Mariah Carey's 11-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, joined her and her boyfriend Bryan Tanaka for another Christmas celebration.
These children are shared by her and her ex-husband Nick Cannon.
Bryan's role as Moroccan and Monroe's father, however, was instantly questioned because Nick has 9 other kidsand missed the holidays with the twins.
Does this imply that the "All I Want for Christmas" singer is breaking up his relationship with Nick, though?
Despite the strong relationship Bryan has with Mariah's children, a source who talked to Hollywood Life claims that Nick's importance in the lives of the children cannot be replaced.
The backup dancer, they said, is a wonderful role model for the kids and is even close to him.
But "they do not call him dad; they look at him as a second father."
Nick, who is highly involved in his children's lives, is the one who is given that title. Nick and Bryan get along well, and Bryan has been a part of Mariah's life since 2006, so Nick trusts him completely.
The insider continued by saying that while Nick will always have the last word about his twins, Bryan has clearly taken on the role of a father figure.
Bryan is close with Moroccan and Monroe, but he is aware that he cannot and would not attempt to take over as host of "The Nick Cannon Show."
In truth, the TV celebrity has occasionally been by Aspen to visit Mariah and the kids for Christmas, but this year he spent it in Los Angeles.
The insider claims that the twins didn't object to Nick not spending the holiday with them, so the "We Belong Together" singer was fine with it.
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Additionally, Nick has plans to spend a late Christmas with them because he is reputed to be the sort of father who won't disappoint them.
While Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka are "the happiest that they have ever been together," according to another insider, fans shouldn't hold their breath for a wedding any time soon.
They both adore and respect one another, and their feelings won't alter even if their relationship status changes.
When Bryan Tanaka joined Mariah Carey on her "Adventures of Mimi" tour in 2006, the two began their collaborative collaboration. After the Grammy-winning singer called off her engagement to billionaire James Packer, she and Bryan began dating in 2016.
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