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Jennifer Lopez’s loves: A look back at her romantic partners

Jennifer has dated Marc Anthony, Puff Daddy, Casper Smart, and more.


Senior Writer
AUGUST 22, 2021 1:51 PM EDT

Jennifer Lopez has been famous for a long time, giving us plenty of history on her romantic partners. The 52-year-old actress, singer, and entrepreneur has been linked with a variety of guys over the years, going through flings, long-lasting romances, engagements, and marriages.

From high school romances, to her current relationship with Ben Affleck that has a 17 year history, let’s have a look back at some of JLO’s most important romantic relationships:

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David Cruz

Jennifer started dating David Cruz when she was 15 years old. They met in high school and he was her companion throughout Jennifer’s first acting and singing jobs. The couple was together for almost 10 years, with the relationship ending right before Jennifer’s star-making role in the film Selena. The pair continued to have a friendly relationship until David’s tragic death in 2020, due to a heart condition. He was 51 years old.

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Ojani Noa

Ojani Noa was Jennifer’s first husband. They met in Miami, in the year 1996. Their marriage lasted briefly, with them ending it a year after they had tied the knot.

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Puff Daddy

In 1999, JLO started dating Puff Daddy, aka Sean Combs. They were together for two years and remain an iconic couple in Hollywood history, with them attending the event where JLO wore the iconic green Versace dress. According to an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Combs said that Jennifer was one of the great loves of his life.

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Cris Judd

JLO then fell in love with Cris Judd, a choreographer and dancer she met while shooting her music video “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.” After a brief period where they dated, the couple got married in 2001. They divorced a year later, with many sources believing that Judd wasn’t cut out for the fame that followed Jennifer.

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Ben Affleck

Jennifer and Ben met on the set of “Gigli,” where they played a couple. The film received terrible reviews but it quickly became a subject of fascination for the media, since Jennifer and Ben fell in love on set. Ben then starred in Jennifer’s music video “Jenny From the Block,” giving us iconic images atop a boat, and Jennifer dedicated one of her songs to him, titled “Dear Ben.” They got engaged in 2002 but broke up in 2004.

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Marc Anthony

She then got involved in one of the most important relationships of her life, with Marc Anthony, the father of her children. The couple married in 2004 and spent 7 years together. Despite their long and fruitful marriage, in 2011, they finalized their divorce. Jennifer spoke about the breakup in an interview with Oprah and called that moment in her life her lowest. Still, the pair remain friendly, co-parents to their two children, Max and Emme.

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Caspar Smart

Jennifer then dated the dancer Casper Smart, who was 18 years her junior. The couple started dating in late 2011 and went through many ups and downs, finally breaking up in 2015. Casper starred in JLO’s “Dance Again” music video and supposedly had a great relationship with her children. In an interview with Despierta America Casper explained that he was young and selfish and that he wasn’t ready to be in a relationship with a woman with children.

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Alex Rodriguez

Alex and Jennifer started dating in 2017, but they’d known each other since before, when they were both married with other people. Alex and Jennifer were one of the most notorious couples on Hollywood, having a relationship that looked loving and sweet, and that was beloved by the media. In 2019, the couple announced their engagement, with some gorgeous pictures taken by the beach. The wedding was postponed due to the pandemic, and then, in 2021, they announced that they’d broken up.

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Ben Affleck

You have to live under a rock to not know about Bennifer’s return. The couple reunited at the start of the year and continue to go strong, meeting each other’s families and going house hunting together. On Jennifer’s 52nd birthday, she posted a photo on Instagram of the two of them kissing each other passionately, confirming the serious nature of their relationship.