Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak are once again fueling romance speculation after the two music stars were photographed looking cozy during a glamorous night out in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, Carey and .Paak were spotted holding hands during a recent screening of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” at Century City Mall. The pair appeared coordinated for the outing, with Carey wearing a shimmering dark look while .Paak stepped out in a sparkly suit as photographers captured the two walking closely together.
The latest sighting immediately reignited long-running rumors surrounding the duo, who have been linked publicly since late 2024. The pair’s newest hand-holding appearance came after months of speculation surrounding both their chemistry and musical collaborations.
The outing also arrives just months after .Paak was rumored to be romantically linked to Jeannie Mai following photos of the two appearing affectionate together at a February 2026 party. Neither Carey nor .Paak has publicly confirmed their relationship status.
Still, fans have continued following the pair ever since they were first photographed together during the 2024 holiday season in Aspen. Their repeated public outings, collaborative music projects and flirtatious interviews have only continued adding fuel to the rumors.
Mariah Previously Joked Anderson Was in Her ‘Hand-Holding Club’
Carey previously addressed the romance speculation during a September 2025 appearance on “CBS Mornings” with Gayle King, though she kept her answers playful and vague.
Per People, Carey explained that she initially connected with .Paak because she considered him “brilliant” and “a great artist,” eventually leading to collaborations on her album “Here For It All.”
When asked about the pair repeatedly being photographed holding hands, Carey joked, “He just likes to hold my hand. He just grabs my hand, I don’t know what he’s doing.”
After King pressed further about their relationship status, Carey continued laughing off the rumors by saying .Paak belonged to “the hand-holding club.”
The interview also referenced the pair’s trips to Aspen during Christmas 2024 and their appearance together at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where .Paak accompanied Carey as she accepted the Icon Award.
The two artists later collaborated on multiple songs from Carey’s album “Here For It All,” including “Type Dangerous” and “Play This Song,” which featured vocals from .Paak.
Their Music Collaboration Helped Fuel Dating Speculation
The pair’s chemistry became even more noticeable when they released the black-and-white music video for “Play This Song” in September 2025.
According to Billboard, the visual showed Carey and .Paak appearing “absolutely enamored with one another” while singing together inside a luxurious mansion. The video ended with .Paak hugging Carey and kissing her on the cheek while the two laughed together. Billboard also noted that .Paak directed the video himself.
Their connection reportedly began through music in 2024. Per Elle, .Paak first hinted at their creative partnership after sharing a TikTok from Electric Lady Studios where he unexpectedly found Carey waiting for him. “You ever be starstruck? Like when a star strikes you?” he joked in the clip.
In April 2026, .Paak also reflected warmly on working with Carey while speaking to Us Weekly at the Time100 Gala.
“It was incredible,” he said. “Just [working] with the legend and learning how to write in different ways.”
He also joked about “having fun,” “listening to [her] stories,” and “eating caviar [and] drinking champagne” together during their studio sessions.
Anderson .Paak, born Brandon Paak Anderson, is a Grammy-winning singer, rapper, producer and director best known for albums like “Malibu” and his work as one half of Silk Sonic alongside Bruno Mars.
