Many fans have forgotten all about Jennifer Lopez’s marriages and why they failed.
On Tuesday, August 20, Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck.
This not-so-surprising divorce news follows months of what we can only describe as “hype.”
But this isn’t Jennifer Lopez’s first divorce. Nor is it her first major divorce from Ben Affleck.
How many times has Jennifer Lopez been married?
Jennifer Lopez has been married four times, but not all of her major relationships have been marriages.
Before she became a celebrity, she dated her high school sweetheart, David Cruz, for nearly 10 years.
They broke up in the mid-1990s, and that’s when J Lo’s career in the industry began.
Jennifer Lopez’s first husband was Ojani Noa.
In 1997, Jennifer Lopez married Ojani Noa, a Cuban model and producer who also happens to be a waiter (not particularly uncommon in a competitive industry like the Los Angeles entertainment industry).
The marriage lasted only 11 months and they separated in 1998.
Jennifer Lopez described the marriage as a mistake she made to avoid loneliness. Ouch.
Sean ‘Didi’ Combs
From 1999 to early 2001, Jennifer Lopez had an on-again, off-again relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. People now know him as the infamous Diddy, but back then he was known as “Puff Daddy.”
Diddy’s notoriety was less of a topic at the turn of the millennium, but authorities arrested Diddy and Jennifer Lopez on weapons charges after the Times Square shooting. The charges against Lopez were dropped almost immediately, but it was part of the drama that led to her breaking up with him.
Lopez also said that his infidelity during their relationship made her feel “crazy.” She shared that it was the first time she had ever been with someone she suspected of cheating on her.
Jennifer Lopez’s second marriage was to Cris Judd.
In September 2001, Jennifer Lopez married her former backup dancer Cris Judd. (Yes, they got married a few weeks after 9/11.)
Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce in July 2002. Sometimes sudden romances lead to sudden divorces.
By the time the couple’s divorce was finalized in January 2003, Lopez had already been in what was arguably her most high-profile relationship to date.
Ben Affleck
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have been in a relationship since mid-2002 after meeting on a movie set. Jiggly (It’s a 2003 film, but of course it was filmed in 2001, before it premiered).
Affleck inspired her album. This is me… thenAccording to Jennifer Lopez, their “Bennifer” relationship was incredibly public.
In November 2002, the couple got engaged. But they called off their September 2003 wedding at the last minute, citing excessive media attention. In January 2004, they called off their engagement. It was over.
Marc Anthony was Jennifer Lopez’s third husband.
Jennifer Lopez was married to singer Marc Anthony from June 2004 to June 2014. After the harsh lesson of “Bennifer,” Lopez has never talked about her relationship in interviews.
Their marriage ended in 2014, but Lopez and Anthony announced their separation in 2011, saying at the time that it was amicable. Divorce proceedings were filed in 2012.
During their marriage, they had two children, twins Emme and Max (of whom Lopez retained primary custody). They also collaborated on art projects and even bought a stake in the Miami Dolphins, a sports team.
Casper Smart
Jennifer Lopez had an on-again, off-again relationship with Casper Smart from October 2011 to August 2016.
Smart was another of her former backup dancers. Apparently, the biggest issue in their relationship was his alleged infidelity.
Smart later suggested that his immaturity was a factor: Jennifer Lopez was a grown woman with children, but he was 18 years younger than her.
Alex Rodriguez
From February 2017 to early 2021, Jennifer Lopez dated Alex Rodriguez, a baseball player for the New York Yankees. Early on, he impressed her, especially because he was also a parent.
The couple got engaged in 2019. Like many engagements at the time, they had to postpone their wedding several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez blamed their breakup on lockdown and pandemic delays. But many Southern Charm Star Madison LeCroy’s claim that he slid into her DMs may have something to do with the conversation.
Ben Affleck was Jennifer Lopez’s fourth marriage.
In April 2021, there were surprising reports that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were dating again. This was a huge blast from the past for those who loved the media circus surrounding their first relationship.
In July of that year, Lopez confirmed their rekindled romance. And in April 2022, Bennifer 2.0 announced their engagement. This time, no one could stop them, and they got married on July 16, 2022.
Rumors were circulating until 2024 that their split was imminent. On August 20, Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, citing April 2024 as the separation date. Considering they had been living apart for several months, this wasn’t all that shocking.
