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In today’s society, the concept of becoming a sugar daddy, mama, or baby is not quite as uncommon and frowned upon as before, so it seems unsurprising that more and more people, and especially celebrities, are indulging in the spoils and leisure of sugar dating.
By definition, a sugar baby is a financial beneficiary in a romantic engagement with either a sugar mama or daddy for the purpose of attaining lavish lifestyles in exchange for company, and possibly intimate favours. Sugar babies are more often much younger than their providing partners, who are always wealthy and influential individuals.
Of course, this is not a new concept, as Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher’s relationship is an iconic example of past sugar romances, with other celebrities like Britney Spears and Madonna also being honourable mentions among the trend forerunners. As it appears, the sugar dating life seems to be more popular among female celebrities, and there might be a few A-list sugar mamas who would surprise people.
From old relationships that might have passed by unnoticed, to the more iconic sugar relationships that happened on the red carpet over the many decades of Hollywood, dive into this short compilation of the most surprising, even shocking sugar mamas in show business.
What To Expect
As we explore the world of sugar dating among Hollywood’s A-list society, we will dive into the relationships of the most iconic sugar mamas of recent show business history, and perhaps expose a few names on this list that few know about, briefly discussing each celebrity.
Starting with the more commonly known sugar relationships, the series opens with Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and the late diva, Tina Turner, followed by Mariah Carey, and Sam Taylor Johnson, then, turns to a few not so well-known ladies who are or have been sugar mamas, including Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, and Kris Jenner.
Jennifer Lopez
When Jennifer Lopez released her song “Ain’t Your Mama” in 2016, perhaps she alluded to her habit of dating younger men, which earned JLo a reputation of being a regular sugar mama.
It’s well known that Jennifer has an extensive list of past lovers, boyfriends, and husbands, which includes the likes of Ben Affleck and Marc Anthony, but one of her least-known relationships was with Cris Judd, who first met Lopez back in 2000, while working as a dancing choreographer on Lopez’s music video for “Love Don’t Cost A Thing”. Judd remained fairly unknown until his dalliance with Jennifer gained the attention of the media. The couple married shortly after their relationship was exposed, at the time earning unwanted attention about their age difference. Judd was a couple years younger than the actress and diva he dated between 2000 and 2001 until their separation barely a year after saying their vows.
However, this wouldn’t be Lopez’s only experience with sugar dating, as following her separation and later divorce from Marc Anthony, she began secretly dating one of her dancers in 2011, Casper Smart, who was 18 years her junior. Initially they tried to keep their relationship quiet, but in Tinseltown, that proved difficult and their relationship became highly published.
, Smart and Lopez’s relationship didn’t last long, as the couple parted ways after dating for a couple of years. Jennifer would move on with her romantic life, having developed an interest in younger men. One of her more recent romantic indulgences was with Alex Rodriguez in 2021, who is also several years younger than the now 53-year-old actress.
Shakira
Shakira is of course the Latin-American singing sensation that so many people continue to adore, but thinking of her as a sugar mama is not too far-fetched. When considering her relationship with the footballer Gerard Pique, which ended in 2022, it can easily be said that Shakira earned 12 years of experience in a sugar relationship.
Although things ended rather bitterly between Shakira and her now ex-husband, their relationship was once one of Hollywood’s most celebrated romances. The couple spent those years together, despite Pique being nearly ten years younger than his wealthy, diva wife. They married in 2010, and in the following years conceived two children, namely Milan and Sasha.
The couple split in 2022, and so far it seems that Shakira has lost her interest in dating younger men, or anyone at the moment, but it might yet be too early to tell.
Tina Turner
With Tina Turner’s recent passing, the late singer and diva have been remembered in the tabloids as gossip publications pay homage to the deceased singer, revisiting her success and trials in life. However, Turner also earned a reputation as a sugar mama, though unconventional to the usual definition, Turner’s relationship with Erwin Bach might qualify.
Bach met the diva for the first time many years ago, when she was 47 and he 30, as they both worked on Turner’s newest concert at the time. Bach was an EMI executive who earned the pleasure of making Tina’s company, and the rest became their romantic history. For many years their romance earned widespread admiration, despite their age difference.
The couple eventually married, and later retired together with Bach now being her widower husband in the wake of Turner’s passing. With so many years between them, and of course, millions of dollars, some would consider that Tina Turner served as a sugar mama for her surviving husband, Bach.
Tina Turner's husband Erwin Bach (16years younger) who she married in 2013 after dating for 27years gave her one of his kidneys last year. pic.twitter.com/VcvQcX31S2
— Wale Gates (@walegates) November 26, 2018
Mariah Carey
Naturally, when mentioning Mariah Carey on a list of celebrity females who dated younger, and less powerful men, Carey’s fans would immediately recall the time she was briefly married to Nick Cannon. However, this was not Mariah’s only experience with sugar dating.
Mariah and Cannon’s whirlwind relationship happened back in 2008, earning plenty of exposure because of their age gap, financial status, and how quickly things developed between them. After only dating for six weeks, the pair tied the knot at Carey’s home in the Bahamas. While this surprised many of her fans, the fact that the relationship was rather short-lived didn’t.
In due time, the couple announced their separation, though not before they shared the wonderful news about the birth of their children. However, Carey seems to be well known for dating younger men, as before and after her relationship with Cannon, she also engaged in relationships with the likes of Dutch model Marcus Schenkenberg, and rapper Eminem.
Sam Taylor Johnson
While not particularly a well-known A-list celebrity, Sam Taylor Johnson nonetheless deserves a place on this list because of her relationship, and now marriage, with Aaron Taylor Johnson, the star from “Kick Ass”.
Actor Aaron met his future wife Sam, a well-known film producer, on the set of “Nowhere Boy”, back in 2009 when he was just 18 and she 43. While their romance earned a lot of attention, it’s never been for good reasons. While Aaron remains a people’s favoured actor, Sam has faced some scrutiny over their large age gap, with some critics going so far as to accuse the filmmaker of grooming Aaron.
However, their relationship seems to be built on nothing but romantic interest, as Aaron very likely has no interest in Sam’s money, especially considering that he might be far more successful than his wife. Despite all the negative comments and publicity, Sam and Aaron remained together, eventually tying the knot, and although Sam does not exactly qualify as a sugar mama, she still remains valid on this list.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is a respected African-American actress, which might be all the more reason why young men would stand in line to date some of Hollywood’s most beautiful ladies, including Berry. Some might consider it odd to find Halle mentioned on a list that includes the most famous sugar mamas, but Berry recently seemed to have had her own experience with sugar dating.
In 2021, Berry and her younger lover, Gabriel Aubry, made gossip headlines when their relationship went public, with the tongues wagging about their age difference and the fact that Halle was spending a lot of money on her then newfound boyfriend – according to certain sources, up to $20,000 in child support a month following their break-up.
While their romance ended in misfortune, Berry and Aubry nonetheless conceived a child from their dalliance, and in a surprising turn of events, Halle was required to pay child support. Of course, the famous actress is not quite as happy about it, even likening her situation to extortion.
Regardless, Halle now certainly qualifies as a sugar mama, but it seems that she’s learned her lesson about dating younger men, and as she expressed during recent interviews, she won’t likely be falling for their younger charm again anytime soon.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is certainly not a name one would expect on a list of sugar mamas, since the retired talk show host certainly earned the world’s respect for her long history as an entertainer, and one would not suspect Oprah of any shenanigans. However, while her relationship with Stedman Graham does not exactly qualify, with a fortune as big as Winfrey’s every relationship might assume a sugar-like role.
Stedman and Winfrey met in 1986, initially remaining friends, but when romance blossomed between them, it certainly created a lasting relationship. The pair has been together ever since, and as far as the public can tell, everything seems as rosy with the couple as it did so many years ago when they first fell in love.
Kris Jenner
As one of the wealthiest women on television, Kris Jenner would have no short supply of young men willing to keep her company for a slice of the Kardashian’s affluent lifestyle. Even more certain, Kris would not be kind to turn down such romantic opportunities, as the reality television star proved when she engaged in her most recent romantic dalliance with Corey Gamble, who is 25 years younger than Jenner.
Corey works as a talent manager and business executive, much like his new girlfriend Kris, who manages the Kardashians’ success, but what began as a simple romance quickly evolved between Kris and Corey. In fact, the couple is still together, and judging by how things are progressing for the Kardashian matriarch, the pair might soon be tying the knot.
Kate Beckinsale
Naturally, the list wouldn’t be complete without including mention of Kate Beckinsale’s most recent dating history, as it appears that the English actress has a particular fondness for younger men.
In 2019, Kate dated comedian and “Saturday Night Live” regular, Pete Davidson, who at the time was 26 while Beckinsale celebrated her 46th birthday. With their 20-year gap, Kate’s romance with the younger comedian generated a lot of talk in the tabloids, especially because it was her second public sugar relationship.
Before being seen with Davidson, Kate enjoyed a summer romance with Matt Rife in 2017, but her dalliance with the then 24-year-old would be short-lived, making it seem like a one-time thing.
However, Kate hasn’t been shy to admit her interest in younger men, having stated that she enjoys the company of younger artists, considering that they can maintain her interest the longest.
Her most recent romance was reportedly with Goody Grace, a 22-year-old Canadian musician, with whom Kate began a romantic relationship shortly before Covid lockdown, and it was reported that the pair spent time together during (supposed) self-isolation. In 2020, the couple was spotted outside for the first time, seemingly happy together as they held hands and didn’t shy from showing public affection.
Conclusion
Well, perhaps not everybody can be as fortunate as the stars of Hollywood, but becoming a sugar baby is a growing trend that some people would use as a legitimate way of making a living. As it appears, not even the wealthy, famous A-listers are safe from becoming the target of a sugar baby, although often apparently willingly.
While some relationships can develop into adorable romances, not all sugar dating ends well, as Halle Berry can attest, but either way, as long as both parties are in a mutual agreement, and nobody is getting hurt, fans simply can’t get enough of celebrity love stories.
