Tyra Banks, the undisputed inventor of ‘smizing,’ has never been married. The A-list supermodel has had multiple serious relationships throughout her time in the spotlight, and is even a mother-of-one, however she has never said “I do.” Tyra previously dated photographer Erik Asla, in the 2010s, and the pair welcomed a biological son via surrogate in January 2016. After calling it quits in 2017, she began dating Louis Bélanger-Martin. Here’s everything you need to know about their relationship.
Who Is Tyra Banks Married To?
Tyra Banks is currently unmarried, however rumors circulated in 2020 that the Dancing With The Stars host was engaged. She quickly shut them down during an interview on Tamron Hall‘s talk show, telling the TV personality, “The press gets it right sometimes, but a lot of times, they’re bored,” she said. Rumors began to swirl in August 2020, roughly two years after they started dating, when she was spotted rocking a diamond ring on her ring finger.
Papparazzi spotted her and Louis in Santa Monica, California wearing all-black athletic gear and black masks, however she later clarified that the ring was in face crab-shaped. “It’s shaped like a crab…and it’s an opal, not a diamond,” she told Tamron. “It is not a crab opal engagement ring. It is just a ring.” She added, “The press gets it right sometimes, but a lot of times, they’re bored.” Tyra also wasn’t wearing the ring during her conversation with the TV host.
Who Is Tyra’s Boyfriend, Louis Belanger-Martin?
Tyra began dating the Canadian businessman in 2018. The supermodel may have a jam packed schedule, but so does her beau, and according to his LinkedIn page, he’s held multiple top positions. Louis has served as President and CEO of Advanced Inflight Alliance AG, which specializes in in-flight entertainment. He is also the co-founder of DTI Software and the private equity fund Groupe W. Talk about an impressive resume. The couple have also both completed courses at the prestigious Harvard Business School, with Louis participating in an Executive Education Program focused on corporate boards. Like Tyra, he is also a parent, and shares a teenage with his ex-wife Valérie Martin Scraire.
Tyra Banks’ Past Relationships
At the beginning of her career, Tyra was linked to film director John Singleton. The pair met through mutual friends and began dating in 1993. Shortly after, he directed Tyra in her big-screen debut Higher Learning, in which she starred as a college track star who falls in love with another athlete. A 1995 People Magazine profile revealed John wasn’t easy on his girlfriend during the audition process, however he said it later became clear that she was perfect for the role. “Usually when you are with a girl, you begin to want to have your own space,” he said. “It’s not like that with Tyra.” The pair broke up in 1996, and John sadly passed away in April 2019.
Tyra was later linked to singer Seal, first being photographed together on the red carpet at the Essence Awards. They both remained relatively mum about their relationship in the late 90s, however Seal offered fans some insight when he sat down with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. When asked whether his album Human Being was inspired by his relationship with Tyra, he replied, “It wasn’t inspired by her but we bump into each other every now and then, there’s no drama.” Following their short-lived relationship, Tyra dated Sacramento Kings star Chris Webber from 2002 to 2004. In a 2002 interview with The New York Times, the athlete described their relationship as “serious.” In an episode of the Tyra Banks Show, the supermodel opened up about her breakup with the athlete, revealing he had cheated on her.
She was also linked to John Utendahl, one of the most successful bankers on Wall Street. The private couple dated for about three years, and broke up in he early 2010s. In 2013, she began dating Norwegian photographer Erik Asla. Despite wedding rumors, the couple never said ‘I do’, however they do share a son. They welcomed a baby boy named, York, who was born in January 2016 via surrogate. Tyra later opened up about her struggles with infertility. “We are so excited about our new baby boy bundle of joy,” she told People after her mini-me was born. “The journey to now has not been an easy process, as I’ve shared before. But there was a beautiful bright light at the end of the tunnel for me and his father, Erik.” They called it quits the following year, in 2017.
Tyra Banks’ Top Moments With Her Boyfriend
The couple have remained very low key through the years, however they were first spotted having dinner at celeb hot spot Hutong. A source told Page Six at the time that they “seemed quite intimate.” The insider added, “The two were definitely on a romantic date. But [they] kept the PDA low-key.” In a Page Six report the following month, the outlet claimed that the two had been quietly dating since August 2018, and were even living together in Quebec, Canada. “Tyra and Louis live together, but Louis always moves around a lot for business reasons.” They also made a rare public appearance in early 2020 at the Los Angeles premiere of Bad Boys for Life. An insider told Page Six that the couple were “very, very much in love” noting that Tyra was “very quick to introduce him as her man.”
Moving Forward
Both Tyra and Louis have parents from previous relationships, and both appear to be committed to co-parenting with their respective exes. Given the private nature of their relationship, fans will simply have to wait to find out if any more kids, or potentially a wedding, will be in Tyra’s future.