Is all truly fair in love and war? Is a person forever off-limits if you’re friends with someone they dated?
Porsha Williams made waves this week after she revealed that she was madly in love (and engaged) to Simon Guobadia, ex-husband of RHOA co-star Falynn Guobadia.
“Our relationship began a month ago—yes we are crazy in love. I know it’s fast but we are living life each day to its fullest. I choose happiness every morning and every night,” Williams said. “Tuning out all negative energy and only focused on positive wishes. He makes me so happy and to me, that is what matters most.”
Despite the controversy, she’s hardly the first to move on with a friend’s old flame. Today we’re looking at a few famous figures who hooked up with someone, despite being cool with their ex.
There was a moment in time where Meek and Nicki were a star couple, but before their brief run, Nicki spent years with rapper and reality star Safaree Samuels. Though Safaree remained mostly in the background during his time with Nicki, he and Meek had interactions. In fact, Safaree told Wendy Williams that Meek played a big part in their breakup. In the end, Meek and Nicki didn’t last, and Safaree has gone on to create his own lane in the limelight.
In 2012, Drake hit the road for his Club Paradise tour and brought along a rising rapper named A$AP Rocky. The Harlem native served as the show’s opener, and Drizzy even appeared on Rocky’s hit single “F**ckin Problems.” Fast forward a few years, and Drake’s short-lived relationship with Rihanna has come to and end – and that’s where A$AP steps in.
3. Suge Knight, Michel'le & Dr. Dre
The Death Row movement ruled the mid-90s, and the label’s star producer, Dr. Dre, cranked out classics that still get spins to this day. But years before his run at Tha Row, Dre met a young singer named Michel’le. The two worked on music and a romance ensued… followed by a child in 1991. According to Michel’le, their relationship was plagued with issues and the couple split. Dre’s time at Death Row eventually came to an end, but by that time, Michel’le was tied to the label and began dating Suge Knight. The pair married in 1999, had a daughter in 2002 and Michel’le filed for divorce in 2005.
4. Jamie Foxx, Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise
Source: Getty
In the early 2000s, Jamie Foxx was unstoppable. 2005 was an especially notable year, as the actor/singer/comedian was nominated for two Academy Awards: The first for his unforgettable portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic, Ray, the other for his role as a cab driver in the Collateral. Foxx appeared in Collateral with Tom Cruise, who began dating Holmes in 2005. Their marriage would not last however, as Holmes filed for divorce seven years later. One year after their split, Holmes began dating Jamie Foxx, and the couple eventually got engaged; their love affair wasn’t meant to be, and in 2019 they went their separate ways.
5. Brad Pitt , Angelina Jolie & Jennifer Aniston
Pitt and Jolie’s action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith resulted in big numbers at the box office, and kicked off a romance that led to nuptials for the Hollywood stars. There was only one problem: Pitt was still legally married to Jennifer Aniston. While Aniston and Jolie were far from besties, they did share a conversation before Mr. & Mrs. Smith began filming that didn’t age well. In an article by Vanity Fair, Jennifer spoke about the only time she met Angelina.
“I pulled over and introduced myself,” Jen recalled. “I said, ‘Brad is so excited about working with you. I hope you guys have a really good time’.”
One year after Amber Rose and Kanye West split, Wiz Khalifa stepped into the picture. This didn’t sit too well with Yeezy, as photos of his music peer and his ex flooded the internet. The pair tied the knot in 2013, and later had a child, Sebastian Taylor Thomaz. Wiz and Amber later divorced, but not before Yeezy and Wiz traded shots at each other over Twitter, allegedly about “music.”
7. Simon Cowell, Lauren Silverman & Andrew Silverman
The popular television personality made waves when he reportedly began dating Lauren Silverman around 2009 when she was married to millionaire property developer Andrew Silverman. Andrew and Simon were friends. “I’m not proud of the circumstances, I can’t hold my head up about it.” Cowell said during an interview. In August 2013, the Silvermans settled their divorce out of court. Simon subsequently confirmed that Silverman was pregnant with his child, and she gave birth to their son, Eric, on 14 February 2014.
8. A-Rod, J-Lo & Marc Anthony
They say you’ve already met your replacement, you just don’t know it. Words that rang true for singer Marc Anthony, who had no idea that a 2005 photo that he and his then-wife Jennifer Lopez took with baseball star Alex Rodriguez would mean so much. In 2019, A-Rod and JLo announced their engagement, and the “innocent” pic taken years prior became a meme legend.
