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, but 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.
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 profile revealed John wasn’t easy on his girlfriend during the audition process; 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. 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 the early 2010s. In 2013, she began dating Norwegian photographer Erik Asla. Despite wedding rumors, the couple never said “I do,” but 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.
