9 Stars Who Hooked Up With Back-Up Dancers

Dating a coworker is a poor idea, and everyone knows it. Worst case scenario? Having to face them daily will not help you to move on. Celebrities are notorious for dating other actors despite this reality. Leaving a job is always an option, but if you're the two main characters in a blockbuster film series, you'll not likely be able to just up and leave. But it's not just actors that have relationships with coworkers.
It is not uncommon for world-famous musicians to develop romantic feelings for their dancers in the background. Just consider: the dancers are gorgeous, in shape, and available at all times because they are on tour. Surely nothing could go wrong, right? Most musicians could have their one-night stand terminated and replaced within the hour if things went south. The dancer is taking a greater risk. It would be tough to say no to a date with a famous musician if the opportunity presented itself. It can develop into a romantic partnership on occasion.

1. Mariah Carey

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After her breakup with James Parker, Mariah Carey didn't have to wait long to find love again. Bryan Tanaka, a backup dancer who has known Mariah for years, is the man the star has been seeing. Tanaka was highlighted in the premiere episode of EWorld. !'s Mariah's Tanaka is a lock to go on tour with Mariah when the episode begins, and she is trying to limit her options. Surprisingly, Mariah and Parker's nuptials were already in the works.

2. Jennifer Lopez - 2 Times

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Jennifer Lopez and her backup dancer Casper Smart have broken up again. Since 2011, the two have been dating on and off. Casper is close with JLo's two children from her previous marriage to Marc Anthony, Max and Emme and has gone on tour with her. Jennifer Lopez married one of her dancers in 2001 for the second time. She first met Cris Judd while filming the music video for her smash hit, "Love Don't Cost A Thing." They got hitched in September 2001, only to call it quits a little over a year later.

3. Britney Spears - 2 Times

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It's common knowledge that Britney Spears fell in love with one of her dancers. They had a fiery attraction but split up after a surprise wedding, two kids, and a flop reality show starring Kevin Federline. A brief relationship, yet one that nonetheless occurred. In 2003, Britney Spears and Columbus Short, one of her dancers, were spotted kissing even though Short was already married. Scandalous!

4. Christina Aguilera

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After collaborating on many music videos in 2000 and 2001, Christina Aguilera dated actor Jorge Santos, calling him her "first love." They continued to collaborate after their breakup, demonstrating how amicable their split was. Aguilera's relationship with Santos supposedly served as inspiration for two of her songs, "Infatuated" and "Underappreciated."

5. Madonna

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In 2010, the music superstar fell for a backup dancer he met onstage with her daughter Lourdes. While Madonna was 30 years older than Brahim Zaibat, that didn't stop them from having sizzling chemistry.

6. Justin Bieber

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In 2015, The Biebs was cuddling up to one of his backup dancers, Elysandra Quinones. While their relationship is merely rumored to be romantic, neither party has rejected the speculation.

7. Ariana Grande

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For a while, Ariana Grande dated one of her dancers. In July of 2016, after dating for about a year, Ariana and Ricky Alvarez called it quits.

8. Prince

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After meeting at work, Prince began dating Mayte Garcia. During Prince's Diamonds and Pearls Tour, Garcia danced as a backup dancer. The great singer fell in love with her, and she eventually became one of his muses.

9. R. Kelly

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After his marriage to Aaliyah, who was underage at the time, was annulled, R. Kelly wed one of his backup dancers and choreographers, Andrea Lee, in 1996. They had three children together, and she stuck with him even after he was accused of child pornography and stood trial in 2007. After 13 years of marriage, the couple split up in 2009, and since then, Andrea has been featured on the VH1 reality show Hollywood Exes.