Jayson Tatum Says He ‘Wasn’t Ecstatic’ or ‘Thrilled’ About Becoming a Father Before Ella Mai Debuts Baby Bump
After the Boston Celtics won a championship, Jayson Tatum’s love life became a hot topic when R&B singer Ella Mai was spotted wearing his jersey and debuting a baby bump. Now fans are wondering if the NBA star and British songbird are “boo’d up.”
Here’s what we know and why the athlete previously admitted he wasn’t jumping for joy when he found out he was going to be a father the first time around.
Why Tatum said he ‘wasn’t thrilled’ when he learned he was going to be a dad
As Celtics fans know, Tatum is already a father to Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., aka Deuce.
Tatum’s son has become a fixture and fan favorite at Celtics games. He also makes appearances with his dad at press conferences and during warmups, and the basketball player’s social media is filled with photos of his little boy. But when Tatum first learned he was going to be a dad, he wasn’t too happy about it.
In 2017, he found out his high school girlfriend, Toriah Lachell, was pregnant.
“I wasn’t ecstatic,” Tatum said (via ABC). “I was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.”
He added: “I’d be the first to say I wasn’t super-thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, and quickly realized that it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. There’s nothing better than being a dad. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.”
How long Tatum and Mai have been romantically linked
Well, if the reports are true, Tatum is about to be a father for the second time, as he’s been romanticly linked to Mai for some time.
Rumors that they were an item first surfaced in 2019 when she was spotted at one of his games. There were a few sightings of them together after that, but the two kept their relationship status under wraps.
In 2022, when she was a guest on The Breakfast Club, Mai was asked directly if she was a Celtics fan or dating a “Celtics player.”
The songwriter replied: “I’m a basketball fan definitely, but you know I’m not one to talk about my dating life.”
In 2023 though, Tatum was spotted, along with Duece, watching Mai’s show during her tour stop in Boston. The athlete and recording artist were also photographed together at Marcus Smart’s wedding in September. However, neither Tatum nor Mai have confirmed anything at this time, leaving fans to speculate about whether they are or aren’t together.
Many fans are buzzing online with congrats for them. But others are bringing up Tatum’s future contract, which could be the largest in NBA history north of $300 million, and calculating how much child support payments would be for baby No. 2 if they’re not together.
This will be the first child for Mai.
