Madonna’s been to the UAE and JLo’s on her way but that’s not the only thing these ladies have in common.
Both dating their 24-year-old backup dancers, Madge and JLo are fast becoming the most talked about “big cats” of tinsel town — and so too are their respective boys Brahim Zaibat and Casper Smart.
But who are they and which Hollywood jungle were they captured from? tabloid! introduces you to the boys, their older women and investigates the world of big cat terminology.
Who: Brahim Zaibat
Age: 24
Height: 172cm
Religion: Muslim
Born in: Lyon, France.
Job: Dancer.
Jaguar: Madonna (54), mother of four, twice married and reigning Queen of Pop.
Early beginnings: First introduced to hip-hop he began breakdancing in 2000 with the Baby Boom Crew. In 2001 he joined the Pockemon Crew and was successful in a number of competitions around the world. He participated in several competitions as well as the creation of choreographic work for the group.
What makes him unique: His outstanding flexibility as a dancers allows him to achieve signature moves others cannot.
They met: At the launch of Madonna’s new ready-to-wear clothing range, Material Girl, on September 22, 2010, in NYC.
He said: “My mate Norman, who danced for her and who became her personal trainer, asked me to dance at the evening. I performed a solo to Material Girl. Then I met Madonna on the sidelines, and she just thanked me for my show. It wasn’t like meeting a monster. She’s just a woman like all the others. She’s an extraordinary artist and world famous, of course, but a woman above all.”
She said: “I didn’t choose to, you know, I didn’t, like, write down on a piece of paper I’m now going to have a relationship with a younger man,” she told ABC. “That’s just what happened. You see, that’s the romantic in me. I just met someone that I cared for, and this happened to be his age.”
Who: Casper Smart
Age: 24
Height: 172cm
Born in: Anaheim, California
Job: Dancer.
Jaguar: Jennifer Lopez (42), mother of twins, married three times, busy actress and singer.
Early beginnings: He has been a backup dancer for Mike Posner, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Pink, Eminem, Sean Paul, Alexandra Burke, Toni Braxton, Alexis Jordan, Jordin Sparks, Natasha Bedingfield and most recently for his beau JLo. You also may have spotted him on shows and flicks including Step Up 3, Honey 2, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Leave It On The Floor, Dance Flick, Glee and How I Met your Mother.
Education: Western High School in Anaheim, California where he graduated in the class of 2005, well after JLo was well-known and married for the third time.
Oops: Smart has had numerous run-ins with the law over the past seven years for motoring misdemeanours, the majority for speeding or driving without a valid licence and failing to show up in court. The young dancer was caught drag racing in 2010 driving a motorbike at over 100mph.
They met: Smart was a dancer on JLo’s tour. He’s now the choreographer. Go figure.
He said: “It was just very natural, you know, natural how it happened. There was nothing before, no flirting. No nothing.”
She said: “For me, the biggest dream is the fairy tale. I will never give up on that dream. It can be difficult for anybody who has to stand by my side, but at the end of the day, I know that I deserve that.”
----------
Big cat lingo explained
Puma: A woman between the age of 30-39 who prefers to date younger men.
Cougar: The same but aged 40-49
Jaguar or sometimes panther: The same for a female aged 50 plus
Cub: The young men being preyed upon.
