Tyla and Chris Brown dating rumours debunked after viral posts spark online frenzy

Tyla rumored to be dating Chris Brown

Social media erupted this week after claims surfaced that South African star Tyla was secretly dating American R&B singer Chris Brown.

The speculation gained traction after an X user alleged that the two had been spotted together on multiple occasions; first at a New York hotel and later at what was said to be Tyla’s father’s birthday celebration in Johannesburg.

The post, shared on Thursday, 19 February 2026, included side-by-side images presented as “evidence” of the alleged romance.

“These repeated sightings have now fueled and seemingly confirmed the ongoing dating rumours between them. Adding to the speculation, Tyla has started following Chris Brown on Instagram, something she wasn’t doing before,” the post claimed.

The internet quickly ran with the narrative, with some fans expressing shock while others pleaded for the rumours to be false.

Critics argued that a relationship with the controversial R&B star could damage Tyla’s carefully built global image.

However, further scrutiny revealed that the viral claims did not hold up.

The image circulating as proof of the pair attending her father’s birthday was actually taken at the Water hitmaker’s 2024 birthday party in Los Angeles, not in Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, the supposed New York hotel sighting did not feature Brown at all.

The man in the photo was Nigerian superstar Wizkid, photographed from behind during a studio session for their song Dynamite.

Adding to the debunking, a search of Chris Brown’s name on Tyla’s Instagram account showed no evidence that she had recently followed him, contradicting another key claim from the viral post.

This is not the first time Tyla has found herself at the centre of high-profile dating rumours.

In 2024, she was also linked to American rapper Travis Scott after the two were seen together, though those claims were later flagged as misleading.

After Tyla and Chris Brown were recently spotted together at a hotel in New York a few weeks ago, the two were seen together again this time at Tyla’s father’s birthday celebration in Johannesburg, South Africa. These repeated sightings have now fueled and seemingly confirmed the… pic.twitter.com/8GEMjeH2lI

— Li na🌸 (@vahphor) February 19, 2026