Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez’s love life has been as captivating as her creative career. From high-profile relationships with renowned musicians and A-list actors to a handful of engagements and divorces, Lopez has been quite involved with some of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors.
Let’s take a look at all of Jennifer Lopez’s past romances.
The Complete Jennifer Lopez Boyfriend List
Ojani Noa (1997—1998)
Jennifer Lopez’s first known public relationship was with Ojani Noa, whom she met at a Cuban restaurant in the Miami Circa hotel in early 1997. Their romance quickly escalated, leading to a surprise wedding just weeks later in February of the same year.
During their time together, the pair often graced several red-carpet events together. One such significant milestone in their relationship was attending the 1998 Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.
However, Jennifer and Ojani’s marital bliss was short-lived, as they filed for divorce just before celebrating their first anniversary in January 1998. Initially, their separation remained amicable.
However, in the late 2000s, their relationship deteriorated, leading to a messy legal battle.
In 2006, the singer sued her former husband for attempting to reveal intimate details of their relationship in a book deal. Later, in 2009, Noa threatened to release private tapes from their honeymoon unless she paid him a substantial sum of money.
However, Lopez successfully won the lawsuit and Noa was banned from ever releasing such videos.
Sean “Diddy” Combs (1999 -2001)
Jennifer and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs were in a highly public relationship with each other in late 1999. The two started dating after falling for each other on the set of Lopez’s music video for If You Had My Love.
Breaking: Sean “Diddy” Combs faces a $400 million sexual assault lawsuit, with plaintiff Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith alleging a 1997 assault and seeking to involve Jennifer Lopez, Combs’ ex, as a witness.
— Kye (@GxldSociety) December 31, 2024
Cardello-Smith claims Lopez holds key information, as the lawsuit accuses… pic.twitter.com/mhbCd4w3PK
The couple dated for almost two years and were inseparable, often attending award shows together. A defining moment came at the 2000 Grammy Awards, where Combs was by Lopez’s side throughout the night.
This night became historically iconic for Jennifer’s stunning green Versace dress, which caused a sensation and is credited with inspiring the creation of Google Image Search.
The two broke up in February 2001 due to Diddy’s infidelity. Later, in a 2003 interview with Vibe, the Selena actress opened up about the painful breakup for the first time. She revealed,
“It was the first time I was with someone who wasn’t faithful. I was in this relationship with Puff where I was totally crying, crazy and going nuts… I never caught him but I just knew’.
Cris Judd (2001-2002)
J.Lo met choreographer Cris Judd while he directed the music video for her song Love Don’t Cost a Thing, in 2001. The couple dated briefly and quickly tied the knot in September of the same year, making Judd her second husband.
They were last publicly seen together on March 24, 2002, on the red carpet of the 74th Academy Awards or the Oscars.
Their marriage ended after only nine months, when they separated and Jennifer filed for divorce in July 2002, citing irreconcilable differences.
Addressing her short-lived romance with Cris following, in a 2003 interview with Vibe, Lopez shared her views on why their relationship didn’t work out. She shared,
“But marriage is not just about love… I loved Cris… This wasn’t an easy thing to walk away from, but we didn’t have what it takes to make a marriage work”.
Sept. 29, 2001 #singer, #actress, Jennifer Lopez married dancer Chris Judd. They divorced in 2003. #Music #Wedding pic.twitter.com/Oj3RJJPfAH
— Music Beat (@MusicBeat5) September 29, 2021
In 2014, years after their divorce, Judd finally broke his silence and revealed the underlying reasons for their separation. In an interview with US Weekly, he confessed that the loss of privacy and constant media attention had taken a toll on their relationship. He added,
“You know it’s very tough. Your privacy is breached… It was tough to be in that limelight. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out”.
Ben Affleck (2002-2004)
The Atlas actress was in a highly public relationship with co-star, Ben Affleck, from early 2002 to 2004. Their romance blossomed on the set of the film Gigli, where they instantly formed a connection.
Their off-screen romance culminated in Affleck and Lopez’s engagement in November 2002. A defining moment of their relationship came in early 2003 when they appeared in a joint interview with Access, where the two fawned over each other.
They quickly became the ‘IT’ couple of Hollywood, with the popular term ‘Bennifer’ being coined to describe them.
However, after postponing their wedding multiple times in 2003, due to overwhelming media attention, they ultimately called off their engagement and broke up in January 2004.
Reflecting on their painful breakup, Lopez attributed the intense media scrutiny to the relationship’s demise. In a 2014 interview with PEOPLE, she explained,
“We didn’t try to have a public relationship. We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like ‘Oh my God.’ It was just a lot of pressure”.
Marc Anthony (2004—2011)
Jennifer Lopez first met tropical salsa singer Marc Anthony in 1998, and they remained good friends for years.
In June 2004, their friendship blossomed into romance when the No Me Ames singer married Anthony in a private ceremony, marking Lopez’s third marriage.
Jennifer Lopez to release Spanish album, executive produced by Marc Anthony (exclusive) https://t.co/jmxCdK8Wvx pic.twitter.com/WbUKeKPUnX
— billboard (@billboard) October 7, 2016
After years of a happy marriage, Jennifer and Marc welcomed their twins, a daughter named Emme Maribel and a son named Maximilian David, in February 2008.
Their love for each other extended beyond their personal lives, as throughout their relationship they frequently collaborated on several Spanish music projects like Por Arriesgarnos and Aguanilé.
The couple was last snapped together in May 2011 while attending the Met Gala event. After seven years of marriage, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony separated in July 2011. Their divorce was finalized in June 2014.
Despite their divorce, the two have maintained a strong friendship and continue to co-parent their two children together.
Casper Smart (2011—2016)
Jennifer had an on-and-off relationship with her backup dancer, Casper Smart, for five years. They began dating in October 2011.
Their significant age difference, with Smart being 18 years younger, raised eyebrows and sparked controversy at the time.
Lopez and Smart were frequently seen at red carpet events and on vacations around the world. One iconic moment of their relationship was attending their first Met Gala as a couple in 2013.
The two were last snapped at J.Lo’s All I Have show in Las Vegas on August 13, 2016. Shortly after, Smart and Lopez called it quits due to the dancer’s infidelity.
In October 2016, an anonymous source close to the couple revealed the reason for their breakup to PEOPLE magazine. They shared,
“She kicked him out because he cheated on her and he got caught. It happened two years ago, and he promised he would never do it again and once he did, she was done”.
Don't be fooled— Jennifer Lopez & Casper Smart have split. 💔 The very latest details NOW on #ENews. pic.twitter.com/q1kB4xOTVz
— E! News (@enews) August 24, 2016
Drake (2016)
The Hustlers star and Drake had a brief romantic fling that began in December 2016. Their relationship was mostly kept private, except a cozy Instagram photo (now deleted), which confirmed their rumored romance at the time.
The spark between them faded quickly, with their relationship ending by March 2017. However, Jennifer later addressed the dating rumors in a 2017 interview on The Daily Show. She stated,
“Let me clear this up. I am not with Drake”.
In a surprising twist, Drake seemed to contradict Lopez’s denial in his 2018 song Diplomatic Immunity. The lyrics hinted at their breakup, with the line,
“2010 was when I lost my halo / 2017 I lost a J.Lo”.
Alex Rodriguez (2017-2021)
Jennifer first started dating the Yankees player Alex Rodriguez in early 2017. Their relationship became public in April 2017, following a now-deleted Instagram post together. After two years of dating, the singer got engaged to Alex on March 9, 2019.
The couple had initially planned to tie the knot in 2020, but their nuptials were postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. They were last publicly seen together at the Presidential inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2021.
After a four-year relationship, Jennifer and Rodriguez announced their separation in April 2021. In a joint statement to PEOPLE magazine, they confirmed the end of their engagement and expressed their desire to remain friendly. It read,
“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another’s children…”
Ben Affleck 2.0 (2021—2024)
Lopez and Affleck rekindled their romance in 2021, shortly after her separation from Rodriguez. The former couple made their relationship public on Instagram in July 2021, during a beachy vacation to celebrate Lopez’s 52nd birthday.
After a year of dating, Bennifer became engaged again in April 2022. And just three months later, they secretly tied the knot in a Las Vegas ceremony, followed by a grand Georgian-style second wedding in August 2022.
The couple’s second reunion seemed promising, as the Shotgun Wedding actress adopted Affleck’s last name and they even got matching tattoos of each other’s name on Valentine’s Day 2023.
In February 2024, the two also collaborated on J.Lo’s musical documentary, This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, which further solidified their bond.
Unfortunately, their second fairytale union ended in marital woes just two years later, leading to their separation in April 2024. In August 2024, Jennifer filed for divorce from the Good Will Hunting actor, with their split finalized in January 2025.
Want to know the real reason behind Bennifer’s surprising second breakup? Check out my detailed coverage on Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s divorce for the complete tea!