For those who’ve been following Fantasia Barrino since her American Idol days, you know her love life has had its fair share of ups and downs. If you’re not familiar with her dating history, make sure to check out our previous video linked in the description.
After deciding to make some positive changes in how she approached relationships, she met her now-husband, Kendall Taylor. But even their relationship has had its share of twists and turns.
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To leave behind her toxic past relationships, including a situation where she got pregnant by a married T-Mobile store manager, Fantasia decided it was time for a change. She lost her home to foreclosure in 2013 and worked on paying off a $1 million tax bill. Then, she embarked on a seven-month spiritual fast, avoiding relationships, alcohol, and focusing on spiritual growth. She even told Billboard magazine that she bought a ring and married herself, saying, “Some man is going to have to top this because I’m worth it.” You go, girl.
She also took some time to jot down a list of all the qualities she wanted in a partner. She told Billboard that she asked God to bring her someone who would pray for her and take care of her and her two children from previous relationships.
On the other hand, Kendall Taylor had a rough upbringing without his father, which led him to a life on the streets. He started selling drugs and got expelled from multiple high schools. By the age of 15, he had his first son, and at 17, he was shot. His life was spiraling out of control, leading to several arrests and stints in jail. But after his last time behind bars, he decided to turn his life around. He began working in retail and restaurants, and through hard work, eventually helped build a multi-million-dollar transportation and logistics company.
Fast forward to 2014. Fantasia was at a rooftop bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, when a sloppy drunk guy tried to hit on her. He bought drinks for her and her friends and invited them to join him and his buddies at another hotspot. One of his friends was Kendall. The drunk guy came back, excitedly telling his friends that he had just met Fantasia Barino and she was going to join them at the next place. Kendall didn’t believe it at first, but when they arrived at the new venue and fans started screaming her name, he realized she was indeed the famous singer.
Fantasia and her friends were hesitant about going inside. In their co-authored book, Kendall explained that he valued his reputation and didn’t want his drunk friends’ behavior to reflect poorly on him. He assured Fantasia and her friends that if they chose to go inside, he would make sure they had a great time. Kendall walked away, and Fantasia, impressed by his considerate words and attracted to his looks, decided to go in. She made the first move by asking one of Kendall’s friends to tell him she wanted to talk to him. Bam, bam, damn!
Alright, listen up. Auntie Regina has already advised you all to stop chasing these men. You’re not the hunter; he’s the hunter, and you’re the gatherer. Got it? Once he hunts you down, then you gather him up. Making the first move as a woman doesn’t always spell doom for a relationship, but let’s be real—it often does. From all the red flag videos we’ve seen, it’s clear that when a woman becomes the pursuer in a heterosexual relationship, it rarely ends well.
Now, moving on, Fantasia and Kendall talked until dawn and exchanged contact information. They didn’t communicate for a few days until Fantasia invited him to a water park with her, her kids, and some friends. She’s definitely chasing him, isn’t she? Come on, let him call you for a change. And why bring this man around your kids so soon?
Let’s pause for a moment, okay? I need you all to understand Auntie Regina’s perspective, and I want my heterosexual male friends in the comments to be honest. Do you like it when women pursue you? Sure, it makes you feel special and good inside. But tell me if I’m wrong—doesn’t it feel better when you pursue a woman and she says yes? It’s about the natural order of things. Women’s rights and liberation are all fine, but when you pursue these men, end up paying for everything, doing all the chores, and raising kids, you’ll wonder where your sex life went. He doesn’t want to be intimate with his mom, and that’s what you’ve become instead of his lover.
Let these men be men, okay? They can’t show their worth if you’re doing all the heavy lifting. Talking about being feminine while acting more masculine than the men won’t work. Eventually, he’ll resent you for taking away his power in the relationship. You might think, “I did everything for him,” and that’s the problem. He’ll leave and find someone else where he can be the man in the relationship. Ladies, you don’t have to agree openly, but you know I’m right.
“Anyway, let’s keep going. Thanks, Auntie Regina.
So, where were we? Oh right, Fantasia invited Kendall to the water park. He agreed to meet her there, and they had a chance to chat again. Kendall opened up about his past and his criminal history. He also told her that her online pictures didn’t do her justice—she was even more beautiful in person. At the end of their meetup, he said he was cool with connecting again but added, ‘I just want to be honest, I’m focused on running my company and not really in a place for a serious relationship.’ Ladies, when a man says that, believe him. If you’re looking for something serious and he’s not, move on.
Fantasia was cool with that and told him they’d connect soon. A few days later, she invited him to her birthday party in DC. Do you see a pattern here? She’s doing all the work, chasing him. Let’s be real—he wasn’t that into her. She wasn’t his type. Take note, everyone, this is what I’m talking about.
In their book, Kendall mentioned he didn’t want to go to the party because he wasn’t up for the six-hour drive to DC. But his friend convinced him, so they drove together and ended up having a good time. He didn’t even want to go to the party. Why didn’t he fly? If it was someone he really wanted, trust me, and guys can back me up here, if it’s a woman you want, you’ll make the effort. You’d even sleep in the car if you had to.
The next day, Fantasia flew to Cancun with some friends and admitted she stayed on FaceTime with Kendall the whole trip. She even tried to convince him to meet her in Mexico, but since he was still on probation, he couldn’t leave the country. Well, that explains some things. It’s a lot to fly someone out you just met. It seems desperate, right? And what kind of business is he building if he can be on the phone all day? Remember, he said he was too busy to date seriously because he was focused on his business. That was just a lie to let her down easy, but she didn’t get it.
Fantasia told Billboard she knew he was the one when she was getting ready to go on tour. He got down on his knees and said, ‘Can I pray for you? I just want to cover you while you’re on the road.’ But they were never actually dating. In their book, she described him as her friend. Then, while talking about the future, Kendall looked at her and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So, in October 2014, just three weeks after meeting, they tied the knot at a courthouse and exchanged matching wedding bands. That night, they were intimate for the first time.”
Three weeks? I thought he was busy building his business and didn’t want a relationship. How did he go from “I’m busy” to “Let’s get married”? I think he saw an easy target and took advantage.
Fantasia did one smart thing by letting Kendall encourage her to get a prenup, even though she admitted on The Breakfast Club that she would have married him without one. Not the best idea. Kendall got a tattoo of her name on his chest, and we all know these types of tattoos usually spell trouble in relationships. When the pictures of his tattoo hit the internet, it was the first time the public knew she was in a relationship. And predictably, a social media user quickly sent Kendall’s criminal history to blogger Love B. Scott. Here we go again.
An insider revealed that Kendall had a long rap sheet, including a physical altercation with a woman, possession of substances, possession of a weapon, and failure to pay child support. He was also convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2003—yes, he’s a felon—with his most recent legal trouble in 2012. Love B. Scott concluded that Kendall had turned his life around a couple of years before meeting Fantasia.
Behind the scenes, they were already facing major issues. As a married couple, they realized they both had alpha personalities, leading to competition in business and money matters. Six months after their wedding, Fantasia announced she was no longer with her record label, her grandmother had passed away, and she and Kendall had split. It was a grand opening and grand closing. Two months later, they reconciled and seemed happier than ever.
Rumors of cheating fueled their breakup, prompting Fantasia to clarify on Instagram, “No one lied, no one cheated, no one broke a single vow. What we learned was to keep those who aren’t for us out of our marriage. As our love grows stronger, our circle grows smaller.” They had another wedding ceremony in July 2015 with family and friends present, and renewed their vows on Christmas Day 2016.
By September 2019, Fantasia seemed to consider herself a relationship expert. Due to early arguments in their marriage, she decided to relinquish control. On The Breakfast Club, she said, “Most women are trying to be the leader, that’s why you can’t find a man. You can’t be the king in the house; fall back and be the queen and let your man lead.” But it’s too late now. You never gave him the chance to show his leadership skills when you were dating. You didn’t let him pursue you, call you first, or make dinner plans. Now that you’re married, you want to give control to a man who hasn’t proven he can lead? Oh, that makes sense. No, it doesn’t. Where’s the red flag button? Someone sound the alarm—this talk about the king of the house is nonsense. He’s the queen in this scenario.
Many people criticized her advice as outdated and wrong, especially the idea of a woman submitting to a man. In response, Fantasia and Kendall took to Instagram. Kendall explained that submission is a beautiful dance between two lovers. He clarified that Fantasia submitting to him doesn’t mean he makes all the household decisions alone. Instead, they discuss things together, and he makes the final call after considering her input. However, some couldn’t understand how Fantasia, as the breadwinner, could accept this dynamic. They felt he needed to earn that role.
Even though they were finally on the same page, their problems continued. Fantasia’s finances were in trouble because people took advantage of her, and Kendall had to leave his logistics company after a disagreement with the co-founders. In their co-authored book, Fantasia revealed that she and Kendall decided to start an independent record label called Rock Soul Entertainment. Auntie Regina always warned against mixing business with pleasure, suggesting Kendall should have stuck to what he knew—logistics. Now, many wonder who truly benefits from this marriage.
They also founded a nonprofit called Salute First, where Kendall works with convicted felons and at-risk youth to help turn their lives around. During the early days of their ventures, they struggled financially, often making tuna and baloney sandwiches for date nights and watching planes take off at the airport. Fantasia found these moments romantic, despite their simplicity.
After years of fertility issues, Fantasia announced in 2020 that they were expecting their first child together. To celebrate, Fantasia gifted Kendall a Christian Dior diaper bag. Their daughter, Keziah, was born in May 2021, expanding their family to six. Critics pointed out that traditionally, Kendall should have given Fantasia a push gift. They released their relationship advice book in 2022, and in 2023, Kendall received an honorary doctorate degree from Texas Seminary Christian University.
Fantasia, who hasn’t released a studio album since 2019, continues to perform globally and appeared in the 2023 film “The Color Purple.” She credits her husband for her newfound love of reading, a significant change for someone who once admitted to being illiterate. She told CNN, “I used to hate to read, hated it, and now I can’t stop reading.” Critics argue that she should have scrutinized Kendall’s background more thoroughly before marrying him.
In an Essence magazine interview, Fantasia shared that her life transformed when Kendall entered it, providing the leadership and love she needed. She expressed her appreciation for the positive changes in her life, saying, “I’m not the same Fantasia, and I love the queen that I’m becoming.”
However, critics argue that Fantasia and others should recognize their inherent worth as queens, independent of a man’s presence in their lives. Despite the red flags, they wish Fantasia, Kendall, and their family the best. Besties, this situation remains undeniably complex and messy.