Since tying the knot, Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor have proven themselves inseparable, replacing the pain and hardship in their past with a life of bliss.
Actress and singer Fantasia Barrino has held back little when it comes to sharing details about her complicated, challenge-filled life.
However, her six years strong relationship with Kendall Taylor, her husband, makes that period of hardship seem like a long-forgotten history buried somewhere in her past.
Fantasia Barrino Had Her Moments Of Strife
“American Idol” alum was not always the young singer who took the world by storm with her incredible voice in 2004. In fact, her life is marked by a grueling past that haunts her memories and even more scandalous post-fame days.
At fourteen, she got raped by a crush on school grounds, forcing her to drop out of high school. The move not only hindered her from moving forward education-wise, but it also subjected her to life as a borderline illiterate.
She could barely find work due to her difficulty reading and tackling math problems, ended up mixed up with the wrong people, made terrible relationship choices, and eventually became pregnant at seventeen.
Life as a teen mom in California only made things more difficult, so much that she found herself living with an abusive boyfriend. But she struggled through that phase determined to keep pushing. She eventually found her breakthrough on the third season of “American Idol,” which she won.
Dating In Hollywood
While her fame notably made life somewhat easier, at least financially, Barrino still struggled to find love. Somehow, she kept meeting the wrong people, leaving a series of failed relationships in her wake.
Her first known relationship was with her first daughter, Zion Quari Barrino’s dad, Brandel Shouse. Their romance, deemed physically and verbally abusive, lasted for seven years, ending in 2004.
Upon becoming famous, Barrino had more options among celebrities. She reportedly dated NFL star Michael Clayton who played for Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their speculated relationship lasted less than one year.
Next, Fantasia Barrino became entangled with Southern rapper Young Dro. The pair became engaged soon enough but their romance never made it to the altar. Her relationship with married man Antwan Cook made headlines in 2009, plunging her nose deep in controversies.
In 2013, the songstress found herself linked to rapper Gucci Mane. While she never confirmed the relationship, the hip-hop star listed her on Twitter as one of the women he’d slept with.
The Antwan Cook Scandal
Fantasia Barrino’s relationship with mobile salesman Antwan Cook represents one of her biggest controversies to date. Their romance reportedly kicked off in 2009, while Cook was still married to ex-wife Paula Cook.
This plunged the singer into a messy love triangle. A year into their romance, Cook’s wife, Paula, filed a lawsuit against the actress, accusing her of adultery.
The homewrecker lawsuit alleged that the 37-year-old had an affair with Paula’s husband while they were still married. According to her, they officially separated in June 2010 while the couple began dating in 2009.
This lawsuit brought up the subject of alienation of affection laws in North Carolina already practiced in most states. The star faced trial under those laws but maintained she believed him separated when they began dating.
Evidence presented by Cook’s lawyer eventually backed her words. It suggested the T-mobile employee split from his wife in September 2009, contrary to Paula’s claims.
Although the court ruled in Barrino’s favor, she still faced backlash from those who publicly labeled her a homewrecker. At the height of the scandal, Cook released a statement imploring the world to not blame the star for his broken marriage.
She Had A Son with Cook
Amid Barrino’s homewrecker scandal, the icon caused a stir in August 2010 when she admittedly attempted suicide by overdosing on aspirin and sleeping aid.
Luckily, her manager found her in the nick of time. She recovered after a period of hospitalization, later admitting she took the pills because she was tired of dealing with men (her dad included), and just wanted out.
A year later, the “Baby Mama” crooner welcomed a child, Dallas Xavier Barrino, with Cook. Their relationship came to an end shortly after, leaving Barrino as a single mother of two dealing with numerous crises alone in North Carolina.
Gladly, that changed soon enough after the “Life Is Not A Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story” star found love again and walked down the aisle with her prince-charming.
Who Did Fantasia Barrino Get Married To?
Fantasia Barrino finally found happiness when she exchanged vows with Kendall Taylor on July 18, 2015. The two met weeks prior at a rooftop spot, where they talked all night and bonded.
They began dating on the same night and three weeks later, found themselves at a courthouse signing their marriage license. Their official wedding celebration followed shortly after on a yacht and the couple have celebrated their anniversary on that special date ever since.
In May 2021, the twosome welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Keziah Taylor. Although she arrived prematurely, Fantasia Barrino’s daughter made full recovery after spending weeks in NICU.
Interestingly, Taylor’s love for Barrino is undisputed. During an interview, the mother of three revealed her husband asked for a prenup himself even before their marriage, to show the world he was not in it for the money.
The Secret To Their Marriage
Kendall Taylor, who is Fantasia Barrino’s husband and father of her youngest child has been in her life for over six years and counting.
The lovebirds have been open about the key to their lasting union, stirring controversy as a result. During a 2019 interview, the mother of three disclosed that submission was key to a successful marriage.
She explained that most women had difficulty finding a man because they were trying to be the leader in their relationship. Barrino further stated that women could not be the king of a home, but needed to fall back and be queen, while the man leads the way.
She went on to advise women to learn how to submit to their husbands as a King needs his Queen.
Her take on submission earned backlash across media platforms. The couple later clarified that submission did not necessarily mean letting a man dictate everything. Rather, it meant trusting him enough to allow him to cover and lead the home.
So far, the method has worked for the couple, who have enjoyed marital bliss since their 2015 marriage, even in the face of their past fertility struggles.