Draya Michele faced intense backlash after weighing in on the romance rumors swirling around Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak.
The singers set tongues wagging after holding hands on a second dinner date in Aspen on Sunday night (December 29).
Although Carey and .Paak were all smiles and appeared cozy during dinner, it’s unclear if there’s any truth to romance rumors. The pair are working on new music together at Carey’s Aspen studio.
Mariah Carey and Anderson .Paak looking happy together in Aspen! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ahlDkoNj3U
— Mariah Carey Charts (Fan Page) (@chartmariah) December 30, 2024
However, it didn’t stop Draya Michele from adding to the social media chatter. She showed support for Carey while referencing the backlash to her relationship with Houston Rockets star Jalen Green, who is 17 years her junior.
“That’s that 17 year age gap smile!!!” she wrote on Instagram. “Go Mimi (with yall selective a####).”
However, social media users were quick to react, pointing out that while there is also a 17-year age gap between Carey, 55 and .Paak, 38, Green was 21 when he began dating Michele.
“Tell draya that that if you subtract 17 from Anderson current age he’d still be old enough to drink and still years older than Mariah’s kids,” one user replied. “Draya’s baby daddy and oldest son were born in the same year.”
Another shared, “Someone needs to remind Draya that Mariah is not dating a man or had a baby with a man the same age as her son. Ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”
A third noted, “Draya, Anderson Paak is damn near 40 years old. Jalen is 22 years old….please.”
Draya Michele and Jalen Green began dating around August 2023. The couple welcomed their first child in May 2024.
The relationship raised eyebrows over the considerable age gap, and the couple came under scrutiny. Joe Budden branded Michele a “predator” while addressing the topic on his podcast.
“If you want to f### a 21-year-old, cool, but now you got a baby by a 21-year-old? You are a predator,” he said. “It’s too many horror stories of athletes losing everything that they ever had because they are not insulated. Because they are no barriers. Because there is nobody instructing them.”
