Mariah Carey Stuns During Romantic Outing with New Man — Photos

The legendary pop icon turned heads on a Thursday night in Los Angeles, and it had nothing to do with her voice. It was all about the much younger man by her side.

Mariah Carey was photographed on May 7, 2026, arriving hand-in-hand with a familiar face at a movie screening in the city. Their coordinated looks and very public display of affection left people with many questions, and the photos say more than either of them has been willing to.

A Night Out in Matching Glam

The pair was spotted heading into Westfield Century City for a screening of "The Devil Wears Prada 2," with Carey alongside Grammy-winning musician Anderson .Paak, holding hands as they arrived. Given their history of playing coy about their relationship, the gesture felt like more than a casual plus-one situation.

Both dressed in black, but neither went understated. .Paak wore tailored trousers, a suit jacket with shiny vertical stripes, and a white button-down left open at the collar. Carey matched his energy in a black dress layered under a jacket with crisscrossing sparkling stripes, paired with pantyhose, black heels, and a gleaming belt.

The two looked coordinated without appearing planned, which is arguably harder to pull off. And given what the cameras caught, it's safe to say the movie wasn't the only thing drawing attention that night.

They Have Been Here Before

This wasn't their first time stepping out together and letting the photos do the talking. Carey and .Paak's connection began as a professional one, as she was the first to contact him to collaborate for her upcoming music, and things grew from there.

"I reached out to him. He's brilliant," Carey told CBS News in 2025. "He's really a great artist." .Paak appears on several tracks from her "Here for It All" album, including her next single, "Play This Song."

As their music partnership developed, so did the speculation. Rather than address it directly, Carey made a joke of it.

"He just likes to hold my hand," she said. "He just grabs my hand. I don't know what he's doing." She called whatever they have "the handholding club," which, after the May 7 photos, is getting harder to laugh off.

Christmas, Hot Tubs, and No Straight Answers

When asked about .Paak joining her during her famously elaborate Christmas season last year, Carey kept things deliberately vague but warm. "Well, they better know that it's something special," she said. "It's Christmas. He enjoyed it. I did. There's a hot tub there. It was nice."

That's about as much of a confirmation as anyone is getting from her. Still, between the holiday visits and the hand-holding at movie premieres, the pattern is clear enough for fans to draw their own conclusions, and they have.

What Fans Are Saying

The Instagram post capturing their arrival brought a flood of reactions, ranging from swooning to skeptical. One commenter declared, "The legend is in love again. ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Another focused elsewhere entirely, "Why is she walking funny? Shoes too tall?" And one person wasn't quite sold on the optics, writing, "She looks so uncomfortable." Someone else made a comparison that caught attention: "The pictures aren't great, but he looks like her ex, Nick Cannon."

Over on Facebook, the conversation kept going. "They walk very uncomfortable.. weird [sic]," wrote one person, while another was more decisive, "She definitely got a Type." And at least one fan was firmly in favor of the new pairing, deciding, "She looks better with him than with Nick Canon [sic]!!"

The age gap also caught people's curiosity on a separate reel, where one commenter asked, "How much younger is he??" For reference, Carey is 57 and .Paak is 40. Is that too much?

Regardless, the couple was spotted back in March 2025, and netizens were just as stunned. As previously reported, the music icon and the Grammy-winning artist appeared to be in high spirits as they exchanged smiles near a light blue car at last year's iHeartRadio Music Awards.

This sighting only intensified speculation about their relationship. In an online image of the duo, the pair appeared comfortable in each other's company, sharing smiles and an unmistakable sense of ease.

The ever glamorous diva donned a shimmering black ensemble that caught the light. Her voluminous curls framed her face as she exchanged a warm, engaged moment with .Paak. Meanwhile, the Silk Sonic musician exuded his signature laid-back style. He rocked a flannel jacket over a yellow graphic t-shirt and accessorized with a stylish backward cap.

Adding to the intrigue, People magazine reported that Carey and the 40-year-old were spotted holding hands during their outing, fueling speculation that their connection may be more than just a friendship.

Upon learning about the duo's latest outing, netizens were quick to flood social media with reactions, many of which centered on their noticeable age difference. While some people supported the pair, others were more critical, offering mixed opinions on their rumored romance.

"She likes them young lol," one person noted, while another quipped about Carey being a "sugar mama," as the spectator referenced the singer's former relationship with fellow A-lister Nick Cannon.

Others took the humor a step further, comparing their dynamic to a familial relationship. "Aww mother & son," wrote an Instagrammer. One particularly blunt commenter simply stated, "She's 16 years older than him."

On the other hand, there were plenty of supporters who viewed the pair's rumored romance in a positive light. "Cute couple," a supporter praised, keeping their response short and sweet. "That man is smitten! Yeah they dating 😂 [sic]," one netizen remarked, pointing to .Paak's visible excitement in the widely circulated image.

Others expressed happiness for Carey, with one fan sharing, "I hope he don't hurt her my queen deserves to be happy and treated right just saying [sic]!!" "I like them together," penned a fellow admirer.

Some commenters also speculated that this alleged romance was hardly new, claiming that the two have been an item for a while now. "They've been together for months. And good for them. I think they make a great couple. Looking forward to the new music. I know it's going to be 🔥," opined a supporter.

Though opinions varied, one thing was clear: Mariah Carey and .Paak's public outings have certainly captured the internet's attention.

The rumored couple continued to fuel speculation about their relationship with their appearances at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The two attended the event together, accompanied by Carey's twins, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon.

An Instagram post shared by Hollywood Unlocked captured various moments of the duo throughout the night, further amplifying the conversation surrounding their dynamic.

One particularly telling moment came when Carey took the stage to accept the Icon Award. .Paak was seen holding her hand as he assisted her up the stairs, a gentlemanly gesture that did not go unnoticed. Another man, walking beside them, also provided support by gently holding Carey's arm.

In another moment, during which they were seated and watching a video tribute honoring the legendary songstress, Carey and .Paak shared sweet interactions. They were seen exchanging words and occasionally leaning toward one another.

As expected, the internet had a lot to say about Carey and .Paak's public display of camaraderie at the awards show, which Hollywood Unlocked's post highlighted via screenshots of comments.

Many were stunned by their presence together, with one netizen pondering, "Wait… so Anderson Paak and Mariah are really a thing?” Another person echoed the same surprised reaction, "Anderson Paak and Mariah Carey are dating???"

Others focused on .Paak's demeanor throughout the evening, pointing out how thrilled he appeared to be sitting beside the music icon. "Mariah really has Anderson Pakk [sic] showing every tooth in his mouth," one person observed, referencing his wide, beaming smile throughout the event.

Another spectator highlighted, "Anywhere Mariah is there Anderson is." Included at the end of Hollywood Unlocked's post was a screenshot from a People magazine article about how Carey and .Paak were spotted holding hands while leaving a dinner date in Aspen in 2024.

That occasion marked the second time the duo was spotted in Aspen together last year, as cameras first captured Carey and .Paak hand-in-hand at Catch Steak restaurant for dinner on December 22, 2024.

Eyewitnesses at the time noted that the duo appeared to be in high spirits as they walked into the venue. Adding to the intrigue, .Paak was seen keeping Carey close, placing a supportive arm around her waist as he held the door open for her.

However, despite the seemingly intimate moment, sources at the time quickly shut down dating rumors, clarifying that their relationship was strictly professional.

According to reports, Carey and .Paak were spending time together in Aspen for work, having been in the studio collaborating on new music. While they enjoyed dinner together that evening, they ultimately left the restaurant separately.

While it remains unclear what exactly they are working on musically, .Paak previously teased their creative partnership by sharing footage of the two at New York City's famed Electric Lady Studios that summer.

With their recent outings and undeniable chemistry, all eyes remain on the duo as the public eagerly awaits what's next.