In Hollywood, it seems that everyone dates everyone and relationships start and end as quickly as people change underwear. But the best Hollywood relationships, even if they don’t last, are the ones that nobody knew about. The ones that you share with friends that get the, “WHAAAAAT!? I didn’t know that, girl!” response. But let’s be clear: there’s a difference between simply dating in Hollywood, and claiming one another in a relationship. There have been a flurry of both of those kinds of correspondences that started quietly and ended just as quiescent, and here are just a few we thought you might be nosey enough to want to know.
And if you did know some of them, that’s all good and dandy too. But either way, enjoy!
Jay-Z and Rosario Dawson
Before he really got serious with Beyoncé and was a household name, and supposedly after an alleged short boo-ship with the late Aaliyah, Jay-Z was romantically involved with actress Rosario Dawson. You know Rosario, she was the actress in movies like Kids, He Got Game, Sin City and a lot more. Their relationship…or time together doing whatever it was they were doing…occurred in 2000, and people even assumed that the second verse in the song “Lost Ones” was about Dawson (that was until Jay set the record straight in Decoded, saying the song was about Bey). But it didn’t last long. Jay went on to date Beyoncé and Rosario, at the time, went on to date “Sex and the City” hunk Jason Lewis (who played Kim Cattrall’s young actor boo). No offense to Jigga, but what an upgrade!
Common and Taraji P. Henson
If you are like most of the staff here and read Common’s memoir, “One Day It’ll All Make Sense,” then you probably already knew that these two were an item. Or maybe you watched that episode of “The Wendy Williams Show” where Henson confessed that she and Common did indeed date. After their time working on the “Testify” video together, she and the uber-fine rapper tried to have a committed relationship, but it happened at the wrong time–in the midst of Common dealing with the death of friend, former roommate and producer J. Dilla. Though things didn’t work out, they’re still cool as an ice cube. And even though Common is most known for his time with Serena Williams, his mother still made it known that she loved her some Taraji and would have loved to see them work out…
Sofia Vergara and Tom Cruise
Before he married Katie Holmes, and before she was a big star thanks to her role on “Modern Family,” Tom was dating Vergara in 2005. The two were allegedly set up after meeting at a party held by Will Smith–a BFF of Cruise. Like most of the women who’ve been wooed by Cruise, even though she was feeling him, she wasn’t feeling his over-the-top adoration of Scientology, and the expectation that she would be expected in the future to convert to the faith if they made it long-term. Dang Tom, seems like you need to ease up on bringing up the S word into the conversation with these prospective boos…
Melanie Fiona and Adam Rodriquez
The Canadian singer and uber-fine fella from “CSI: Miami” may not have been walking all the red carpets together or publicly claiming each other in interviews, but they were indeed a pair in an actual relationship. For three years as a matter of fact, and after sharing a home together in LA. They appeared together in her video for “It Kills Me” and it seems a spark went off that kept them together. But after all that, and feeling as though she wasn’t an equal in her relationship, she and the hottie quietly parted ways. The actor and his reps like to think that Fiona’s songs aren’t about their breakup, but denial is one hell of a defense mechanism.
Meagan Good and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Before she was a “preacher’s wife,” Good dated a few interesting fellas, including NFL baller Thomas Jones for a few years and she was even linked to Soulja Boy of all people. They were booed up for a very short time before she got on Twitter and dissed him after he tried to call her fake: “he doesn’t like chicks.” But way back in 2004 the actress dated Inception and 500 Days of Summer star Joseph Gordon-Levitt around the time they were working on the independent movie Brick. It didn’t last long, but had it, I’m sure there would be many black men everywhere up in arms.
Angie Martinez and Q-Tip
This wasn’t a big secret to me, but there are many people out there who were unaware that Ang and Q-Tip were once an item. It happened before the new Millennium, as the two parted ways in ’98, but back when the two were still together, Angie was trying to keep things on the low-low and wasn’t having it when people thought they were going to put her and her man on front street. That’s why she had to handle Wendy Williams. It was reported that the two ladies got into an actual scuffle after Williams outed Martinez and Tip’s relationship. Williams didn’t deny that it happened, but says it was more of a verbal altercation (even though that, on top of a slew of other issues got her fired from Hot 97). Tip and Martinez are still good friends to this day though, as they show up and smile for pics together at numerous events.
Beyoncé and Mos Def
As Bey once said to LA Confidential Magazine about her relationship with Jay-Z: “Fortunately I haven’t had any breakups! This is my first relationship. We were together for a really long time before we got married; we were in no rush.” Sure, he was her first real committed relationship, but Bey has dated a few brothas, allegedly even rapper Mos Def. The two were said to be booed up around the time they worked on the MTV film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera together in 2001. It didn’t look to be anything serious, as by 2002, she was of course making a love connection with Jigga Man.
Ray J and Lil Kim
Don’t get me wrong, these two were nothing serious, but for years, they were having an on and off again fling. People would see them holding hands, jumping into cars together (roses in her hand) and kissing in public, but Ray never looked at it as anything serious. As he told Tyra on “The Tyra Banks Show,” “We go out on dates and have fun but it’s not official like I’m her husband and she’s my wife. We go out and have fun. I love Lil’ Kim but I don’t kiss and tell.” Guess Kim was more than impressed with Brandy’s brother after “Wait a Minute.”
Shemar Moore and Kimberly Elise
While many like to assume Shemar Moore has a type (women of the non-black persuasion), word on the street is that when Moore and Elise were working on “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” together and after filming, they dated. While it might sound like crap, there are pictures of the two walking the red carpet for other events outside of “Diary” together, and looking really close and hugged up all around town…They may have not stayed together very long, but they were cute together while it lasted. He needs more wholesome women in his life and not chicks like these…
Robin Givens and Brad Pitt
Before Angelina and all his famous boos, and after her scary a** marriage to Mike Tyson, Robin Givens and Brad Pitt were an item during his pre-fame days. At the time, it was rumored that they stopped seeing each other after Pitt felt threatened by her heavyweight boxing ex-man. And that makes sense, as Tyson recently told Conan O’Brien that when he found out they were dating, even though it was after Givens and Tyson’s high-profile divorce, he thought they were going to work things out…so he waited for her outside of her home one day: “As I go to my car she drives up with the handsome Brad Pitt. It just totally overwhelmed me. I had no energy to fight.” Thank God he didn’t, or Pitt might not have that pretty face…
Jennifer Lopez and Wesley Snipes
Move over Diddy! Before there was Ojani Noa, Diddy, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, Marc Anthony, or her new arm candy, Casper Smart, J. Lo tried her best to get acquainted with Wesley Snipes around their Money Train filming days. The two shared a heated love scene in the movie, and you would think the passion would appear off-screen too. But they didn’t last too long, just dating and kicking it in late 1994. J.LO even tried to say that sex scene with the now-imprisoned actor was “horrible.” Dang, girl! I guess the two Leos just weren’t all that compatible in the end.
Tamala Jones and Nate Dogg
Nate was good with more than the chorus of a hip-hop song, he’s definitely good at putting the moves on the ladies too! Just ask actress Tamala Jones. She and the late rapper/singer started dating around 2003 when they met on the set of the movie, Head of State. In a random turn of events, in Smooth magazine, Jones actually blames Wendy Williams of all people for the demise of their relationship, and their alleged engagement, because Williams told the singer that his lady was messing with Ed Lover while they were together. Tamala didn’t appreciate that:
“That little s-t Wendy Williams has never met me. She’s never sat down and said, ‘Tamala let me get an interview with you.’ I understand she’s like a gossip person, but even the ones that write in the tabloids and even the ones that really want the story are classy. She’s a classless woman who doesn’t even know by her mouth what she can do to a person’s life. Forget the relationship, what she can do to a person’s life. She doesn’t even know how much s-t she’s done contributed to that’s been messed up for me based on her comments that are not fact.”
On a sidenote, Jones also dated Big Gipp of Goodie Mobb in case you didn’t know.
Halle Berry and Danny Wood
I know what you’re thinking if you were born in the late ’80s and up: Who the hell is Danny Wood??? Well, first of all, Google is your friend. Second of all, Wood is a member of New Kids on the Block. The two dated in ’89, back when Berry was on the short-lived show “Living Dolls,” was still unknown, and when NKOTB were pretty much on top of the boy band world. But ish didn’t last for long. Could it be because people kept saying Danny was the ug-mug of the group and that Halle could do better…?
Tyra Banks and Seal
Clearly Seal has a type: models. Blame it on the awesome singing voice (or the accent), but this guy bags some of the most sought-after women walking around and gracing the pages of magazines. And while these two were hugged up and cute in photos, they weren’t a couple for too long. They were hot and heavy for about six months in ’96, before Heidi Klum was even in the picture and after Tyra was finished getting lovey dovey with director John Singleton for all those years.
Fergie and Justin Timberlake
Uh, talk about a cradle robber! Back when Just Timberlake was just a hella young 16, he was dating 23-year-old Fergie, way before she was ever affiliated with The Black Eyed Peas. During the time, homegirl was singing with the group Wild Orchid, and Timberlake was just getting big thanks to boy band N’Sync in 2001. Timberlake was a gentleman, but sadly, Fergie-Ferg (back then you could just call her Stacy) and ‘ol boy couldn’t last because of the age difference:
“It’s true. My friends made fun of me and gave me the nickname Stella, from the movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back, about a woman who dates this younger guy. I almost didn’t go out with him because he was so young, but he was always trying to convince me he was so mature. And he was. But one of the reasons we got along was because we both loved hip-hop and used to talk about the Black Eyed Peas and how amazing they were.”
And if you did know some of them, that’s all good and dandy too. But either way, enjoy!
Jay-Z and Rosario Dawson
Before he really got serious with Beyoncé and was a household name, and supposedly after an alleged short boo-ship with the late Aaliyah, Jay-Z was romantically involved with actress Rosario Dawson. You know Rosario, she was the actress in movies like Kids, He Got Game, Sin City and a lot more. Their relationship…or time together doing whatever it was they were doing…occurred in 2000, and people even assumed that the second verse in the song “Lost Ones” was about Dawson (that was until Jay set the record straight in Decoded, saying the song was about Bey). But it didn’t last long. Jay went on to date Beyoncé and Rosario, at the time, went on to date “Sex and the City” hunk Jason Lewis (who played Kim Cattrall’s young actor boo). No offense to Jigga, but what an upgrade!
Common and Taraji P. Henson
If you are like most of the staff here and read Common’s memoir, “One Day It’ll All Make Sense,” then you probably already knew that these two were an item. Or maybe you watched that episode of “The Wendy Williams Show” where Henson confessed that she and Common did indeed date. After their time working on the “Testify” video together, she and the uber-fine rapper tried to have a committed relationship, but it happened at the wrong time–in the midst of Common dealing with the death of friend, former roommate and producer J. Dilla. Though things didn’t work out, they’re still cool as an ice cube. And even though Common is most known for his time with Serena Williams, his mother still made it known that she loved her some Taraji and would have loved to see them work out…
Sofia Vergara and Tom Cruise
Before he married Katie Holmes, and before she was a big star thanks to her role on “Modern Family,” Tom was dating Vergara in 2005. The two were allegedly set up after meeting at a party held by Will Smith–a BFF of Cruise. Like most of the women who’ve been wooed by Cruise, even though she was feeling him, she wasn’t feeling his over-the-top adoration of Scientology, and the expectation that she would be expected in the future to convert to the faith if they made it long-term. Dang Tom, seems like you need to ease up on bringing up the S word into the conversation with these prospective boos…
Melanie Fiona and Adam Rodriquez
The Canadian singer and uber-fine fella from “CSI: Miami” may not have been walking all the red carpets together or publicly claiming each other in interviews, but they were indeed a pair in an actual relationship. For three years as a matter of fact, and after sharing a home together in LA. They appeared together in her video for “It Kills Me” and it seems a spark went off that kept them together. But after all that, and feeling as though she wasn’t an equal in her relationship, she and the hottie quietly parted ways. The actor and his reps like to think that Fiona’s songs aren’t about their breakup, but denial is one hell of a defense mechanism.
Meagan Good and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Before she was a “preacher’s wife,” Good dated a few interesting fellas, including NFL baller Thomas Jones for a few years and she was even linked to Soulja Boy of all people. They were booed up for a very short time before she got on Twitter and dissed him after he tried to call her fake: “he doesn’t like chicks.” But way back in 2004 the actress dated Inception and 500 Days of Summer star Joseph Gordon-Levitt around the time they were working on the independent movie Brick. It didn’t last long, but had it, I’m sure there would be many black men everywhere up in arms.
Angie Martinez and Q-Tip
This wasn’t a big secret to me, but there are many people out there who were unaware that Ang and Q-Tip were once an item. It happened before the new Millennium, as the two parted ways in ’98, but back when the two were still together, Angie was trying to keep things on the low-low and wasn’t having it when people thought they were going to put her and her man on front street. That’s why she had to handle Wendy Williams. It was reported that the two ladies got into an actual scuffle after Williams outed Martinez and Tip’s relationship. Williams didn’t deny that it happened, but says it was more of a verbal altercation (even though that, on top of a slew of other issues got her fired from Hot 97). Tip and Martinez are still good friends to this day though, as they show up and smile for pics together at numerous events.
Beyoncé and Mos Def
As Bey once said to LA Confidential Magazine about her relationship with Jay-Z: “Fortunately I haven’t had any breakups! This is my first relationship. We were together for a really long time before we got married; we were in no rush.” Sure, he was her first real committed relationship, but Bey has dated a few brothas, allegedly even rapper Mos Def. The two were said to be booed up around the time they worked on the MTV film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera together in 2001. It didn’t look to be anything serious, as by 2002, she was of course making a love connection with Jigga Man.
Ray J and Lil Kim
Don’t get me wrong, these two were nothing serious, but for years, they were having an on and off again fling. People would see them holding hands, jumping into cars together (roses in her hand) and kissing in public, but Ray never looked at it as anything serious. As he told Tyra on “The Tyra Banks Show,” “We go out on dates and have fun but it’s not official like I’m her husband and she’s my wife. We go out and have fun. I love Lil’ Kim but I don’t kiss and tell.” Guess Kim was more than impressed with Brandy’s brother after “Wait a Minute.”
Shemar Moore and Kimberly Elise
While many like to assume Shemar Moore has a type (women of the non-black persuasion), word on the street is that when Moore and Elise were working on “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” together and after filming, they dated. While it might sound like crap, there are pictures of the two walking the red carpet for other events outside of “Diary” together, and looking really close and hugged up all around town…They may have not stayed together very long, but they were cute together while it lasted. He needs more wholesome women in his life and not chicks like these…
Robin Givens and Brad Pitt
Before Angelina and all his famous boos, and after her scary a** marriage to Mike Tyson, Robin Givens and Brad Pitt were an item during his pre-fame days. At the time, it was rumored that they stopped seeing each other after Pitt felt threatened by her heavyweight boxing ex-man. And that makes sense, as Tyson recently told Conan O’Brien that when he found out they were dating, even though it was after Givens and Tyson’s high-profile divorce, he thought they were going to work things out…so he waited for her outside of her home one day: “As I go to my car she drives up with the handsome Brad Pitt. It just totally overwhelmed me. I had no energy to fight.” Thank God he didn’t, or Pitt might not have that pretty face…
Jennifer Lopez and Wesley Snipes
Move over Diddy! Before there was Ojani Noa, Diddy, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, Marc Anthony, or her new arm candy, Casper Smart, J. Lo tried her best to get acquainted with Wesley Snipes around their Money Train filming days. The two shared a heated love scene in the movie, and you would think the passion would appear off-screen too. But they didn’t last too long, just dating and kicking it in late 1994. J.LO even tried to say that sex scene with the now-imprisoned actor was “horrible.” Dang, girl! I guess the two Leos just weren’t all that compatible in the end.
Tamala Jones and Nate Dogg
Nate was good with more than the chorus of a hip-hop song, he’s definitely good at putting the moves on the ladies too! Just ask actress Tamala Jones. She and the late rapper/singer started dating around 2003 when they met on the set of the movie, Head of State. In a random turn of events, in Smooth magazine, Jones actually blames Wendy Williams of all people for the demise of their relationship, and their alleged engagement, because Williams told the singer that his lady was messing with Ed Lover while they were together. Tamala didn’t appreciate that:
“That little s-t Wendy Williams has never met me. She’s never sat down and said, ‘Tamala let me get an interview with you.’ I understand she’s like a gossip person, but even the ones that write in the tabloids and even the ones that really want the story are classy. She’s a classless woman who doesn’t even know by her mouth what she can do to a person’s life. Forget the relationship, what she can do to a person’s life. She doesn’t even know how much s-t she’s done contributed to that’s been messed up for me based on her comments that are not fact.”
On a sidenote, Jones also dated Big Gipp of Goodie Mobb in case you didn’t know.
Halle Berry and Danny Wood
I know what you’re thinking if you were born in the late ’80s and up: Who the hell is Danny Wood??? Well, first of all, Google is your friend. Second of all, Wood is a member of New Kids on the Block. The two dated in ’89, back when Berry was on the short-lived show “Living Dolls,” was still unknown, and when NKOTB were pretty much on top of the boy band world. But ish didn’t last for long. Could it be because people kept saying Danny was the ug-mug of the group and that Halle could do better…?
Tyra Banks and Seal
Clearly Seal has a type: models. Blame it on the awesome singing voice (or the accent), but this guy bags some of the most sought-after women walking around and gracing the pages of magazines. And while these two were hugged up and cute in photos, they weren’t a couple for too long. They were hot and heavy for about six months in ’96, before Heidi Klum was even in the picture and after Tyra was finished getting lovey dovey with director John Singleton for all those years.
Fergie and Justin Timberlake
Uh, talk about a cradle robber! Back when Just Timberlake was just a hella young 16, he was dating 23-year-old Fergie, way before she was ever affiliated with The Black Eyed Peas. During the time, homegirl was singing with the group Wild Orchid, and Timberlake was just getting big thanks to boy band N’Sync in 2001. Timberlake was a gentleman, but sadly, Fergie-Ferg (back then you could just call her Stacy) and ‘ol boy couldn’t last because of the age difference:
“It’s true. My friends made fun of me and gave me the nickname Stella, from the movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back, about a woman who dates this younger guy. I almost didn’t go out with him because he was so young, but he was always trying to convince me he was so mature. And he was. But one of the reasons we got along was because we both loved hip-hop and used to talk about the Black Eyed Peas and how amazing they were.”
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