Shemar Moore began his career as a soap-opera heartthrob on “The Young and the Restless” before starring in hit shows and movies like “S.W.A.T.,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” and “Criminal Minds.” Along the way, the 52-year-old star has had a storied dating life. From Halle Berry to his “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” costar Kimberly Elise, Moore has been connected to quite a few familiar faces.
On Jan. 9, the “S.W.A.T.” actor announced he and girlfriend Jesiree Dizon are expecting a baby in February. The baby will be Moore’s first and Dizon’s third (she has a son and daughter from previous relationships), and the shift into family-man mode marks a big change for the longtime bachelor. However, it’s not entirely unexpected.
In the past, Moore was candid about wanting to focus on his career before he started a family, but in recent years, he’s opened up about being ready to settle down. In a clip from “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” he shared that before he and Dizon decided to start a family, part of him worried he might never become a father. “I was worried for a while that maybe that ship had sailed kind of thing, and, you know, God had my back and things lined up,” he said to Hudson. “My life is pretty grand, but I know once God does call my name, once I get this experience, I’ll be able to go to heaven whole.”
Before Moore becomes a #GirlDad, read on to find out more about the “Criminal Minds” star’s dating history, which includes Toni Braxton and Halle Berry.
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Toni Braxton
In a 2013 interview with BET, Moore revealed that Braxton was his first Hollywood girlfriend. He shared that the two started dating while he was on “The Young and the Restless,” not long after he had graduated college.
“[Toni Braxton] was my first Hollywood relationship,” he said. “I was a baby, I did not know sh*t. I had just graduated from college, I had no money and I was on ‘Young and the Restless.’ She called my agent when she was shooting a video in Miami, and it just went from there. I was like the little kid who found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was a wild ride with Toni.”
Moore added, “She would never sing for me, though. That always bothered me.”
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Halle Berry
In the same interview where he opened up about dating Braxton, Moore also shared details about his late-’90s romance with Berry. According to the “Criminal Minds” star, dating Berry changed his life. “She was the first woman to really knock my socks off,” he said. “I fell hard for Halle. A lot of people now know we dated, but we had to keep it hush-hush at the time because she was fresh off her divorce from David Justice.”
Moore added, “I’m still grateful for that relationship. I was smitten not just because of who she was, but because we were so similar in so many ways. She was biracial, she was kind of going through the same things I was in Hollywood. Toni was a fun ride, but Halle was a necessary experience. It made me much stronger as a man, and knowing the caliber of woman I want in the future.”
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Ashley Scott
In 2002, Moore was connected with his “Birds of Prey” costar Scott. While details about their relationship are scarce, the two walked several red carpets together at the time and were spotted getting cozy in photos from the “2 Fast 2 Furious” premiere in June 2003. In 2018, Scott even shared a throwback photo from the premiere on her Facebook page captioned, “#Throwbackthursday Fast and Furious premiere 2003 with the handsome Shemar Moore.”
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Kimberly Elise
Between 2005 and 2006, Moore and his “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” costar were rumored to be dating. Although neither of them confirmed the rumors, they were often spotted together on red carpets at the time – including at the premiere of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and the 2006 NAACP Image Awards.
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Gabrielle Richens
Like with many of the women he’s been connected to in the past, Moore hasn’t confirmed he dated Richens. However, in January 2006, they attended the People’s Choice Awards together, where they looked close on the red carpet.
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Lauren Wood
Before she began dating NFL player Odell Beckham Jr., model Wood was briefly attached to Moore in July 2014. The two didn’t appear to be together for long, but they had two high-profile date nights when they walked the red carpet at the ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live and then attended the 2014 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour the following day.
Getty / Frederick M. Brown
Shawna Gordon
Soccer star Gordon and Moore began dating in 2015. While the former soap star generally doesn’t talk about his relationships publicly, he did confirm that he and Gordon were dating. When a TMZ reporter asked him which woman athlete had the best body in 2015, he said, “My girlfriend Shawna Gordon because she’s a professional soccer player. If she stands up and turns around you might just faint.”
In May of that same year, Hoffman’s Ice Cream in New Jersey also thanked the two stars for stopping by its shop on Facebook, confirming they were still together.
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images / Presley Ann
Anabelle Acosta
Prior to his relationship with Dizon, Moore and “Quantico” actor Acosta appeared to be getting serious. In 2018, during an appearance on the “Steve Harvey” talk show, the “S.W.A.T.” star opened up about dating Acosta and his desire to settle down.
“It’s cool,” he said of their relationship. “She said to me, ‘Whatever the attraction is, the interest is there, but let’s work on being friends . . . Let’s get to know each other. Let’s vibe it out. Let’s not speed through it because you are cute, I am cute.’ We’re taking our time.”
Moore also revealed that their first date was at the Grammys in January 2018.
WireImage / JB Lacroix
Jesiree Dizon
It’s unclear when exactly Moore and Dizon began dating, but the two are definitely serious. In a gender-reveal video shared on Instagram on Jan. 9, they announced they’re expecting a daughter they plan on naming Frankie in February.
“I honestly just want whatever is healthy, happy, like [Moore] says, 10 fingers, 10 toes,” Dizon (who is also an actor) said in the video. “I’m just so excited for this portion of our life together, and it’s going to be amazing.”
Moore added of their special moment, “Today is the day. You know your boy’s got butterflies. Today is a special day. This is a legendary day.”
