Jennifer Lopez had once at an awards function joked about the fact that she is quite an expert at marriages or rather weddings; today as she filed for divorce from her current husband Ben Affleck, let’s take a look at the marriages of JLo.
Lopez has been married four times, first to Cuban-born waiter Ojani Noa from 1997-98; then her former back-up dancer Cris Judd from 2001-03; and to singer Marc Anthony, with whom she had twins, from 2004-14. The singer and actress, was also once engaged to New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.
Ojani Noa (1997-1998)
Lopez’s first marriage was her shortest. The singer tied the knot with Ojani Noa then a waiter, but their marriage lasted less than a year.
Ten years later, in a video, Lopez had said that her first two marriages don’t really count as they were extremely short.
“I was very young the first two times I tried to get married. I would say try to get married,” she said. “It seems like in this life, you’re always surrounded by people, you’re never lonely, but it’s very lonely. So you always want somebody with you. Somebody. And so, I felt like if I got married I felt like I would always have somebody, but that’s not how life works.
“That’s not how it goes. It’s a bad reason to get married, not the right reason, it’s the wrong one. The right one is when you find somebody who really makes you better,” she continued.
Cris Judd (2001-2003)
Lopez met dancer Cris Judd on the set of her “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” music video and married him in 2001. She filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences,” in 2002.
Judd later told Oprah Winfrey that it was love at first sight for him.
“So, when Jennifer walks in, I shake her hand and we kinda look at each other — and in my head, I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to marry this woman.”
Marc Anthony (2004-2014)
Lopez and fellow singer Marc Anthony were married between 2004 and 2014 and have two children together.
The couple first met in 1998 when Anthony was part of the Broadway show “The Capeman.” Lopez recalled the encounter in her memoir “True Love” and said Anthony predicted their marriage.
“One day you’re going to be my wife,” he said, per her book.
As Anthony predicted, they married in 2004. Three years later, Lopez announced her first pregnancy and in 2008 the couple were blessed with twins- Max and Emme.
It was in 2011 that they announced their break-up. Lopez opened up about their split in a Vanity Fair interview.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work — and that’s sad. But I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love,” she said. “It’s still my biggest dream. I am positive — determined to move forward with my life, bring up my babies, and do the best job I can as a mother, entertainer, and person. I now look forward to new challenges. I feel strong.”
Since their split, Lopez and Anthony have collaborated professionally on multiple occasions. Lopez has also posted many social media shoutouts to her ex on Father’s Day over the years.
Alex Rodriguez (2017-2021)
After two years of dating, Lopez got engaged to baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez in 2019.
“When Alex came into my life I was like, ‘Oh, I found a partner who can really hang with me.’ And he also wants to grow and evolve,” Lopez said in an interview.
However, she said she didn’t know if he was “the one” right away.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know, maybe yes, maybe no. I really love him, I like him,’” she said. “Everything just seemed almost too perfect too soon — so it almost made me a little like, ‘Hey, wait, what’s happening here? Let me just wait a second.’”
Later in May 2020, when asked about here marriage plans, Lopez said, “Nobody knows,” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, they called off their engagement and told TODAY, “We have realised 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. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support.”
Ben Affleck (2022-2024)
Affleck and Lopez share quite a history. They first crossed paths in 2002 while filming the movie “Gigli” and a whirlwind romance quickly ensued, with the couple getting engaged in November 2002.
After months, being hounded by the paparazzi, they postponed their wedding in 2003 and broke up in 2004.
In 2021, Affleck and Lopez reconnected
In April 2022, they announced their engagement and subsequently tied the knot in July 2022.
They officially blended their two families together. She also released a new album with a track called “Dear Ben, Pt.II”
However, within two years of marriage, on Aug. 20, 2024, she filed for divorce.
