Mariah Carey Jokes Anderson .Paak Put Her In The “Hand-Holding Club”

Key Takeaways:

• Mariah Carey addressed dating rumors with Anderson .Paak during a “CBS Mornings” interview.
• The pair’s public appearances since December 2024, including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, have fueled speculation.
• Carey confirmed that Anderson .Paak appears on her forthcoming album, Here For It All, contributing vocals and songwriting.

Anderson .Paak is in the “hand-holding club” with Mariah Carey, or at least that’s how she humorously put it during her sit-down on “CBS Mornings.” On Wednesday (Sept. 24), the Grammy Award winner chatted with co-host Gayle King about her forthcoming album, Here For It All, and, of course, her rumored relationship with the Silk Sonic artist.

Rumors about the two began in December 2024, when they were photographed holding hands in Aspen. “He was there at Christmas, and everybody knows what Christmas means to you,” King said. “So, when they saw him with Mariah at Christmas, then people thought, ‘Oh this must be something serious.’”

“Well, they better know that it’s something special — it’s Christmas,” the “We Belong Together” singer said in response. “He enjoyed it,” she added, before King asked if she did too. Carey answered, “I did.”

Speaking on the dating rumors, Carey told King, “He just likes to hold my hand. He just grabs my hand — I don’t know what he’s doing.” See the full clip below.

In March, Anderson .Paak helped Carey on stage at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she was honored with the prestigious Icon Award. Just a week later, the two were seen holding hands again while leaving Birds Street Cafe in Los Angeles.

Fast forward to May, the Malibu creator revealed that he and Carey had been working on “some music” together. Fans will finally hear the results when Here For It All arrives on Friday (Sept. 26). She confirmed that they collaborated on “Play This Song,” which features his vocals, and that he’s also credited as a writer on “Type Dangerous.”

Carey’s 16th studio album will also include the pre-release single “Sugar Sweet” featuring Kehlani and Shenseea. The only other guest appearance — outside of Anderson .Paak — comes courtesy of gospel icons The Clark Sisters.