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Home • Celebrity

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours

From Oprah and Gayle to Kandi and Tiny, we're taking a look at some of our favorite celebrity friendships. 
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
GETTY IMAGES
By ESSENCE Staff · Updated June 7, 2024
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Where would you be without your girlfriends?

These star BFFs have been by each other’s side through a lot — the good, the bad, the scandals. We’ve been compiling this list for years in honor of National Girlfriends Day and National Best Friends Day. Take a look back at the celebrity friendships that go way, way back.

01
Stylish Sistas
In addition to Misa dressing Mary in some iconic fashions over the years as a go-to stylist, they’re also good friends who go waaaay back. Misa’s eldest child, son Justin Combs, is Mary’s godson.
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for 2019 TriBeCa Film Festival
02
Childhood Friends
You can’t see Rihanna without seeing her with her longtime best friend Melissa. The two are friends from back in Barbados and have seen it all together. We love their friendship!
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images
03
Closer Than Most
Ciara and Lala Anthony are always supporting one another, whether it’s on stage, at events or through the ups and downs of life.
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
04
Way Back When Friends
Jada Pinkett Smith and MC Lyte have been by each other’s side since they were 19. “You have loved me thru and thru!” Jada wrote about her BFF in 2019. “Thru the best of me and the worst. You are a sincere friend and I love you to death for it!”
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Rochelle Brodin/Getty Images for Haute Living
05
The Original BFFs

Gayle King has been Oprah Winfrey’s best friend for more than 30 years. The two met early in their broadcasting careers and remained close.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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06
Children of Destiny

They’re more than besties, they’re practically sisters. Kelly even lived with Beyoncé’s family when they were kids.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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07
Kandi Burruss and Tameka Harris

Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss has been friends with singer-songwriter Tameka “Tiny” Harris since their Xscape days. The group plans to reunite for the first time in more than a decade during the 2017 ESSENCE Festival. 

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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08
LeToya Luckett and Eudoxie Bridges

Bridges, who is married to rapper Ludacris, has known former Destiny’s Child member, Letoya Luckett for quite some time now. A few years back, Luckett teamed up with singer Monica to throw her a baby shower. 

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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09
Real Love

Sanaa Lathan and Reginal Hall navigate Hollywood together.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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10
Almost Sisters

Lala has been there for Kelly every step of the way, including the birth of Kelly’s baby boy!

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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11
Girlfriends

LeToya Luckett and Monica Brown are always out and about.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Instagram
12
Christina Milian and Karrueche Tran

Actresses Christina Milian and Karrueche Tran have been spotted together on numerous occasions including having lunch or simply having a fun night on the town. Most recently, they attended a GQ party together. 

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Araya Diaz
13
Terry Lynn Ellis and Holly Robinson Peete

Author-actress Holly Robinson Peete first met En Vogue’s Terry Lynn Ellis on the set of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. The two have been inseparable since. 

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
@hollyrobinsonpeete/instagram
14
Growing Together

From Set It Off to The Queen Latifah Show, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah still have a super strong friendship. Pinkett Smith was recently the executive producer behind Queen Latifah’s succesful daytime TV talk show.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
15
Celebrity Pals

Sherri Shepherd’s circle of friends includes Niecy Nash and Yvette Nicole Brown. Here the besties celebrate Sherri and Niecy turn on TV Land’s Soul Man. “Love when friends like @YvetteNBrown come to support!” wrote Sherri. “Love you ’Vette!”

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
16
Besties for Life

T-Boz and Chilli have been besties since back in the day. The group just released their first album in more than a decade. 

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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17
Kindred Spirits

Tisha and Tichina: Besties on Martin and besties in real life.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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18
Electric Ladies

Solange even had Janelle in her wedding. That’s as real as friendships get.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Prince Williams/Getty Images
19
Singing Sisters

Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan were caught showing off their amazing vocals in their hotel. That’s how real friends support each other.

22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
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20
A Trio of BFFs
Too much talent in one photo! Actresses Naturi Naughton, Teyonah Parris and Danielle Brooks have grown close over the years, even taking a trip together for Naughton’s 40th birthday with their respective spouses. It’s always smiles and vibes when these ladies come together!
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
21
Ab-solutely Fabulous
Stylish and sculpted starlets Teyana Taylor and Lori Harvey have been close long before they became “It” girls. They’ve talked about love on camera, have hung out courtside, and been each other’s plus-ones to major red carpet events. You love to see the love between them.
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Dave Benett/Getty Images for amfAR
22
Before the Fame Besties
Gen Z faves, entrepreneur and influencer Jayda Cheaves and rapper and fashionista Dess Dior, are thick as thieves. “We don’t play about each other,” Cheaves said in 2023. “We’ve been friends for 10-plus years. Before [The Impact] show ever came about, before we had all these followers on social media, we had an understanding.”
22 Celebrity Besties Almost As Cute As You And Yours
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
TOPICS:  National Best Friends Day