15 Black Celebrities You Never Knew Dated

Some celebrity couples were together for so long or were so public with their romance that everyone knew they were an item. However, others might have only dated briefly or in private, making it difficult to know they were ever together.

In the ’90s, Tyra Banks dated director John Singleton. His credits include the critically acclaimed movie Boyz n the Hood, the cult classic Baby Boy, and the TV show Snowfall. The pair met in 1993 when John approached her to appear in his 1995 movie Higher Learning and soon began dating. “When I read for the part, I had been dating John for four months,” Tyra confessed to WWD, denying speculation that she got the part because they were in a relationship. Their romance is said to have ended in 1996, but Tyra seemed to still hold John in high regard, even paying tribute to him after he died in 2019.

The same year of their reported breakup, Tyra had a brief romance with singer Seal. While little is known about their relationship, Seal says they’ve remained friendly since the split. “We bump into each other every now and then,” he told Andy Cohen in 2016, adding he and Tyra have “no” drama.

In 2023, Victoria Monét confirmed longstanding rumors that she’d dated Kehlani — and that her 2020 song “Touch Me (Remix)” was inspired by their relationship. Although she didn’t go into great detail about the romance, she did say she and the “After Hours” singer remain on good terms. “[We’re] friends,” she said on the High Low podcast with Emily Ratajkowski. “I kind of am like that with all of my past relationships.” According to Victoria, she tries to stay on cordial terms with all of her exes because it takes too much “energy to try to avoid people” and “hate them.”

Nia Long and Chris Rock were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. “He was on Saturday Night Live,” Nia recalled to Uncensored, placing the time between 1990 and 1993. “We went out. We hated each other. I was like, ‘This dude is not even that fucking funny.'” On top of that, Chris gave her a fake number. Chris said he did so “purposely” because Nia was kind of “obnoxious.” As an example, he pointed to one part of their conversation when he asked whether Nia was dating anyone, recalling that she replied, “No, but I know where to get some dick if I need it.” Although it made Chris not want to go out with her again, they still managed to form a friendship, even laughing at the ordeal during a 2009 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show.

Taraji P. Henson and Hill Harper dated for two years. According to Hill, it was a “wonderful relationship” — it just didn’t work out. “Just because you’re in a healthy, great relationship that ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t successful or it was a failure,” he told Unsung Hollywood. “Not all relationships are meant to end in marriage.” However, Hill admitted that some of his relationships had also been impacted by his “fear of commitment,” which he said “probably” stemmed from his parents’ divorce.

In 2020, Bow Wow reportedly revealed that Lil Wayne and Solange had allegedly secretly dated. According to Uproxx, he was on Clubhouse when he “let [it] slip,” apparently, thinking it was already public knowledge. While Bow Wow didn’t say when the romance occurred, Lil Wayne has been a close collaborator of the Knowles family in the past. He notably featured on and appeared in the video for Destiny’s Child’s 2004 single “Soldier” alongside Solange. He and Solange also collaborated on her 2016 single “Mad” from her magnum opus, A Seat at the Table.

Before his marriages to Sheree Zampino and Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith dated Pepa from the iconic ’80s rap group Salt-N-Pepa. According to Will, it happened “sometime in early ’88” and came after Will had been crushing on her for some time. They went on one date, and from there, things just kind of fizzled. “I really wasn’t feeling him,” Pepa reportedly told Global Grind. “I guess I couldn’t appreciate a nice guy like Will Smith. He wasn’t thug enough. I was attracted to thugs and hoodlums. Will was too nice to me.”

Garcelle Beauvais started dating Will after meeting him on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She said it wasn’t a “long-lasting” relationship — and that she ended it after learning Will was getting serious with his now-wife Jada Pinkett Smith. “I remember one day calling him, and he was in the car. And his son, with Sheree, [they] were in the back,” she recalled, referencing Will’s first son, Trey. “So you know, he picked up on the car or Bluetooth or whatever it was back in the day, or speakerphone — whatever it was — and he said, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And I said, ‘I’m great.” That’s when she heard Trey ask Will if he was talking to Jada. “That’s when I was like, okay — I’m not the only one. Exit stage left,” she laughed.

Janet Jackson and Q-Tip first collaborated on 1993’s Poetic Justice and again on Janet’s 1997 song “Got ‘Til It’s Gone.” “We started dating after that,” Q-Tip said in an interview with rapper Math Hoffa. “It’d be cool and shit. She be making eggs and shit, and I’ll be chilling like, ‘Yo, that’s Penny!’ to myself,” he said, referring to Janet’s iconic Good Times character. “We’re still friends. I love her to death.”

10.

In 2024, Joyner Lucas revealed that he had privately dated Ashanti for two years. While he wouldn’t say when the romance occurred, he did say, “She’s an amazing person.” He described their relationship as “dope” and said the breakup resulted from them being in two different places. “I don’t feel like I could’ve fulfilled [her needs] at that time,” he told Jason Lee. “[She’s] been in the game for 25 years; I just got in the game. I know what she wanted and what she needed. I don’t feel like I was in a place in my life where I could commit to that. … But, you know, I’m happy she got [her] way. I’m happy she spun the block with Nelly, and now she’s having a baby. I’m super proud of her … She’s gonna be an amazing mom. I would tell her that all the time.”

11.

Bad Boy rapper Shyne dated Brandy in the late 1990s. He said the relationship caused friction with Diddy because Brandy had also been dating fellow Bad Boy rapper Ma$e — and blew up after one particularly heated disagreement. He told The Breakfast Club, “We had an argument and she said, ‘Yo, you’re nobody. You ain’t sell one record. You think you stylin’, you think you’re that, you’re nothing. You haven’t sold a record,’ and that hit me like the hand of God, because she was right.'” He’d later have a hit with his 2000 song, “Bad Boyz.”

12.

In 2022, The Game reportedly revealed that he’d dated Mýa, claiming he “manifested” the romance after shouting her out in his 2005 song, “Dreams.” Apparently, it ended when he stood her up on a date for another woman. “We were supposed to spend Valentine’s Day together in Miami,” he said. “On that day, I pulled up on my [now] baby mama … I’m in my Bentley, and she was in a Benz, and she looked good,” so, “we kicked it with each other.” According to him, Mya rightfully “dumped the fuck” out of him when she found out.

13.

In 2012, while addressing speculation about his relationship with Lauren London, Trey Songz confirmed they had been “lovers” before. “I’m gonna say this right now, Lauren London is a very important person to me. I love her to death,” he said on radio station 106KMEL. “Is she my woman? No. We are great friends and, yes, we have been lovers before. And I’m saying this right now ’cause I’m tired of people asking me about that shit.”

14.

In 2013, Drake told Ellen he once went out with Tyra Banks. “We went to Disneyland in disguise actually,” he shared, “which was fun.” Drake said they remained “close,” and in 2016, Tyra even appeared in his “Childs Play” music video.

15.

Finally, in 2001, Kamala Harris dated TV host Montel Williams. Neither of them has ever extensively talked about their romance, but here they are at a rare outing, attending a benefit together.

How many of these did you know? Do you have any other Black celebrities who surprisingly dated to share? Let us know in the comments.