After Decades of Hits, Missy Elliott's Dating History Remains Mysterious

As one of the most influential female rappers in the industry, Missy Elliott has faced her fair share of rumors and speculation — particularly when it comes to her personal life.

Below, we take a look at what the tabloids and fans alike have claimed about Missy's relationship history.

Missy Elliott is a private person. After delivering some of the best hip-hop hits of the '90s and '00s, the superstar has kept her dating life under wraps. Rumors of her sexuality have persisted for decades. Every once in a while she comes out to claim who she’s not dating.

In 2011 Missy took to Twitter to claim she was not dating Keri Hilson. Missy wrote, "Girl, it amazes me how we never worked 2gether and barely know each other but they make up a full out lie! Smh!"

In 2014, singer and Love & Hip Hop: New York star Olivia Longott had to deny a rumor 50 Cent started which claimed Missy and Olivia dated while working together in 2004. The reality star said, “He was mad because at one point we were doing so much music together, he was getting upset — because I wasn’t really at the crib doing a whole bunch of music with the Unit but he heard all the records I did with Miss so he felt some type of way.” But did they date? “Absolutely not. That’s the homie.”

In 2018 Real Housewives of Atlanta's Eva Marcille claimed the rumor of Missy and her dating was just that on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. She also denied the rumors on a Real Housewives of Atlanta after-show.

Speaking of Eva, Missy has been in tabloids about dating women named Eva as far back as 2005. Then–gossip columnist Wendy Williams claimed Missy and America's Next Top Model season 3 winner Eva Pigford dated. Their mutual manager denied the rumor.

Another musician rumored to have dated Missy is Trina. Trina denied that it in a 2023 episode of the Caresha Please podcast.

According to whodatedwho.com, Missy is also rumored to have dated fellow musicians Da Brat, Charlene Keys aka Tweet, Lil’ Kim, Timbaland, and author Karrine Steffans. Ranker claims she’s also dated musicians Faith Evans and Sharaya J. Missy has not spoken about any of these romantic relationship rumors.

Yes, you read that right — Missy has never actually toured as an arena-level act.

Though she’s been heard on radio and seen on television since the late '90s, Missy rarely performs live. Other than participating in the 2004 Verizon Ladies Tour and the 1998 Lilith Fair, Missy has only performed on the occasional festival, late-night television talk show, awards show, and Super Bowl halftime show.

In a press release announcing the tour (which includes with Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland), Missy said, “This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour. Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family!"