Many fans have forgotten the full list of Jennifer Lopez marriages and why they all failed.
On Tuesday, August 20, Jennifer Lopez filed to divorce Ben Affleck.
This unsurprising divorce news followed what we can only describe as many months of “hype.”
But this isn’t Jennifer Lopez’s first divorce. It isn’t even her first major split with Ben Affleck.
How many marriages has Jennifer Lopez had?
Jennifer Lopez has been married four times. However, not all of her major relationships have been marriages.
Before her celebrity status, she had a relationship spanning nearly a decade with David Cruz, her high school sweetheart.
In the mid 1990s, they split. And this is when J Lo’s relationships within the entertainment world began.
Jennifer Lopez’s first marriage was to Ojani Noa
In 1997, Jennifer Lopez married Ojani Noa. The Cuban model and producer was also a waiter (this is not especially unusual in a competitive industry like the Los Angeles entertainment industry).
The marriage only lasted 11 months. The two split in 1998.
Jennifer Lopez characterized the marriage as a mistake that she made while hoping to avoid feelings of loneliness. Ouch.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
From 1999 to early 2001, Jennifer Lopez had an on-again, off-again relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Though people currently know him as the very notorious Diddy, at the time, he went by “Puff Daddy.”
Diddy’s notoriety was less sensational at the turn of the millennium, but authorities arrested him and Jennifer Lopez for possession of a weapon after they left the scene of a shooting in Times Square. Though the charges against Lopez dropped almost immediately, that was part of the drama that drove her to break up with him.
Additionally, Lopez would go on to say that she felt “crazy” due to his alleged infidelity during their relationship. It was, she shared, the first time that she was with someone whom 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 married a few weeks after 9/11)
Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce in July of 2002. Some whirlwind romances lead to whirlwind divorces.
When the court finalized their divorce in January 2003, Lopez was already in what may still be her most famous relationship.
Ben Affleck
Starting in mid-2002, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were in a relationship after forging a connection on the set of Gigli (a 2003 film, though obviously it filmed before it premiered — in 2001, in fact).
Affleck inspired her album, This is Me … Then, according to Jennifer Lopez. Their “Bennifer” relationship became extremely well-publicized.
In November 2002, the two became engaged. However, they called off their September 2003 wedding at the last minute, citing excessive media attention. In January 2004, they broke off their engagement. It was over.
Marc Anthony was Jennifer Lopez’s third husband
From June of 2004 until June of 2014, Jennifer Lopez was married to singer Marc Anthony. After the harsh lessons of “Bennifer,” Lopez was no longer discussing her relationship in interviews.
Though their marriage ended in 2014, Lopez and Anthony announced their split in 2011. It was, they said at the time, amicable. The divorce filing came in 2012.
During their marriage, they had two children, twins Emme and Max (Lopez retained primary custody). They also collaborated on artistic projects and even purchasing a stake in the Miami Dolphins, a sports team.
Casper Smart
From October 2011 until August of 2016, Jennifer Lopez had an on-again, off-again relationship with Casper Smart.
Smart was yet another former backup dancer of hers. Apparently, a major issue in their relationship was his alleged infidelity.
Later, Smart would suggest that his immaturity was a factor. Jennifer Lopez was a grown woman with children, while he was 18 years her junior.
Alex Rodriguez
From February 2017 until early 2021, Jennifer Lopez was in a relationship with Alex Rodriguez, a baseball player for a team called the New York Yankees. Early on, he impressed her, particularly with the fact that he was also a parent.
The two became engaged in 2019. As with so many engagements from around that time, they had to postpone their wedding multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez would blame their breakup on lockdown and pandemic delays. However, many have speculated that Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy’s claims about him sliding into her DMs may be relevant to the conversation.
Ben Affleck was Jennifer Lopez’s fourth marriage
In April of 2021, astonishing reports claimed that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were dating again. This was a major blast from the past for people who fondly remembered the media circus surrounding their first romance.
By July of that year, Lopez confirmed the rekindled romance. And in April of 2022, Bennifer 2.0 announced their engagement. This time, they didn’t let anyone stop them, and married on July 16, 2022.
Through 2024, widespread rumors suggested that their breakup was imminent. On August 20, Jennifer Lopez filed to divorce Ben Affleck — and cited April 2024 as the date of separation. Given that they’d been leading separate lives for months, that was hardly a shock.
