Toni Braxton didn’t want to start the new year off with any “fake news.” The R&B singer, 56, took to social media to respond to rumors that she and her former fiancé, Birdman, had gotten married over New Year’s Eve weekend.
“My dear friend @birdman and I are not married … never been married. We are both single,” Toni captioned an Instagram post on January 1. Along with her post, Toni included a screenshot of a headline that read, “Congratulations! Toni Braxton and Birdman Married in a Private Ceremony in Mexico.”
Across the headline, Toni wrote the hashtag, “#fakenews.”
The lovebirds appeared to be going strong just two months prior. In November 2023, the “Another Sad Love Song” singer posted a photo of her and Birdman sharing a sweet kiss. However, she later deleted the photo, per Complex.
The former pair were reportedly in an on-and-off relationship since 2016. They had been friends and music collaborators for years, having first worked together on Birdman’s single “Baby Can You Do It.” After getting engaged, the duo called it off in 2019 but stayed together. At the time, both the singer and the rapper unfollowed each other on Instagram.
Previously, Toni spoke with PEOPLE about how her friendship with Birdman turned into something more. She called him her “bestie for like 15 or 16 years.”
“He has come to my baby showers, my plays, my shows,” the “He Wasn’t Man Enough” artist — who shares sons Denim and Diezel with ex-husband Keri Lewis — said. “I never thought we would be dating or getting married.”
While opening up about how caring Birdman has always been around her, Toni noted, “In 2016, I was doing a little tour just testing the market [to see] how far my endurance could go – and I got ill just before we went out. … Every night he would ask me, ‘Are you OK? Are you good?’ I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s such a great guy!’ When Birdman finally made his move, he told me he always liked me, and I was like, ‘You never told me!’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you were married!’ He said, ‘I was always digging you.’”