Kanye West's Dating History, From Failed Engagement To Alexis Phifer To Marriage With Kim Kardashian

Kanye West, a.k.a. Ye is one of the most well-known rappers, singers and record producers in the industry. He made his debut in 2004 with the studio album, College Dropout. Not many might be aware, but prior to this, he had earned recognition as a producer for Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. After his music career took off, Kanye West released several more solo and collaborative albums, making him a prominent name in hip-hop. Some of his most loved albums include My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), Yeezus (2013), Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda 2 (2022), among others.  

Those of you who keep up with Kanye West might be aware that, beyond his music, he is also a controversial public persona. Recently, Kanye has been grabbing the headlines for an ad he took out in The Wall Street Journal, where he apologised for his erratic and alarming behaviour in recent years, which had led his critics and fans alike to accuse him of rampant antisemitism. It is worth noting that apart from his erratic behaviour, Kanye has also been in the spotlight for all the women he has romanced. If you are interested in learning about Kanye West's dating history, keep on reading.  

Kanye West dated his high school sweetheart, Sumeke Rainey 

Before Kanye West became the household name that he is today, owing to his highly successful music career, he reportedly dated his high school sweetheart, named Sumeke Rainey. Kanye even referred to her in his 2004 debut album, The College Dropout. For the unversed, in the song, Never Let Me Down, he can be heard rapping, “Nothing sad as that day my girl's father passed away/ So I promised to Mr. Rainey, I'm gonna marry your daughter.” Other than this, Kanye's relationship with Sumeke remained out of the public eye for the most part. Additionally, their relationship did not last long and allegedly ended shortly after Kanye rose to stardom.  

Kanye West was engaged to Alexis Phifer 

Kanye West had an on-and-off relationship with Alexis Phifer. According to reports, it is believed that the pair dated from 2002 to 2008; however, with Kanye's sudden rise to fame in 2004, their relationship hit a rough patch. After working things out and reuniting, Kanye popped the big question to Alexis in August 2006. The proposal took place on the island of Capri during a lobster-and-pasta dinner. Kanye and Alexis remained engaged for about 18 months before deciding to call it quits in April 2008.  

Kanye West dated former MTV employee, Brooke Crittendon 

While on a break with Alexis Phifer, Kanye West shifted his focus to dating Brooke Crittendon, a former MTC employee. Kanye even attended the 2006 Grammy Awards with her by his side. However, within the summer of the same year, the couple had already split. During a conversation with Essence in 2009, Brooke opened up about the intense pressure she felt being in a relationship with Kanye. She said that after they broke up, she had to constantly live in the shadow of "that's Kanye's ex-girl." Brooke further added that they ended their relationship on amicable terms and they wish the best for one another.  

Kanye West and model, Amber Rose dated for two years  

In 2008, the Fade rapper started dating Philadelphia-born model and TV personality, Amber Rose. Their relationship began soon after Kanye split with Alexis Phifer. The pair dated for 2 years and reportedly broke up in 2010. Later, Amber revealed that she was the one who asked for a breakup first after no longer being able to endure Kanye's “constant bullying”. During a 2017 interview on the talk show, Complex's Everyday Struggle, she said: 

“The only thing I got from him was fame. I had to just take that. I had to take that heartbreak on top of it.”  

Kanye West was married to Kim Kardashian for nearly a decade  

Among all his relationships, Kanye's relationship with Kim Kardashian garnered the most attention from his fans and the media alike. The duo, after a longstanding friendship, began dating back in 2012. As their relationship progressed, the pair surprised everyone by announcing that they were expecting their first child together. In June 2013, four months after their daughter, North, was born, Kanye proposed to Kim at the At&T Park in San Francisco. The couple held their wedding in 2014 in Florence, Italy, a year later. After their marriage, Kanye and Kim welcomed three more children – Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. After significant public ups and downs in their relationship, Kim ultimately decided to divorce Kanye on February 19, 2021.  

Kanye West had a brief romance with model, Irina Shayk 

Months after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West, media outlets reported that the rapper was seeing model, Irina Shayk in June 2021. Later, the duo were spotted celebrating Kanye's 44th birthday together in France. At the time, a source told People that Irina “seems smitten” and that when Kanye invited her to France, “she happily accepted.” In August 2021, insider reports claimed that Kanye and Irina had split up.  

Kanye West and Julia Fox's whirlwind romance  

According to reports, Kanye West met actress, Julia Fox during New Year's Eve in 2001, in Miami. They went on to have the most whirlwind romance, often making public appearances together, which instantly became the talk of the town. However, by February 2022, Kanye and Julia decided to go their separate ways, while still remaining "good friends and collaborators."  

Later, Kanye West dated Chaney Jones and is currently married to 31-year-old model, Bianca Censori.  

Also read: The Inside Story, Why Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Called It Quits After Seven Years Of Marriage 

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