- Babyface (b. Kenneth Brian Edmonds) is a successful R&B singer and producer.
- He was most recently married to actress Nicole Pantenburg.
- Prior to that, he was married to Tracey Edmonds.
- Babyface and Nicole finalized their divorce on Feb. 6, 2023, as reported by PEOPLE.
Many know Babyface (b. Kenneth Edmonds) ,64, from his super successful singing and record-producing career. The R&B hitmaker even has a total of 50 Grammy nominations under his belt! Some of his most-known songs include “Every Time I Close My Eyes”, “Never Keeping Secrets”, and more. He’s also hitting a career pinnacle with his upcoming performance at Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12. However, when the singer isn’t busy laying down tracks in the studio, he was often spotted with his now-ex-wife Nicole Pantenburg, 49. Here is everything you need to know about her and their marriage amid their recent divorce.
Who Is Babyface’s Wife?
Before she got together with Babyface in 2007, Nicole had established herself as a dancer and was reportedly close friends with Janet Jackson,who she was a backup dancer for, according to Hot New Hip Hop. Singer Taj Jackson pointed out that Nicole can be seen in the background of Janet’s “If” music video, when he shared a behind-the-scenes clip on Twitter in May 2020.
Besides dancing, Nicole also landed a few small TV and movie roles. She appeared in the comedies Longshot and Chasing Papi. She also had recurring parts in the shows Moesha and For Your Love. Perhaps most notably, she played a dancer in an episode of That ’70s Show, according to her IMDb.
Babyface’s Wedding With Nicole
Given that Babyface is such a well-respected figure in the music industry, the couple had a few celebrities come to their wedding to celebrate with them in 2014. Babyface first announced that he was engaged during a 2014 BET interview with Toni Braxton. When Toni asked if he’d consider getting married again, Babyface humorously responded, “I’ve already considered it. I’m engaged, so yes.” Some of the guests for their wedding included Oprah Winfrey and singer Carole B. Sager, according to Page Six.
Nicole & Babyface’s Divorce
Babyface and Nikki announced that they’re filing for divorce on July 14, 2021. The Grammy-winner and his ex said that they decided to go their separate ways via a joint statement to People. “After much thought and with great sadness, we have decided to end our marriage,” the couple said at the time. The pair mentioned how important their daughter, Peyton, 14, is in the next steps. “We continue to care and have respect for one another and share eternal love for our daughter and her well-being. We ask for personal privacy for ourselves and our daughter as we navigate these new steps as a family,” the statement said.
Most recently, the 64-year-old and Nicole finalized their divorce on Feb. 6, 2023, per court documents obtained by PEOPLE. Although many of the details were private, it was clear that the former love birds filed “irreconcilable differences,” as their reason to dissolve their union.
Babyface’s Children
Nicole gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Peyton, in 2008. Peyton is Babyface’s third child. He had two sons, Brandon and Dylan, with Tracey. Babyface spoke about how the “big love of [his] life” tends to vary between his then-wife, three children, and occasionally his mother in a 2015 interview with NPR. “The big love of my life. That’s a hard question, because there’s a lot of loves in my life. There’s my wife, Nikki. There’s my daughter and my boys,” he said.
Amid their divorce, the documents revealed that they will have “joint legal custody” of Peyton. “In exercising joint legal custody, the parties shall equally share in the responsibility and the right to make decisions concerning Peyton’s health, education and welfare and shall discuss and make good faith efforts to mutually agree, and shall agree or obtain a prior court order in the event they are unable to agree, upon such matters,” the court docs read.
His Previous Marriages
Nicole was Babyface’s third wife. The “Every Time I Close My Eyes” singer’s first wife was a woman named Denise, but his second marriage was more publicized. He was married to his second wife Tracey Edmonds from 1992 until 2005. Babyface met Nicole in 2007, and the pair dated for seven years before tying the knot on May 17, 2014.