Mariah Carey had a tiger named after her, and they’re already BFFs
If there’s one thing we love about Mariah Carey, it’s that she knows how to live her best life. She defines luxury and the fact that Mariah Carey had a tiger named after her is the pinnacle of success. OK, being one of the best-selling female artists of all time is the pinnacle of success, but second to that is having a predatory cat named after you somewhere in the world.
Last week, on a trip to Dubai Carey was able to meet her namesake, along with her two children and new boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka. Thanks to Instagram, we’re all privy to the meeting. She thanked 14-year-old social media star Rashed Belhasa for “naming” the baby tiger after her, so we can only assume that the tiger belongs to him. The teen, who owns a clothing brand and is friends with the likes of Wiz Khalifa, told The National that hanging with stars and tigers is just something he does.
"[Celebs]all want to spend time on our family farm and see our tigers. Wiz Khalifa is my friend. Steve Aoki is my friend. They have all come to our farm. But sometimes I have to say no to celebrities who want to come here. I don’t have the time and it is tiring."
But he definitely was happy to make time for Mariah. In one video, Carey is trying to bottle feed the tiger along with a trainer and doesn’t seem to scared about his sharp teeth, though she does point them out. Tanaka is right there beside her, along with twins Moroccan and Monroe. Moroccan looks on in awe as someone informs the superstar that the tiger is named after her. It was obviously a lot to take in.
Carey was in town for the Dubai Jazz Festival, and the meeting with the little cub was just one of many sights she and Tanaka took in. The new lovebirds posted pictures of themselves on top of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. They also wandered around downtown Dubai hand in hand and greeting fans.
The couple is now back in Los Angeles. No word yet on if Carey’s going to adopt one of Belhasa’s tigers for her kids.
