Alex Rodriguez, Drake, Ben Affleck and all known Jennifer Lopez exes ranked by relationships duration

News about celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and former American athlete Alex Rodriguez breaking up has been a long time coming after rumours began surfacing. To their credit, they had tried to work things out, even presenting a unified front to shut down the early rumours.

However, on 15 April 2021, they confirmed to Today that their relationship has come to an end. It is sad news because they were nearly married two times during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the singer kept cancelling. Their split seems to be amicable as they made the announcement together.

“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,” they told Today in an exclusive statement. “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.”

With these closing words, they refused to divulge what spoiled the relationship. Could it be the cheating scandal involving Madison LeCroy? We may never know.

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The couple dated from 2017 when they were first linked as an item to 2021, four years is not enough to rank this as the longest surviving Jennifer Lopez relationship. Here we look at the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer’s known relationships history from longest to shortest.

1. Marc Anthony – 2004 to 2011

JLo and the “I Need to Know” crooner, Marc Anthony, got married in 2004, and their marriage lasted seven years until 2011 when they split up. They welcomed twins Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian David Muñiz, on 22 February 2008.

Despite Lopez later saying that their marriage ‘wasn’t the right thing’ it has turned out to be her longest-term relationship.

2. Beau Smart – 2011 to 2016

After her marriage with Anthony ended, JLo was linked to Beau Smart, a backup singer popularly called Casper. They began experiencing trouble in their relationship in 2014 but still kept it going on and off until 2016, when they both went their separate ways.

The award-winning singer dated Smart for five years, four months after her divorce from the father of her twins. Their relationship ended with the start of another one for Lopez.

3. Alex Rodriguez – 2017 to 2021

The singer started dating the former star athlete Rodriguez just after her short-lived relationship with Aubrey Drake Graham (it ranks as her shortest relationship, see bottom of the list). 

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez got engaged in 2019, and they were usually ‘out in the open’ about how great their relationship was. In fact, in 2020, they had two weddings planned and cancelled before they confirmed their break up in 2021. They had dated for four years.

4. Ben Affleck – 2002 to 2004

Justice League franchise star and Batman actor was also once engaged to the singer between November 2002 and January 2004. Their relationship was famous, and when the two stars appear in public together, the media usually lost its mind with pictures and buzz.

Their breakup was alleged to have happened just four days before their wedding. The two-year-long relationship was difficult for Lopez, who later claimed that she had lost herself in it. 

5. Sean Combs – 1999 to 2001

Sean John Combs has gone by various personas, and you may know him as either Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, Diddy, or one of Jennifer Lopez exes. If you don’t know him as the last one, it is a forgivable ignorance.

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US Magazine claims that the two singers had dated for about two years between 1999 and 2001. While it was one of the few relationships that JLo had been in without getting engaged, she did say that Diddy cheated during their time together. It is also one of the rare instances that the “Ain’t Your Mama” singer hung out an ex to dry.

6. Ojani Noa – 1997 to 1998

Her first marriage to Cuban waiter Ojani Noa was one of her shortest ones as she was divorced within 11 months. It proved to be a union that nearly dragged both of them to the depths of career seas, and Lopez had to sue Noa to prevent him from publishing a book about their marriage that several publishers were seeking to publish.

There is also another lawsuit concerning a video from their honeymoon that her ex has with him.

7. Chris Judd – 2001 to 2002

The singer must have thought she fixed the issues from her first marriage when she got married a second time to Chris Judd. But, she apparently learned her lesson and called it quits within eight months. The marriage and relationship were officially over by June 2002, but they finalised their divorce in 2003.

8. Drake – 2016 to 2017

There are arguments that Canadian rapper Drake and Jennifer Lopez never ‘actually’ dated. The popular verdict is that they did date for three months between December 2016 and February 2017. 

It was a brief affair but popularly remembered for the two of them getting crowned King and Queen at Los Angeles church winter Wonderland-themed prom.

Will there be a ninth relationship for the 51-year-old “Shall We Dance?” actress? She has said she believes in marriage and would love to ‘grow old with somebody in a committed relationship’ in an interview in 2018. Thus, she is likely not giving up on finding love.