25-year-old Jayson Tatum already has far more life experience than most others his age, from unexpectedly becoming a father in his late teens to being drafted by the NBA in 2017. It’s safe to say the athlete has a lot of responsibilities to juggle at any given time, though he still manages to make time for romance. Currently, Tatum’s main priorities are his basketball career and parenting his young son, known as Deuce, but for the past few years, he’s been linked to a certain R&B singer who hails from overseas.

Before those rumors began circulating, the Boston Celtics star spent years with his high school sweetheart. When he went off to college to play for the Duke Blue Devils, some thought that Tatum was cheating on his hometown honey with a new lover, though that romance quickly came to an end not long after it began. He might not have gotten down on one knee to propose to any lucky ladies just yet, but the father of one has still had some interesting bonds worth exploring throughout his rise to prominence.

Who is Tatum’s Baby Mother?

Before he secured his spot as a Small/Power Forward on the Massachusetts NBA team, Tatum was a teenager in love with Toriah Lachell. They began their relationship during high school and did their best to maintain their connection through his undergrad at Duke. Ultimately, the baller allegedly wound up spending time with a new woman while still dating Lachell, but when she became pregnant, he ended things with his college sweetheart so he could focus on fatherhood and being a good co-parent.

Tatum’s baby mama has praised him for remaining present in Jayson Tatum Jr.’s life even with his busy schedule, and the St. Louis native got a beautiful tattoo tribute to the young boy. He was born on December 6th, 2017, which happens to be the same day the new father helped the Celtics beat the Mavericks. Outside of being Deuce’s mom, Lachell, who’s just 23, has made a name for herself at The Curl Bar Boston, where she works as the owner and a hairstylist.

Who is Tatum’s Ex-Girlfriend?

The young woman Tatum was linked to during his time at Duke is Samantha Amos. Their rumored fling lasted from 2017 to 2018, and during that period she was frequently spotted supporting him in the crowd at his basketball games. An athlete herself, Amos played volleyball for the same university, and likely bonded with the rising star over their shared love for sports. Tatum never publicly addressed their break-up, though an emotional post on her Instagram at the time reveals that the student-athlete was in her feelings over losing her spot in his life.

“You think you played me? Who ended up losing? I mean, what did I lose?” she openly pondered in a since-deleted post, as Vizaca reminds us. Some think that Tatum walked away from Amos to reconcile with Lachell, but even if that is the case, the pair have since decided they’re better off raising Deuce together while living separate lives.

Who is Tatum’s Girlfriend?

The most high-profile figure among the women Tatum has been linked to is “Boo’d Up” hitmaker Ella Mai, who’s just a little bit older than the Boston-based player. She’s of Jamaican, English, and Irish descent and even has a Grammy for her aforementioned R&B hit. While Mai and her apparent man have been spotted together on numerous occasions over the years, neither party has confirmed whether they’re seriously dating or casually getting to know one another when their hectic schedules allow for it.

Gossip spread like wildfire after the 29-year-old paid a visit to Tatum’s Missouri residence in late 2020. Over a year later, she was cheering him on as the Celtics faced off against the Lakers in December 2021, and the next year, they enjoyed concert dates and parties in each other’s company as the world settled into a new normal post-COVID-19 pandemic. Social media sleuths speculated that Mai and Tatum might’ve called it quits after some radio silence, but in the spring of 2023 she was caught waving to him flirtatiously during a performance, and they certainly looked like a couple when attending Marcus Smart’s wedding together in September of last year.

Even if they’re choosing to keep their relationship lowkey, it’s worth noting that another NBA icon, Jaylen Brown, who plays on Tatum’s team, is allegedly romancing H.E.R. – another R&B vocalist and friend of Mai’s. We’re curious to see if this pair will ever go public with their love, or if the vocalist might pen an award-winning track about what she and Jayson Tatum get up to during their time together.

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