*The above photo is from the US Open, just a few weeks ago. The woman beside Latifah is allegedly named Eboni Nichols.

By most accounts, Queen Latifah was in a very solid, stable relationship with a personal trainer named Jeanette Jenkins. In the past few years, Latifah and Jeanette were even photographed together with more frequency, and there were even reports that Latifah and Jeanette wanted to start a family together. Last year, the two of them even went to Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s wedding, the paparazzi even got photos of Latifah and Jeanette frolicking on a yacht. Like this:

So… sad news. It seems like Latifah and Jeanette have called it quits after eight years together. Worse news: Latifah might have lined up her jumpoff before she and Jeanette were really over. The jumpoff lady is named Eboni Nichols, and Eboni and Latifah have had a close friendship for a while now. She might have been the unidentified woman in last year’s suspicious photos of Latifah in Barcelona. Here’s more from the Enquirer:

After an eight-year relationship, Queen Latifah has split with her lover and is stepping out with her choreographer, say sources. Eboni Nichols is dancing her way into Queen Latifah’s life on the heels of Latifah’s breakup with longtime galpal Jeanette Jenkins.

“Latifah and Jeanette had lots of problems,” said an insider. “Their arguments were tearing them apart. But it was the Queen’s long-time friendship and professional relationship with Eboni that eventually drove a wedge between her and Jeanette. Even though they’ve broken up and gotten back together before, this time it definitely seems like the end.”

Latifah, 41, and Eboni, 33, have been friends since 2009, when Eboni choreographed a guest appearance by the Queen on Dancing with the Stars. Even though Latifah and Jeanette were arm-in-arm at the 2010 BET Awards and the two spent time together that summer on a yacht off the Italian coast, weeks later the Queen and Eboni were together, enjoying a trip to Barcelona, Spain.

Latifah always insisted that she and Eboni were “just friends” – but personal trainer Jeanette was not buying it.

“Needless to say, Jeanette was not very happy about their relationship,” said the source. “And she let Latifah know about it in no uncertain terms.”

Jeanette and Latifah are remaining cordial in the wake of their recent breakup, say sources: “Their relationship had been rocky for a while, and during one of their ‘breaks’ Latifah spent time with Eboni… still, it was hard for her to end her relationship with Jeanette.”

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

It sounds like Latifah was stepping out whenever she and Jeanette were having problems, but I’ll also buy that Latifah and Jeanette were having problems beyond “another woman”. There’s always more to the story. Still, if this is even partially true, I feel like Latifah mistreated Jeanette to a certain extent. Sad.

Here’s a recent photo of Jeanette from a few weeks ago… she’s cute.

More of Latifah and Eboni (allegedly).

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, archived Bauer-Griffin photo from 2010.

Queen Latifah and her longtime partner Jeanette Jenkins are planning on adopting a baby in the very near future, according to friends. The not-officially-out-of-the-closet couple has been hoping to have children for a while now. They’re also in the process of possibly getting married now that it’s legal in California, though that’s not their immediate priority right now.

It’s top secret right now, but they are hoping to have a little one by Christmas,” a longtime pal told The Enquirer. “They’re trying to keep it quiet because they don’t want to jinx the whole thing.” Latifah’s sister, who works in New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services, is helping guide her through the red tape, said the source.

Unlike Madonna and Angelina Jolie, Latifah is making a point of adopting a child from the United States. “I can understand why people go outside the U.S. You can adopt someone here, and the birth parents have three years to come back and get that child. That’s terrifying,” said the Oscar-nominated “Chicago” star. But she says poor American children “can use just as much assistance as someone from around the world. I want to do something here.”

Adoption has been on her mind for a long time. The “Mad Money” star told a reporter last year, “I’ve always wanted to have [babies] and adopt. When I was little, I remember seeing TV shows and a child would be adopted and be happy. I just always felt like there are so many kids out there who need a parent.”

[From the National Enquirer, Sept. 8 2008, print ed.]

There is just something about Queen Latifah that says she’d be a great mother. I think it’s the way you can tell she’s both firm and loving. She has a maternal quality without being cutesy or overbearing. Since she’s never been really out and open about her relationship with girlfriend Jeanette it’s hard to say for sure how long the couple has been together, but pretty much every article refers to them as “longtime partners.” Not a lot is known about the two, but they seem very committed to each other and happy in their life together, and like they’re more than ready to move on to the next step.

Here’s Queen Latifah and Jeanette in older pictures after she had knee surgery in 2005. Images thanks to Fame.