Getty Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez officially called the engagement off Thursday.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are officially over.
Thursday, the former American Idol judge and retired Yankees star called off their two-year engagement in a joint statement to TODAY. “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” the former power couple wrote. “We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects.”
The statement also addressed the couple’s children; Lopez’s twins, Emme and Max, both 13, and Rodriguez’s daughters, Natasha, 16, and 12-year-old Ella (per TODAY). “We wish the best for each other and one another’s children,” the statement continued. “Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to every one who has sent kind words and support.”
So what went wrong? Read on for more details about J-Rod’s breakup.
Breakup Rumors First Circulated Back in March
News of the breakup doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially since Lopez and Rodriguez had shut down similar rumors in March.
Multiple entertainment sites, including Page Six, reported that the famous couple called it quits following Rodriguez’s rumored romantic involvement with Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy, per another Page Six article. At the time, Lopez and Rodriguez hadn’t yet responded to the rumors, but Page Six noted that Rodriguez, 45, “hinted at the break-up on Instagram” when he posted a photo of himself on a yacht minus Lopez, 51, in March. The actress was reportedly in the Dominican Republic shooting her latest movie, “Shotgun Wedding” per TMZ.
In response, the couple released a joint statement to TMZ calling the reports “inaccurate,” adding, “We are working through some things.” According to TMZ, those “things” had nothing to do with LeCroy or any other third party for that matter.
Fast-forward one month later, and the couple sent out another statement, this time confirming their breakup. A few days before releasing the official statement, Lopez posted photos of herself on Instagram with a ringless finger, further fueling breakup rumors.
Looking Back At Lopez And Rodriguez’s Love Story
Lopez and Rodriguez instantly became one of Hollywood’s favorite power couples.
The two first started dating in 2017 after they ran into each other at a restaurant in Beverly Hills. The actress-singer told Vanity Fair that while having lunch, she saw her friend Rodriguez walking by. “I almost yelled out ‘Alex,’ but I am the shyest person when it comes to things like that,” she told the mag. Lopez decided to walk over and say hi to Alex. “It was just one of those things where you feel compelled to do something you wouldn’t normally do,” she added.
They first met back in 1999 when Lopez signed an autograph for the then up-and-coming baseball player, according to a 2018 post on Rodriguez’s Instagram. They met again in 2005 at a New York Yankees baseball game per Sports Illustrated. At the time, both were married, Lopez to singer Marc Anthony and Rodriguez to Cynthia Scurtis. Lopez told Sports Illustrated in 2019 that there was an instant connection between her and A-Rod. “We shook hands, and it was this weird electricity for, like, three seconds,” she said. “Three to five seconds of looking at somebody right in their eyes, and getting stuck.”
Lopez and Rodriguez officially started dating in 2017 per People. The couple made their red carpet debut at that year’s Met Gala, as Harper’s Bazaar reported. They announced their engagement two years later with an Instagram post on Rodriguez’s feed showing a photo of Lopez’s left hand with a giant ring on it. The couple became the picture of a happy blended family, regularly documenting their family life on Instagram.
According to Reuters, Lopez and Rodriguez postponed their wedding twice in 2020 due to the pandemic.
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