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E! News exclusively learnt that Carey was “blindsided” when Packer dumped her “out of nowhere.” To add insult to injury, Carey only learned that herengagement to Packer was over when she saw it in the press, according to one insider.
E! News quoted a source as saying: “The split has been devastating for Mariah.
“She loved James and was planning to marry him…She made life changes for this man to prepare for their future as husband and wife, even relocating to L.A., at James’ request, so he could be closer to his children. Everything she has done over the past year is to prove how fully committed she is to their life together. She really wanted this to work. And then, completely out of the blue, it imploded.”
“Mariah and James never met up after that,” says a source. “And they haven’t spoken. The way the split news was handled was incredibly upsetting to her.”
As for the media speculation surrounding Carey and her backup dancer, rumored to be Brian Tanaka? A source tells E! News the longtime friends have a “completely platonic” relationship. Tanaka has “been a supportive influence” in Carey’s life over the past 10 years, says a source. “Right now they are just close friends,” says a source.
“I can’t promise things won’t develop between them one day, who knows,” adds the insider. “But right now, the stories out there are an exaggeration and they definitely feel like a convenient ploy to make this whole mess look like her [Carey’s] fault.