Fantasia Barrino knows a thing or two about divorce, but the question is:
Is Fantasia divorced from her husband Kendall Taylor?
In the social media age, lots of rumors get started without context, which forces celebrities to answer questions that seemingly come out of nowhere.
In Fantasia’s case, there’s a bit of fact and more than a bit of fiction behind the latest churn of the rumor mill.
So what’s the truth? Let’s dive in.
Fantasia Barrino (L) and her husband Kendall Taylor arrive at Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones at the Microsoft Theatre on September 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Meet Fantasia’s Husband, Kendall Taylor
Kendall Taylor has been Fantasia’s husband and business partner for the last 8 years.
The pair’s paths first crossed when they met at a rooftop bar in Charlotte in 2015. Both hailing for North Caroline, there was an instant attraction.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club in 2019, the American Idol winner shared how she spent a lot of time working on herself before she met Taylor:
“I knew I was broken as hell. I knew that I was carrying a lot of stuff, but I wanted a relationship but there’s no way I was gonna have it with all that baggage.”
The work paid off and their connection was so instantaneous, Fantasia and Kendall got hitched 3 weeks after they first met!
“He was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ We went and got married at the courthouse. None of y’all knew. The world didn’t know,” Barrino told The Breakfast Club.
That’s true: before that, everyone thought they tied the knot during a wedding ceremony on a yacht in July 2015.
Due to some fertility issues, it took until May 2021 for Fantasia and Kendall to welcome their daughter, Keziah, to the world. However, both of them had kids from previous relationships: Fantasia is also mom to son Dallas Xavier and daughter Zion Quari, while Kendall is also dad to son Treyshaun.
Kendall is actually a proud grandfather as well, to his son Trey’s two children.
Kendall Taylor and Fantasia Barrino attend Primary Wave Entertainment’s 12th Annual Pre-Grammy Party on January 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Primary Wave Entertainment)
Fantasia Lived Through The Pain Of Divorce Before
Now, Kendall is her first husband, so if Fantasia divorces him, it would be her first marriage to end.
Nevertheless, Fantasia has lived through the pain of divorce within her own family – and in a particularly messy affair.
First, her parents: Joseph and Diane Barrino had 2 children together. In her autobiography, Fantasia reveals she was 5 years old when her father first pushed her on stage to perform at weddings, funerals, and home gatherings — both alone and with the five-member gospel troupe, the Barrino Family.
The family dynamic was volatile, with Fantasia writing in her book that her father sometimes had a violent temper. Her parents would later divorce when she was older, and there continues to be a rift between Fantasia and her dad today.
Fantasia Barrino and husband Kendall Taylor arrive for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP)
Dating a Married Man
Then in 2010, Fantasia started a relationship with Antwaun Cook, a relationship that was documented on her reality show, Fantasia For Real.
The Grammy winner assumed that Antwaun was separated from his wife when they dated “off and on for about 11 months,” but that turned out not to be the case.
At least, according to Antwaun’s wife, Paula Cook.
When the married couple finally got a divorce, the relationship with Fantasia was over.
“Antwaun would be remiss not to address the criticism and judgment he has received,” Cook’s lawyer, Nicole Sodoma, said in a statement to People at the time.
“He knew Fantasia Barrino but the failure of his marriage can in no way be blamed on anyone except the two people that were a part of the union – Paula and Antwaun.”
Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor attend the 2024 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Fantasia Divorce Rumors: How They Started & Her Alleged Response
Ok, honestly, who knows how any rumor really gets started!
But best as we can tell, there was a flurry of social media jibber jabber about Fantasia divorcing her husband around September 2024.
Fans were concerned that Kendall wasn’t appearing very often on her Instagram and they hadn’t been seen on a red carpet together since April.
Then, what appeared to be a totally AI created article circulated online, suggesting not only had Fantasia divorced Kendall, but that he had pulled a Dave Grohl and had a love child on the side.
Now, what are the odds that that happens twice in one year? Honestly!
But here’s the thing: the rumors are just that – rumors! No legitimate source or even a tabloid has given this story any credibility.
Furthermore, a screenshot shared by fans of Fantasia’s Instagram stories confirms that not only did she see the rumor, but she debunked it as well.
“Now y’all are stretching for negative. Social media is the devil,” she allegedly shared (we didn’t see it for our own eyes, so can not confirm)
So, for now, all seems fine for Kendall and Fantasia. Let’s just hope it stays that way!
Fantasia Divorce Rumors & Marriage History To Kendall Taylor, Explained was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.