some of our festive moments from the past week with you!”
The Couple’s History
Carey confirmed their relationship to the Associated Press in 2017 but emphasized the couple’s privacy. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking about my personal life. … Me and my boyfriend don’t want to do that.”
Her secrecy was likely because of her messy separation from James Packer only one year previously. The public breakup resulted in a lot of tabloid attention on the pair, exposing personal details.
Carey and Tanaka posted about each other on Instagram on occasion, sharing romantic pictures and captions. On their most recent anniversary, Tanaka celebrated “My Beautiful Queen” with a beaming picture of the pair.
However, despite the couple’s relative privacy, the news of the breakup did not come as a surprise to many eager-eyed fans, who noticed that Tanaka had not joined Carey on her most recent tour. The “Merry Christmas One and All!” US tour, which the singer had been promoting since October, was a tell-tale sign for many that the relationship had reached an end.
December 17th was the final date of the tour, and news of the couple’s separation came only nine days later.
