Dating is hard. And I'm not saying that as an admission. I'm saying it as an absolute. When it comes to you and I, there's horror stories for days. But for celebs? You know the story: a celebrity is asked if they are dating anyone, and they all sing the same song: "I am too busy to date, I date my [insert job description here]," when really, we all know it's real out here and that they're struggling just like we are.
You see, usually with us common dating folk, we're dealing with projected generational traumas, a normalized overworked millennial culture, and so much more that I need pages and pages of writing space to discuss. But throw in fame, paparazzi, and millions of devoted fans, and things can get even more complicated. This made me wonder: what is dating like for celebrities? What do they experience while out here in the Wild Wild West and they're looking for a boo?
Well, Ari Lennox says online dating has caused men to no longer want to talk on the phone.
One of our faves, Ari Lennox recently, and candidly, opened up on the topic on her Instagram Live, by saying she prefers men over the age of 33 for a very common reason: she doesn't want to text all day.
"I want to talk on the phone, I want to get to know people. I was talking to this guy and I asked him, 'hey, why don't you call me?' And he was like, 'oh, it's not really my thing.' In my head I was thinking, 'oh, you're really not my thing.' Blocked."
She continued:
"How are you getting to know me if we're not talking on the phone? It's just something about meeting people online, it's like you're desensitized to real life. When a guy is calling, that's so attractive. I love personality, good energy, consistency. We're getting to know each other. Like, dating is exhausting."
Jamie Foxx is over the scene that comes with dating in Hollywood.
He may look like a young whippersnapper, but Jamie Foxx is tiredddd of the chaos that comes with dating.
"It's tough out there. I am getting older but people think I am younger. I was at a club the other night and a group of girls shouted my name. I was like, 'Hey, what's up?' and they said, 'We go to school with your daughter!' You have to be so careful."
He added:
"When I was asked the other day by a 20-something girl how old I was, she looked at me as though 49 was a terminal disease!"
Aoki Lee Simmons says her last name often interferes with her having a love life.
Aoki Lee Simmons minds her business and stays to herself. So when she went on IG Live to discuss dating with her followers, she opened up about her struggles as well.
"I just can't date. Does that make sense? I can't be on Tinder without being concerned that someone is creepy or looking to get to know my family or be weird...but I'm also not famous enough to be dating famous people. So I just kind of sit at home, by myself. It's very sad. Yeah."
She then added:
"I was banned on Tinder for...drum roll, please...impersonating a celebrity, celebrities don't slide in my DM, and my sister has been dating the same guy for like five years so she doesn't help either."
And when a fan commented that she 'looks like her dad,' she responded, "Yeah, that's why I'm single. Thanks."
Tiffany Haddish was stood up by Drake, and swore off dating for a while.
Now we know our girl Tiffany Haddish is in a happy relationship with rapper Common, but prior to her current relationship, she was ghosted by Drake (who is ironically is a nemesis of Common). She shared her experience on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk, where, after agreeing on a day for a date, Haddish texted the rapper to solidify plans, day-of.
"Then I'm like, 'So what time are you heading out? Are you sending a car, like where we going? And he's like, 'Oh man, my bad, family emergency. I'm in Canada right now.' And I was like, 'OK! OK!'"
She added:
"I could have made $100,000 today, but I was trying to see what that D do. But all right!"
And Keke Palmer prefers to date outside of the celebrity world.
Last year, Keke Palmer: opened up about online dating during the pandemic with Harper's BAZAAR. Although she is currently in a relationship with Darius Daulton, she still rings true to her words:
"I've always had the same philosophy when it comes to dating. Not that I wouldn't give someone a try. But trying to keep my private life outside of my work life, to me, it's easiest when you don't date someone with the same career. I think a lot about, like, Does this person really like me for me? And it's not just romantic relationships. It's friends too. That wavering, that's the most traumatic thing about fame."
And definitely don't expect for her to post much about her love life online:
"I don't really do relationship stuff online, mainly because I don't know how I would do it without looking, like, cheesy or something, you know? Yes, I'm a hundred percent authentic, but there is stuff that I do save for family and friends. But at the same time, when it comes to romance, [posting about it] doesn't really come naturally to me, so I feel like, why force it?"
Although I am, and forever will be, #teamlove, there's something refreshing about hearing how celebrities deal with the same struggles as we do from time to time. So for now, and just for now, we'll just accept that bae is close, but not close enough. In the meantime, we'll be waiting.
What have your dating experiences been like so far this year? Let's talk about it!
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Featured image by Prince Williams/Wireimage
This article is in partnership with Lexus.
Luxury is often defined by someone else’s standards. But what if the finer things in life looked different through the lens of those crafting and shaping Black culture?
In Redefining Excellence, a two-episode short-form video series presented by Will Packer Media in collaboration with Lexus, we dare to broaden how we think about luxury. Here, it’s not just about the price tag. Luxury is a practice.
At its core, Redefining Excellence is a celebration of intention woven into every detail of how we live: our joy, our spaces, our craft, but also our rituals of care. These are the Black creators who not only give the best to themselves in what they build, but also pay it forward to the communities around them.
Through their vision, they embody the same precision and artistry that Lexus embraces when in pursuit of a higher standard, the Standard of Amazing.
In Episode 1, “Ingredients of Success,” the series follows chef, restaurateur, and Lexus Culinary Master Kwame Onwuachi, whose artistry is imbued with rich cultural storytelling. We see him wander purposefully through a garden, gently testing the ripeness of fresh fruits and vegetables. “Luxury isn’t about exclusivity. It’s about being intentional with your choices and craft,” he says.
The article continues after the video.
“Now, because of my work and the ingredients I use, luxury means something different. I am boldly setting a new standard of amazing and innovation.”
As he chops vegetables, plates vibrant dishes, and loads the finished product into the sleek Lexus LC Convertible, he continues, “For me, luxury means ingredients that carry memory… dining experiences and locations that honor the stories that raised me and feel like us.”
In Episode 2, “The Texture of Luxury,” the lens turns to founder and CEO of CurlyCon LA Ava Pearl, whose ingredients take a different form. As the trunk of her Lexus LX 700h lifts, she says, “When I think of luxury, it isn’t expensive, it’s expansive.” The scene shifts, and we watch Ava lay down a bouquet of fresh flowers upon entering her home before using aloe vera leaves to prepare gel by hand.
The article continues after the video.
“When I was younger, I thought luxury was something you bought. Now I know it’s about living up to a higher standard… Black women have always defined what’s next, setting the standard for beauty, luxury, and excellence.”
Like Kwame, she builds with intention, pouring care into the details, believing, like Lexus, that “luxury isn’t just a finish, it’s a standard. One that’s built to amaze.”
Through these stories, Redefining Excellence serves as a reminder that the journey is not just about the destination, but also the ingredients you choose along the way.
Watch both episodes now and learn more about how Kwame and Ava set their own standard of amazing.
Featured image by xoNecole/Will Packer Media
Cardi B Said What She Said About Offset & Moving On
Cardi B is no stranger to keeping it all the way a buck with fans about her personal life. The "Safe" rapper is someone who's going to hear the internet fodder, and instead of dodging the questions, she'll be the one front and center, standing ten toes down in the controversy, so there's never any confusion about her position. Her latest sit-down with Call Her Daddy was no different. While promoting her new album, Am I The Drama?, Cardi was yet again an open book as she shared how she felt about her marriage to Offset.
In particular, despite all the drama, she didn't regret the love they shared.
"Even in the long marriage that I was in, there’s a lot of things that I regret, and there’s a lot of things that people are gonna be like, "You see, you wasted your time,’ but I don’t feel like it was a waste of time," Cardi revealed. Also in the interview she went on to explain that their relationship had several “separation moments” before it officially ended in her eyes, largely due to Offset’s infidelities.
“I really just don’t regret anything. It is what it is. If your heart is not ready, it’s just not ready,” she said. “I felt like I was getting really sick and it’s like, ‘Alright this is dead.’"
Why Cardi B And Offset Aren’t Officially Divorced Yet
But if you're wondering why the divorce papers haven't been signed yet, Cardi says she's not the hold-up. Like she raps on the track "Magnet" from Am I The Drama?, "Got my baby daddy actin’ like my baby mama," the rapper made the reason clear during a recent Spaces conversation. It's Offset dragging the process.
"The only reason why I'm still married is because somebody wants me to pay for their taxes," Cardi admitted, adding that her estranged husband is holding her "hostage" and demanding millions and one of her properties. "I’ma fight for that. This is not no love s---. I’m not gonna stop living my life."
And live her life is exactly what the 32-year-old is doing. With the new album already doing numbers and her recent legal victory, earlier this month Cardi announced that she has even more blessings to celebrate. She's expecting her fourth child, her first with boyfriend Stefon Diggs. After some speculation from internet sleuths, Cardi confirmed the baby news in a sit-down interview with Gayle King for CBS Mornings.
Cardi’s New Chapter: A Hit Album And A Baby On The Way
"I''m having a baby with my boyfriend, Stefon Diggs," she told Gayle in the interview, sharing she was "excited" about becoming a mom for the fourth time.
Cardi has three other children. Together with Offset, they share 7-year-old Kulture Kiari, 4-year-old Wave Set, and one-year-old Blossom Belle. Despite the relationship being fairly new and some of Stefon's own questionable headlines regarding a paternity lawsuit for a child he allegedly welcomed earlier this year, Cardi is on cloud 9 with her NFL player beau. Stefon also has an 8-year-old daughter Nova from a previous relationship.
The pair were first romantically linked in late 2024 and went public with their relationship earlier this year.
"I'm happy. I feel like I'm in a good space. I feel very strong, very powerful that I'm doing all this work — but I'm doing all this work while I'm creating a baby."
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Featured image by Skylar Searing/BFA.com/Shutterstock