It was recently reported that Tyra Banks, 46, will be taking over as the new host of Dancing with the Stars when it returns to TV. But when the model isn’t preparing for her new gig or launching amusement park ModelLand, she’s reportedly spending time with her boyfriend Louis Bélanger-Martin, 45. Here’s six facts to know about the Canadian businessman, whom Banks has reportedly been dating for more than a year.
He’s an experienced entrepreneur.
It’s safe to say both Banks and Bélanger-Martin keep highly-packed schedules. According to his LinkedIn, Bélanger-Martin has held high-power positions at several companies. He’s served as President and CEO of Advanced Inflight Alliance AG, which specializes in in-flight entertainment. Bélanger-Martin is also co-founder and executive chairman of the board of directors of DTI Software, in addition to co-founder of private equity found Groupe W.
Bélanger-Martin and Banks share a few similar business interests.
Sleuthing through the businessman’s resume reveals that both he and Banks have ties to the Harvard Business School and her upcoming theme park, ModelLand. According to Bélanger-Martin’s LinkedIn, he participated in an Executive Education Program focused on corporate boards at Harvard Business School in 2013. Banks attended classes at the school in 2012 as part of an Owner/President Management program, according to HuffPost.
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It’s unclear whether or not Bélanger-Martin is involved in Banks’ next major business venture: the opening of her ModelLand attraction, which has been postponed. However, the park does appear to be one of his “interests” on LinkedIn and a logo for ModelLand appears as his cover photo.
He was first reported to be dating Banks in fall 2019.
Page Six broke the news on Banks and Bélanger-Martin’s relationship last October. The pair was seen having dinner at A-list spot Hutong, where a source told the outlet that they “seemed quite intimate.” The insider added, “The two were definitely on a romantic date. But [they] kept the PDA low-key.” The report was the first time Bélanger-Martin was identified after outings with Banks in August and September of last year.
In a report from Page Six the following month, the outlet claimed that the two had been quietly seeing each other since August 2018. A source said at the time that Banks and Bélanger-Martin were even living together. “Tyra and Louis live together, but Louis always moves around a lot for business reasons,” the insider explained, citing his properties in England, Barbados, and Quebec.
He’s a father and was previously married.
Another thing Banks and Bélanger-Martin have in common is that they’re both parents. Back in November, Page Six reported that he was father to a 12-year-old son, whom he shares with his ex-wife Valérie Martin Scraire. A source told the publication that Bélanger-Martin often spends time with Banks’ own young son York Banks Asla. “Louis also spends some time with his own child in England and around the world for business,” the insider said. “Tyra’s child has his own room at Louis [and] Valerie’s house in Magog and Tyra moved some of her stuff—clothes, jewelry—there too.”
A spokesperson for Banks wouldn’t confirm the status of her own relationship to Page Six, but did clarify: “[Scraire and Bélanger-Martin] are divorced, they have an amicable relationship and [are] harmoniously co-parenting their child.”
This is seemingly Banks’ first major relationship following her split from Erik Asla.
Banks’ last serious romance ended in October 2017 after nearly five years of dating. She and Norwegian photographer Erik Asla welcomed their four-year-old son York Banks Asla via surrogate in January 2016. A source close to Banks told Page Six at the time that the breakup was “drama-free, and they’re co-parenting their young son.” Asla even reportedly shot the opening credits of America’s Next Top Model that year shortly after the split.
As of 2020, the couple are reportedly living together.
At the start of the year, the couple had a public date night at the Los Angeles premiere of Bad Boys for Life. An insider told Page Six that Banks and Bélanger-Martin were “very, very much in love.” And while their romance has been kept low-key, the source said their relationship is “not a secret.” Banks is “very quick to introduce him as her man,” Page Six’s source said. A source close to Banks told the outlet, “They’re a pretty happy couple and have been together for over a year.” In April, the Daily Mail captured photos of the pair grabbing pastries in Los Angeles.
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