Taraji P. Henson's dating history: Who are her ex-boyfriends?

TARAJI P Henson has always kept her love life under wraps, but she's known to have been involved with a number of high-profile names.

Here's everything to know about The Color Purple star's romantic past.

Who are Taraji P. Henson's ex-boyfriends?

William Lamar Johnson

William Johnson was Taraji P Henson's high school sweetheart and the father of her son, Marcell. They were together for years, but in 1997, he was tragically murdered after being involved in an altercation.

"I was so in love," she said in an interview on The Wendy Williams Show. "He was my high school sweet heart and we were together for eight years. [Marcell] looks just like his father."

Hill Harper

Taraji dated actor Hill Harper in the early 2000s for nearly two years. Not much is known about their relationship, but Harper later revealed that it ended due to his fear of commitment.

"Taraji Henson and I were in a relationship for about a year and a half, two years. Wonderful relationship," he told Unsung Hollywood.

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"Just because you’re in a healthy, great relationship that ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t successful or it was a failure. Not all relationships are meant to end in marriage."

Common

Taraji also dated Common in the 2000s and even went on to note that it was her "last real long-term relationship."

While neither have spoken much about their time together, Taraji revealed that her son had grown attached to Common, sharing that he was "sad" when they parted ways.

Meanwhile, Common said that she was "a good woman."

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Lamar Odom

Taraji dated former NBA star Lamar Odom before she got together with Khloé Kardashian.

The public wasn't privy to their past relationship until years later when Odom made the revelation that he left Taraji for Khloé.

"Things ended with Taraji because of me being an immature punk," he dished in an interview with Uncensored. "I didn't know how to tell her that I was falling in love with another woman called Khloé Kardashian."

"I just wish I would have done things different with her," he said. "She was a little older than me, but I learned a lot from her."

Kelvin Hayden

In 2017, Taraji revealed that she was in a relationship with NFL player Kelvin Hayden, and at that point, they had already been together for two years.

"Finally, it has happened to me!" she said on the Yes, Girl! podcast.

"You know, I'm not the type to blast my personal business, but I think that it's important for people to know that I'm happy. I'm very, very happy. We've been together for two years."

They notably got engaged in 2018, and was set to marry in 2020.

However, they eventually broke off their engagement, with the Hidden Figures star telling The Breakfast Club that "it didn't work out" despite trying couples therapy.

"I tried. I was like, 'Therapy. Let's do the therapy thing.' But if you're both not on the same page with that, then you feel like you're taking it on yourself," she said.

"When one person is taking on the weight of the entire relationship, it's never going to work."

Drake

Taraji was once caught up in dating rumors involving Drake, but the actress swears that they were never an item.

"Drake was a friend. It was cute because I knew he liked me and I kept looking at him like ‘If you were ten years older, boy whew’ but no," she told Vibe.

"I couldn’t because he is seven years older than my son."

Tyrese Gibson

Taraji and Tyrese Gibson have been rumored to have dated for years, but the two insist that they are and always will be just friends.

“We’re never dated. We never took it to that level. I mean, we’ve kissed but that’s about it,” he shared to New York Daily News.

“It wasn’t like tongue. We kiss each other on the lips when we see each other. It’s love.

"But I don’t look at her like a sister. I don’t look at her like somebody I wouldn’t date. We just haven’t dated. I’m just letting you know, Taraji is not in the friends zone.”

Taraji, too, has denied that they were ever a thing, noting that the chemistry between them on screen would lose its spark if they had.

"Not all all – ever. I promise you. If I did I would tell [you]," she told Vibe.

"First of all, I am a horrible liar, these big ole’ eyes will tell on me. Oh gosh. I can’t lie.

"If Tyrese and I crossed that line the love wouldn’t be there. The chemistry wouldn’t be there because Taraji and Tyrese did it."

Has Taraji P. Henson ever been married?

Taraji P Henson has never been married.

The only time she has gotten close to being married was when she was with Kelvin Hayden.

At the time, she admitted that she had been too busy to plan a wedding but was looking forward to donning a beautiful dress.

“I want my Vera Wang! That’s the only exciting part to me, to be quite honest,” she told People.

It's not clear if Taraji is dating someone new, but she shared with ET that she's doing "much better" after she and Hayden called it quits.

How many kids does Taraji P. Henson have?

Taraji only has one son, Marcell.

The two are known to have a close bond.

In fact, Taraji said that Marcell is primarily the reason why she keeps her love life on the down low.

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"I'm a mother first. I'm not trying to bring this guy and this guy around. I'm raising my son, and he's gonna respect women, and that starts with me," she told Glamour.

"[Dating] in the spotlight—I have to consider my son. I don't want to make it uncomfortable for him when he goes to school with his peers."

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