Inside Fantasia Barrino And Kendall Taylor's Marriage

Fantasia Barrino hasn't had an easy life. The star struggled before finding fame as the winner of Season 3 of American Idol in 2004, but didn't exactly go on to live the fairytale life people expect to come with fame and fortune right after, either. Barrino has been very vocal about her demons over the years, and has even candidly spoken out about her suicide attempt in 2010 and what led her to such a dark place. "I think I was just overloaded with everything, with carrying six years of so much. I always take a licking and keep on ticking...it just became heavy for me to the point that I just wanted to be away from the noise," Barrino said on Good Morning America in August 2010. "They just see the glitz and the glamour, and they feel like life is so perfect, but we're human and we go through things."

But, fortunately, Barrino's attempt to end her life wasn't successful, and it wasn't too long after her dark time that the young grandmother fell in love with her husband, Kendall Taylor. The star has repeatedly gushed over her love and how happy he makes her, with Taylor returning the favor on multiple occasions. The couple has shared many interesting things about their relationship over the years before announcing they were expecting their first child together in November 2020. Read on for some things you may not know about their marriage.

Fantasia Barrino found herself in hot water in September 2019 when she opened up about her marriage to Kendall Taylor and dished out some controversial dating advice. Speaking on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM, the "Free Yourself" hitmaker claimed that "most women are trying to be the leader" in their relationships, and "that's why [they] can't find a man." She continued, "You can't be the king in the house. Fall back and be the queen and let your man lead the way," before adding, "You have learn how to submit. You can still be a queen. The queen plays a part. The king needs his queen. There's certain things that he can't see that we see."

The star was hit with backlash for her comments, which forced her and Taylor to set the record straight on Instagram. Though the upload has since been deleted, Atlanta Black Star reported that Taylor claimed in a video that "submission is supposed to be a beautiful song and dance between two lovers" and explained that one partner being submissive doesn't mean only one of them makes all the decisions in their marriage. Barrino added, "I think when women hear the word 'submission,' where like 'What? Submitting?' ... Submission to the right man isn't demeaning, it protects you & gives the relationship firm ground to stand on." It may not work for everyone, but it seems to be working for these two!

Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor didn't waste any time in their relationship, as things moved seriously quickly between the two. They put a label on their relationship almost instantly and got married only three weeks after getting engaged in 2015. "When I first met my husband, this was the keeper. We became friends first, and we got married very, very fast ... We got married in three weeks!" Barrino shared on Angela Yee's Lip Service in October 2019, as she admitted she's "a hopeless romantic."

She also opened up about the exact moment she knew her husband was the one for her. "I knew he was the one when I was getting ready to go on the road and he kneeled down and was like, 'Can I cover you?' And I was like, 'Cover me?' He kneeled down and started praying. And I couldn't even get caught up in the prayer, 'cause I was like, 'Say what?'"

But it wasn't just marriage that came quickly. Barrino shared that they became boyfriend and girlfriend almost instantly. On The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM, she opened up about the night they got serious during a date on a "rooftop spot," recalling, "Never did he ever try to come onto me ... It was just great conversation. I knew he was my dude. He was my boyfriend that night."

For a love like this, one wedding just didn't cut it. Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor actually got married twice, choosing to have a lavish vow renewal after their initial wedding. The two initially married on a yacht in July 2015, with Fantasia sharing the news on her Instagram page in a since-deleted post. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the gushing message about her new husband said: "How happy I am.. This Man.. God made him just for Me and me Just For Him.. This Man.. Covers and prays for me and my children EVERY morning ... This Man allows me to just be a woman." Barrino added that she would feel "no more Hurt because King Kendall will never let that happen." Barrino finished off her message by adding that Taylor was all she ever wanted, writing, "This Man and this smile is real."

The following year, the two tied the knot again with a stunning ceremony on Christmas Day. Barrino shared several photos from their second big day on Instagram, including one that showed her in a gorgeous fitted and beaded white dress as she stood next to Taylor, who wore a white tuxedo. She captioned the snap with nothing but "Taylor" next to a crown emoji.

Though prenuptial agreements can be a sticky subject for some couples, that wasn't the case for Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor. It turns out the latter actually wanted to sign a prenuptial agreement, with Barrino claiming he was very much up for signing on the dotted line as proof that he loved her and not her money. She explained on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM in 2019 that she was seriously impressed he was so willing to sign away his rights to her cash and assets.

"He wanted the prenup, and I think that was a dope move because he wanted people to know 'I don't want you for [your money]'" she shared, though she noted that she would still have married him even if he wasn't willing to sign on the dotted line to keep their cash separate. That's a pretty big statement from the star, as Barrino has a pretty impressive net worth despite some past financial struggles. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the singer is worth $700,000 as of April 2021.

It was all about celibacy for Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor, as she revealed that they waited until after they were married to have sex. The American Idol winner shared that they chose a more traditional approach to intimacy, which she spoke about in her September 2019 The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM interview. "We didn't make love until we married. That was one thing I wanted. I wanted somebody to see me for me, not Fantasia," she explained. The star also revealed that she had a list of things she was looking for in a mate before deciding to get serious with someone, and Taylor met all her requirements. "I had a little small list that I told God ... I knew I wanted a man that was going to love me, love my children, love God, be a smart man, cover me, see me, all the things that were on my list, he was that," she elaborated.

Barrino also opened up about their decision to abstain from sex on Angela Yee's Lip Service, where she shared how impressed she was that Taylor didn't bring up the topic of being intimate while they were still getting to know each other. "I kept watching how he flowed, and he never gave me no ooh's and ahh's, You bad.' He never tried to sleep with me," she said.

As the saying goes, you find love when you're not looking for it — and it seems that's definitely the way things went for Fantasia Barrino. Before meeting Kendall Taylor, the star revealed that she wasn't looking to be in a relationship, and even considered herself to be married to herself. "Before I met him I bought a ring and married myself. That's crazy, right?" she told Harry Connick Jr. on Harry, in October 2017. "I married myself because I felt like before true love could come I needed to learn how to love myself again ... I forgot about myself." She explained that she needed to learn how to truly love herself and let go of bad experiences from past relationships. "I was so busy trying to take care of everybody else so busy looking for that love that I was ending up in all the wrong situations ... and so I said I'm going to marry myself," the star admitted.

Fantasia also spoke out about self-love in a July 2016 interview with Billboard magazine. "I was getting all of my old relationships out of my system. I didn't want anybody; I said, 'I'm marrying myself,'" she recalled. She revealed she spent a lot of money on the ring for herself which any man who wanted to marry her would have to top. "That was me realizing my value," she said.

Fantasia Barrino and Kendall Taylor are all about giving back and both use their life experiences to help others. The star has been open about how important it is for them to be mentors to young people, particularly in her hometown of Charlotte, N.C. While speaking to Billboard in 2016, Barrino recalled driving through the city with her husband when they spotted a fight between a group of young men. They pulled over the car and she intervened. "My husband thought I was crazy. I started speaking, and one of the guys says, 'Oh, it's Fantasia!' And I'm like, 'Let's not worry about that. Let's talk about the fact that you guys are out here as brothers and you're fighting. So get home! And don't let me catch y'all back on the streets!'"

The couple has since spent their time mentoring young men in prison in the city. Barrino shared that she wanted those who may be on not the best paths that "no matter what you've been through, you can change." She added, "Everything in life is a fight. Everybody wants this microwavable life, and it doesn't work like that. I'm here to say, 'See what I went through? Look at me now.'" We love to see a relationship so grounded in giving back to others.

Though Fantasia Barrino did a lot of work on herself before finding love with Kendall Taylor, it turns out she's still learning more about who she really is with him by her side. The "I Believe" singer has credited her husband for showing her a side of herself that she didn't even know existed. Appearing on Essence's Yes, Girl! Podcast in November 2019, Barrino was told that she seemed "stronger and more confident than ever" when asked what helps her get through tough times. "I will have to say kudos to [Taylor] because when he came into my life, he brought out a Fantasia that I didn't even know was there," she explained. Barrino elaborated that her journey to a better life path "started with my whole transition and my fasting time" because if she hadn't "let go of some stuff, then [she] would have lost him."

Barrino also shared a little dating advice and urged all those who want a love like hers to put in the work on themselves first. She admitted she has a lot of women come up to her and ask how they too can have such a strong relationship, to which she admitted she tells them, "You have to sit back and realize who you are first. How can you know what type of man you need if you don't know who you are?"

Though their relationship seems to be picture-perfect, it was only a couple of months before her wedding that Fantasia Barrino actually sparked rumors of a breakup. She put up a very cryptic post on Instagram that had fans wondering if she and Kendall Taylor had called it quits. Per LOVEBSCOTT, the April 2015 post showed her ring and wedding bands (though the couple didn't officially tie the knot until July 2015) with the caption, "It's Done.... The Kids and I Will Always Love You [Heart] I got to stay strong for Granny.. He was the best man I knew Kendall you are loved."

The post was deleted, and the couple, of course, went on to get married, but her emotional post appeared to be linked to the death of her grandmother, who had passed away earlier that month. Shortly before suggesting things were rocky with Taylor, The Christian Post reported that Barrino shared a post on Instagram (which has also been deleted) in which she expressed her heartbreak over losing her grandmother. "A real life Angel has left us. Lord help me please," she captioned a series of photos of her. The star added in the heart-breaking caption, "Grandma Please Baby I wasn't ready," as she asked her followers for their prayers.

Kendall Taylor's love for Fantasia Barrino is permanent — quite literally. Taylor proved he was so in love with Barrino that he got her name tattooed on him in 2014. Black America Web reported that Fantasia posted and quickly deleted a photo of his huge inking to her Instagram account, which she captioned "loyalty does not come Cheap!!!" The snap showed Taylor shirtless as he revealed the word Fantasia written on the right side of his chest over the top of an existing tattoo, a suit of armor.

Taylor gave fans a better look at the tattoo on his own Instagram account in May 2019 when he reposted a video from his wife's account which showed the duo at the beach. He stood behind the singer with his arm around her and sweetly kissed her on the forehead. Barrino spoke openly about her difficult journey, her relationship with God, and how "good" she was feeling. He captioned it, "Taylor Talk: 'Give Him Praise before the Awards and Social Recognition!' (@tasiasword) I'm continually watching you blossom Queen, and thankful to have a front seat during your Victory Lap! -Salute."

Fantasia Barrino has opened up about how her husband inspired her to take on a new hobby after years of struggling with illiteracy. In a 2019 interview with CNN, she shared how Taylor had inspired her love affair with books and even sparked her interest in writing her own book. "I read a lot now. I used to hate to read, hated it, and now I can't stop reading. And you know, who inspired me with that? My husband," she shared, admitting that Taylor "reads all day long."

Barrino's love of books is made all the more impressive as the star has been vocal about the fact that she was unable to read. During an appearance on ABC's 20/20 in 2005, she shared how she would have to fake being able to read on American Idol. "You're illiterate to just about everything. You don't want to misspell. So that, for me, kept me in a box and I didn't, wouldn't come out," she said, admitting she had signed contracts she was unable to read but found it most difficult that she couldn't read stories to her daughter Zion. Barrino, who dropped out of high school at 14-years-old, added, "I was so ashamed and I was like, 'What will people say about me?' I can't get a job." Thank goodness she's found someone so supportive of her growth!