After dominating headlines in 2015 with the widespread success of her sweet potato pies, Patti LaBelle has found someone else who loves her pies as well (*wink*). According to reports, the R&B legend is romantically involved with a member of her band.

The veteran songbird's alleged boo, drummer Eric Seats, is all of thirty years younger than her and the age gap has people talking, to say the least.

The 41-year-old accomplished drummer, whom LaBelle had already been dating for several years, has decided to enjoy their time together publicly as of late, prompting rumors of their romance. According to U.K.'s The Daily Mail, LaBelle originally met Seats when she hired him to join her band as a drummer.

Obviously, they have extended their relationship beyond business, but their union hasn't come without its fair share of criticisms. Some feel that Seats is with LaBelle due to her fame and fortune, but others would say that would be an unfair assessment given Seats' individual success.

Prior to meeting Patti LaBelle, Seats toured with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Timbaland and has production credits from working with R&B stars such as Destiny's Child and Aaliyah. He has most recently toured with jazz artist Lalah Hathaway.

“He made her feel at ease and she loved that he had such a vast experience working in the music business” a source close to Patti told Hello Beautiful.

Meanwhile, LaBelle's son, Zuri Edwards, has also had reservations about his mother's relationship with Seats in light of her history with younger men. Edwards, who is also LaBelle's manager, just doesn't want to see his mother hurt like she's been by breakup's with younger men in the past.

The opinions haven't seemed to deter Patti LaBelle or Seats much, as the two recently spent Christmas and New Year's Eve together and show no signs of cooling down their hot romance.

Fans on Twitter have expressed their thoughts on Patti LaBelle's rumored relationship. Read their tweets below.

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