Braxton might be the voice behind some of the most beautiful love songs, but when the music stops, she deals with relationship issues just like the rest of us. While we can’t dive into every relationship she’s been involved in, we’re highlighting some of the messiest ones. Today, we’re addressing rumors of her involvement in an NBA love triangle and the story about how Jesus supposedly told her NFL boyfriend to dump her.
The Dallas Mavericks once boasted a roster of young talent, including Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson, and Jamal Mashburn. However, their chemistry crumbled in 1996 when Star Magazine reported a love triangle involving Tony as the catalyst for the trio’s downfall. Allegedly, Tony canceled plans with Jason to hang out with Jim, creating tension between the players. It’s still unclear how Jamal got entangled in this messy situation.
When Tony was asked by a Dallas radio station if she was romantically involved with the players, she responded that she wasn’t going to kiss and tell. Interestingly, she was promoting her second studio album, “Secrets,” at the time. It turned out the rumor was false, but instead of shutting it down, Tony played along with the gossip to boost her album sales—at least, according to Jamal. Jim later told The Herd with Colin Cowherd that while he initially thought the publicity was cool, the story eventually took on a life of its own. The tension between the players escalated, exacerbated by their youth, inexperience, and lack of guidance. Jim later expressed regret, saying the Mavericks organization failed to provide the leadership they needed. He added, “One of my regrets in pro sports is that we didn’t have enough camaraderie, core values, and our egos were too big to coexist.”
In December 1996, Jason was traded to the Phoenix Suns, and Jim and Jamal followed shortly thereafter. Years later, Jamal told a Dallas radio station that Tony definitely cost him his relationships with Jim and Jason.
Once things calmed down, Tony started dating Curtis Martin, the running back for the New England Patriots. She later found out he had lied about his age and was actually six years younger than her. But she didn’t mind; she felt early on that their relationship had real potential. Tony grew up in a strict, religious household, and Curtis had recently discovered organized religion and was diving deep into his faith. When Tony suggested they wait until marriage to be intimate, Curtis was on board.
In 1997, Tony went on tour with Kenny G and had Mint Condition open for her. In her memoir (linked in the description), Tony mentioned how she thought, “These guys are a lot cuter in person than people even know.” She spent a lot of time with the band after the shows and noticed that Carrie Lewis, the keyboardist and guitarist, was incredibly kind, sweet, and helpful. They naturally grew closer, and when the tour stopped in their hometowns, they met each other’s families.
Even though Tony was still dating Curtis, she got a bit upset when Carrie mentioned he had a girlfriend back home in Minnesota. In her memoir, Tony admitted she was sure Curtis was the one for her and was fully committed to him. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the connection she had with Carrie.
Meanwhile, Tony’s financial situation was falling apart. Her record company was taking back money for album and tour expenses, leaving her with only about two thousand dollars. In December 1997, she sued her record labels for the money she was owed, and by January 1998, she filed for bankruptcy. Her bank accounts were seized, and her credit cards were frozen. Curtis stepped in and gave her ten thousand dollars in cash to help with living expenses.
But her bankruptcy also brought a big change in her relationship with Curtis. While he stayed supportive, he set new boundaries on their physical relationship. He decided they should stop touching each other below the neck and would pull away suddenly while making out to keep things from going too far. Tony wrote in her memoir, “At a time when my whole world was falling apart, I really needed his consolation, not more rules.”
Curtis started making statements like, “You’re going through this bankruptcy because God wants you to reconnect with Him. He wants you to let go of all these materialistic things.” A couple of months after filing, she flew to Pittsburgh to spend time with Curtis. That’s when he told her, “Jesus told me we had to break up.” When she pressed him for more details, he kept repeating the same thing. Finally, he explained that he could best serve her as a friend. Tony was livid and returned to Los Angeles feeling numb and confused. Heartbroken, she cried for days.
Curtis went on to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. He married a woman named Carolina in 2010 and is now a father, businessman, and philanthropist. Now, back to Tony.
In January 1999, she reached an agreement with her record label and received a $20 million check. After paying legal fees and taxes, she was left with about $7 million to rebuild her life. She bought back her Grammy awards, designer dresses, and other valuables that had been seized during her bankruptcy trial. She moved to Atlanta, bought a home, set up a retirement account, and bought life insurance.
Meanwhile, Carrie’s relationship fizzled out, and he and Tony grew closer. They spent hours writing songs in the studio and realized their connection was deeper than friendship. In 1999, they started dating. Things got physical, and Tony became pregnant. She decided to terminate the pregnancy, a decision she would regret for the rest of her life. On Christmas Day 1999, Carrie proposed to her. In her memoir, she wrote that she wasn’t sure if she was over Curtis or if she even wanted to get married. However, she accepted his proposal, and they went through with the wedding. Tony found out she was pregnant again before they tied the knot, and this time she decided to keep the baby.
In 2000, Carrie decided to leave her band to work full-time managing Tony’s sound production. Stokely Williams, a former bandmate from Mint Condition, told Vlad TV that the other members were upset about Carrie’s departure. Tony’s sudden exit changed the band’s sound and energy. Stokely mentioned that most of the band members were invited to Tony and Carrie’s wedding, but he was the only one who showed up because he believed life was too short to hold grudges and wanted to wish them well.
Carrie and Tony signed a prenup and got married in April 2001. Eight months later, they welcomed their son, Denim. In her memoir, Carrie shared her struggles with early motherhood, often feeling more like a big sister than a mom. Her contract required her to start working on her fourth studio album immediately, so six weeks after a c-section, she was back in the studio. Her mom questioned why Tony returned to work so soon and why Carrie wasn’t contributing financially. Carrie often wondered the same thing.
In 2002, Carrie collaborated with Birdman on his song “Baby You Can Do It.” Their chemistry in the music video was undeniable, though they kept things professional. Shortly before releasing her fourth album, Carrie discovered she was pregnant again. She gave birth to their second son, Diesel, in March 2003. Less than three months later, she returned to work, taking on a role in a stage play to support her family. Pushing herself to the limit, her health declined, and she collapsed on stage in 2003. In 2006, Diesel was diagnosed with autism, and Carrie couldn’t help but feel it was divine punishment for an abortion she had years earlier. After years of medical tests, she was diagnosed with lupus in 2008, which added more stress to their marriage as she could not work as much. Carrie told Tony he needed to step up, so he got his real estate license and did some photography work on the side. However, his income wasn’t enough to cover their expenses, and Carrie was forced to return to work in 2008, the same year she was diagnosed with lupus.
In 2009, Carrie appeared on Dancing With the Stars, performed at the Soul Train Awards, and even kissed Trey Songz on stage while Tony watched from the audience. Days later, the couple announced their separation. On Red Table Talk, Carrie revealed that financial issues and her lupus diagnosis were the main reasons for their split. She said, “I couldn’t make money because I had lupus. That was my personal contribution to the marriage failing. Who wants to take care of a person who’s sick all the time?” Although Tony never said it, she felt it. In her memoir, she wrote that they tried to remain amicable for their children’s sake. They continued living together in their Atlanta home and agreed to take one vacation per year as a family. “We get on great, we’re very amicable about it,” she said. “It’s almost like a very civilized divorce.”
Tony shared with Access Online that despite her mom’s encouragement to expand her dating horizons and “play in the snow,” she wasn’t ready to re-enter the dating scene. This hesitation might have stemmed from her rekindled relationship with Carrie after their initial split. However, their second chance at love lasted only about a year and a half before ending for good. In their divorce settlement, Tony had to pay alimony, while Carrie was ordered to provide two thousand dollars per month in child support. Tony eventually took Carrie to court for falling behind on these payments, leading Carrie to auction off the royalties from about 80 of his songs to settle the debt.
Taking her mom’s advice, Tony eventually started dating a white man. She told Essence magazine, “Who knew vanilla tasted so good?” When asked about her ideal white man, Tony humorously mentioned Mark Wahlberg, saying, “Even though he’s married, he’s a little black and white to me, the kind of guy who would understand if I pulled my weave out.” While Mark wasn’t interested, by February 2012, she was linked to Eddie Murphy, although that relationship eventually fizzled out. Despite fans hoping she’d give her collaborator Babyface a chance, Tony confirmed on The Breakfast Club that he never saw her as a romantic prospect.
Tony eventually found love with her longtime friend Birdman. They made their red carpet debut in 2016, and Birdman surprised her with a Bentley SUV months later. In January 2018, they released the song “Heart Away,” and the following month, he proposed, and she accepted. Tony told E!’s Daily Pop that Birdman wanted to get married before the year ended, but her work commitments kept delaying their wedding. Then, she lost her Louis Vuitton train case on a Delta flight, which contained her $5 million yellow diamond engagement ring. Though the case was found, the jewelry was missing. Birdman later told Wendy Williams he wasn’t worried about the missing ring and would buy a new one if needed.
In January 2019, the couple unfollowed each other on social media, and Birdman posted “it’s over” on his Instagram story, which he later revealed to Wendy Williams was a publicity stunt. A source told Hollywood Life that their relationship was solid, and they didn’t mind the public drama as it brought more attention to Tony’s reality show, Braxton Family Values. As of now, their relationship status is unclear, but during a 2020 radio interview, Tony mentioned they were being more private to keep their business out of the public eye. Whatever their status, we wish them the best and hope Tony is more vigilant for red flags this time around.