Toni Braxton is opening up and blushing about her husband Birdman as she reflects on first meeting him over 25 years ago, eventually falling in love with each other, and now celebrating their first anniversary as husband and wife.
RELATED: Toni Braxton And Birdman Reportedly Got Married Last Year, Almost Divorced But Called It Off
Longtime Friends Toni Braxton And Birdman Get Engaged After Two Years Of Dating
Toni Braxton, 58, and Birdman, born Bryan Williams, 56, first started dating in 2016. The R&B legend revealed that when she was battling Lupus, she found a strong support system with the Cash Money head honcho.
Two years into dating, the “Breathe Again” singer told PEOPLE that she never expected her friendship, with her “bestie for like 15 or 16 years,” to turn into something so strong. She added, “I never thought we would be dating or getting married.”
In February 2018, during a trailer for the new season of ‘Braxton Family Values,’ Braxton confirmed that she and Birdman were engaged after two years of dating. She happily told her sisters, “I have an announcement to make — I’m engaged!” She then flaunted a massive $1 million canary yellow diamond engagement ring that Birdman designed. He reportedly also showered her with other pricey pieces of jewelry, like expensive watches and vintage earrings.
However, things took a turn in early 2019 as reports claimed the two had called things off. They each scrubbed their Instagram accounts clean of joint pictures and unfollowed one other. E! News reported that Birdman wrote “It’s over” on his Instagram Story before cleaning his page.
Meanwhile, in a New Year’s Day post, Braxton told fans, “Starting a new chapter isn’t always an easy choice… but ALWAYS choose to be chosen.” Later that month, the duo sparked reconciliation rumors after reuniting on stage at Braxton’s tour stop at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.
Toni Braxton Celebrates First Anniversary With Birdman After Secretly Tying Knot, Filing For Divorce, And Then Dismissing Petition
On December 31, 2023, amid marriage rumors online, Toni Braxton denied the claims. She insisted that she and Birdman were both single again. Fans speculated that they married in a private ceremony. However, she adamantly wrote, “#FAKENEWS” over a screenshot that read, “Congratulations! Toni Braxton & Birdman Married In A Private Ceremony In Mexico!” In an Instagram feed post, she continued, “My dear friend @Birdman and I are not married…never been married. We are both single.”
By April 2025, TMZ reported that Braxton and Birdman tied the knot on August 8, 2024 in a private ceremony. The publication learned of the news after obtaining divorce documents filed by Braxton just two weeks later. The “Un-Break My Heart” singer listed their date of separation as of August 10, 2024. Meaning, two days after jumping the broom, they were ready to call it quits and separated before the dust even settled. Two weeks after that, Braxton officially filed for divorce, claiming the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
However, TMZ updated that Braxton then filed to dismiss her divorce petition in January 2025. They added that Birdman also signed off on the documents, leaving them legally married, husband and wife. On August 8, 2025, Braxton took to her Instagram to celebrate her and Birdman’s anniversary. She shared a photo holding a bouquet of flowers, with her massive diamond ring blinding viewers. She simply captioned the post, “Happy Anniversary.”
Toni Braxton Blushes While Reflecting On Falling In Love With Husband Birdman And Celebrating First Anniversary: ‘We’ve Been Friends For Over 25 Years’
While appearing in a new interview with ‘Jenna & Friends‘ host Jenna Bush Hager and guest co-host Leanne Morgan, Toni Braxton blushed about her and Birdman celebrating one year as husband and wife.
When Hager mentioned her celebrating her one year anniversary, Braxton said, “Yes, to Brian everyone calls him Birdman.” When asked if it was weird that the world calls him Birdman, she said, “A little bit. People call him that or Stunna. I say Brian.”
When asked how it feels to have met Birdman “in this stage of her life,” Braxton clarified:
“We’ve been friends for over 25 years. He used to go go to all my shows. He was there for my baby shower—that kind of thing. Never nothing. Never crossed the line. He was my dearest, dearest friend. He came to see me when I did ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ He got there just before intermission and I’m like, ‘Why are you here so late?’ He’s like. What? I thought it was an opening that.” I’m like, ‘It is Broadway. There is no opening act, dear.’ So, we’ve been friends for a long time and a love connection started happening happening like a couple years ago.”
When asked if this all how great unions are supposed to start, Braxton said, ”That’s what everybody says. Yeah. We were peas and carrots.” When opening up about celebrating her one year anniversary with Birdman, Braxton said:
“We went to [one of] my favorite places: The St. Regis Hotel. It’s at the [???] coast. All the little islands off of North Carolina, and Georgia, and South Carolina, right there. Near Hilton Head. It’s really the South C—our getaway spot. Maybe not after today. But, usually our getaway spot.”
Braxton also talked about recently celebrating her 57th birthday on October 7. She said, “I did. I’m getting older. I’m getting older—but old is good. That’s the goal. Old age is the goal, right?”
When asked how she and Birdman celebrated her birthday, Braxton said:
“Okay, I just got COVID for the first time and I was like, ‘Na, na, na na, na I never caught it. And I finally caught it just before my birthday. So, we had to cancel that and we did it like a week later. All my friends were there. Jada [Pinkett Smith] was there. We’re like peas and carrots. And Kris [Jenner], she’s like my big sis. She’s my big sis. She gives me great advice all the time. We always go to each other’s parties. Yeah she’s great.”
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