Amber Riley has a new man in her life! The talented actress and singer is playing it coy when it comes to revealing more details about her boyfriend, but she broke the news to fans that she loves “the way” he loves her. Now that she’ll be performing in Dick Van Dyke’s 2023 98 Years of Magic NBC special, fans are wondering if Amber’s beau will make an appearance with her. Keep reading to learn everything we know about her new relationship.
Who Is Amber Riley’s New Boyfriend?
The former Glee star went Instagram official with her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day earlier this year. Amber shared an adorable montage video to her account, featuring clips and snapshots of them together, from funny moments to date nights.
“I am becoming better, so I can love you the way you love me,” she captioned the post in February. “You’re the best person I know. Happy Love Day, my VALENTINE (Omg this is so mushy and gross, but I love it).”
It’s unclear when Amber met her new man, but she briefly discussed their romance during an interview with Jason Lee that month. Upon being asked, “That’s the new man?” and “You’re in love with him?” Amber replied, “Yes” and confirmed that her boyfriend is known as “Scoobz.”
What Happened Between Amber Riley and Ex Desean Black?
Amber and her ex-fiancé, Desean Black, announced their engagement in 2019. In a since-deleted Instagram post, the actress gushed over Desean in her social media caption.
“There was a time when I thought I didn’t want or deserve this kind of love. I’m looking at a man who changed my mind,” Amber wrote, per PEOPLE. “My time by myself, loving on myself, getting comfortable with myself, prepared me for you, and prepared me for this. I am so proud to say, I am the future Mrs. Black. I love you @deseanblack_official and I thank you for your patience, your friendship, and your partnership! What God has joined together, let no man separate.”
In March 2022, Amber confirmed their breakup during an episode of the “Nice & Neat” podcast, insisting that their split was “amicable” and that she held no animosity toward him.
“I’m recently single,” she said, before pointing out, “It was amicable. I wish him the best. I don’t have anything horrible or bad to say. … I learned lessons from every relationship I was in and I thank them and leave them with love and light. That’s all that I can do. It’s not a passive aggressive ‘love and light’ because honestly, the only thing that I can control is me. And that’s the only thing I can focus on. I can only focus on my mistakes and what it is that I’ve done and how I’m going to do better. If I sit and think about every single thing that person may have done…for what?”
During a subsequent interview with xoNecole in June 2023, Amber noted that her and Desean’s split was “never going to stop [her] from finding love, or at least trying.”
“I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after,” Amber explained. “People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the f**k up out of there.”