Mariah Carey is reportedly spending the holidays without Bryan Tanaka this year, further fueling rumors that she and her longtime beau have called it quits.
An insider told People that Carey, 54, is taking her annual holiday trip to Aspen, Co., without the backup dancer this year.
Tanaka, 40, has joined Carey — who shared 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with Nick Cannon — on the festive getaway in previous years.
The rumors that their seven-year-long relationship might have ended began to swirl when Carey kicked off her “Merry Christmas One and All!” tour at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland, Calif., in November, and Tanaka was nowhere to be seen.
The Grammy winner and the dancer have a longstanding working relationship, with Tanaka being a staple on Carey’s tours since 2006.
Fans also noticed that the pop icon seemed solemn during her otherwise jolly holiday set.
“Every clip I’ve seen she looks like she doesn’t want to be there,” one fan tweeted, while another said that Carey “looks depressed” and that “something is going on behind the scenes.”
Carey further fueled speculation when she told People earlier this month that she had a tough year.
“I’ve been looking forward to this Christmas for, like, the whole year. Since last year — because last year wasn’t the greatest,” the “Obsessed” songstress said.
“I’m thankful for them all, but it wasn’t my most fun version of Christmas ever.”
Carey didn’t elaborate further on why her year was so unfortunate, but later in the interview she vowed to “have fun” during the 2023 holiday season “come hell or high water.”
Tanaka and Carey were last seen together on the “Without You” singer’s birthday vacation in March.
Despite a decade of working together, the two wouldn’t become a couple until 2016, following Carey’s split from her billionaire ex-fiancé James Packer.
While Carey broke up with Tanaka in 2017, the couple got back together shortly after.
