J.Lo and A-Rod Are Over—but They "Look Forward" to Staying Friends
Since Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez started dating, they've quickly become one of Hollywood's most adorable power couples—but now J-Rod is no more. Here, we take a look back at all of the key moments in their relationship.
May 2005
Jennifer Lopez and then-husband Marc Anthony attend a baseball game at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York, in May 2005 where they meet New York Yankee, Alex Rodriguez. Of their very first meeting, Lopez told Sports Illustrated in June 2019, "We shook hands, and it was this weird electricity for, like, three seconds... Three to five seconds of looking at somebody right in their eyes, and getting stuck."
Per Today, Anthony and Lopez got married in 2004, separated in 2011, and finalized their divorce in 2014. They have two children together, Max and Emme. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was married to Cynthia Scurtis from 2002 to 2008 per Daily Mail, and they have two daughters together, Natasha and Ella.
Rodriguez later revealed that he'd actually gotten a signed photo of Lopez in the late '90s, which he's kept ever since. Basically, their relationship was written in the stars from the start.
February 2017
Lopez and Rodriguez reconnect when they bump into each other at a restaurant.
In April 2017, Lopez tells Ellen DeGeneres (per Entertainment Tonight), "I was having lunch somewhere and I saw him as he passed by. Afterwards, I went outside, and for some reason I felt like tapping him on the shoulder." Rodriguez made the next move: "He texted me, said, 'Let's go out to dinner,' and I said, 'OK.' We had a nice dinner."
In their joint interview with Vanity Fair, released in October 2017, Lopez reveals, "I had just come from a promo for my show, Shades of Blue [in which she plays N.Y.P.D. detective Harlee Santos], so I’m dressed like my character, like a boy—Timberlands, jeans, curly short hair. He looks at me. I say, 'It’s Jennifer.' He says, 'You look so beautiful.'" What a charmer.
In the same interview, Rodriguez sweetly reveals that he had first date nerves saying, "I didn’t know if it was a date. Maybe we were seeing each other at night because of her work schedule. I went in uneasy, not knowing her situation." He also explains why they hit it off so well: "We’re both Leos, we’re both from New York, we’re both Latino... and about 20 other things."
March 2017
Rodriguez tells The View, "It's obvious, we've been having a great time. She's an amazing girl and one of the smartest human beings I've ever met and also an incredible mother."
The same day, Rodriguez and Lopez are spotted leaving Marea restaurant in New York:
April 2017
Lopez and Rodriguez are spotted together on multiple occasions throughout April 2017, in New York and Miami.
May 2017
They make a dramatic red carpet debut at the Met Gala. From their adorable after-party moments, to Lopez dancing next to Rodriguez, they quickly become Hollywood's new favorite couple:
On May 15, the lovebirds attend the Robin Hood Benefit, which aims to fight poverty in New York:
And on May 17, Lopez is spotted FaceTiming Rodriguez while she's on the set of her show, Shades of Blue:
June 2017
Lopez shares a photo on Instagram of her children hanging out with Rodriguez's kids. It certainly seems as though the two families get along extremely well:
Also in June, the couple takes a romantic trip to Paris, France, together. They pose for some enviable tourist shots, and eat ice cream as they stroll along the Seine:
The same month, Rodriguez tells Entertainment Tonight, "Jennifer is one of the most brilliant business minds that I've ever met. She's the hardest working lady and, you know, I grew up with a single mother. I have two daughters. I am a big, big promoter of women equality. I like that for my daughters and Jennifer is the role model."
July 2017
Rodriguez and Lopez jet off to Miami:
August 2017
They hang out in the Hamptons with Justin Timberlake:
Later in the month, Rodriguez is a supportive boyfriend as Lopez films scenes for Shades of Blue in Queens, and even wears a headset so that he can listen in to filming:
At the end of August, they jet to Las Vegas together to watch a super welterweight boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor:
September 2017
Rodriguez steps out to promote Lopez's role in World of Dance:
October 2017
Lopez and Rodriguez take the stage together at One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief in Los Angeles, California.
They also cover Vanity Fair, and give an enlightening joint interview:
In V.F.'s cover story, @JLo & @ARod share everything from first date details to the “reveals” that forged their bond https://t.co/9nesZeibHR pic.twitter.com/HHnkRA0BK8
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 31, 2017
November 2017
They attend a Prostate Cancer Foundation Dinner in New York:
December 2017
Lopez and Rodriguez are spotted shopping together:
January 2018
The couple engages in some adorable PDA at an event benefitting the Primary Health Centers of Puerto Rico:
They're spotted several times throughout January 2018, including at the Guess Spring Campaign launch in Los Angeles:
February 2018
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lopez reveals, "What was I doing one year ago today? I was with Alex. We had just met and, you know, it was good. It was a good night."
She continues, "It's crazy. We both are so happy about our lives right now and where we're at professionally, as well as personally. You know. Just things seem to be flowing in a really beautiful way. We both have a lot of support for each other and a lot of love for each other."
March 2018
Lopez tells Harper's BAZAAR that she isn't in a rush to get remarried (she's previously been married three times). She explains, "I do believe in marriage, and I would love to grow old with somebody in a committed relationship. But I'm not forcing anything right now. It's good, it's healthy; we communicate well. We understand each other's lives in a way that most other people couldn't."
April 2018
Rodriguez and Lopez hit the red carpet for the Time 100 Gala at Lincoln Center in New York.
They also attend Billboard's Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas:
May 2018
For their second Met Gala appearance, Rodriguez and Lopez look even more adorable, and amp up the PDA:
And for 2018's Robin Hood benefit, they're not afraid to kiss in public:
July 2018
They're spotted at the 89th MLB All-Star Game in Washington:
August 2018
Their joint appearance on The Today Show causes quite a stir:
Later in August, they step out in New York looking suave af:
And there's another red carpet appearance, this time at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York:
September 2018
Lopez and Rodriguez pose with Cynthia Halelamien and Marc Buoniconti at the 33rd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner, in aid of the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, which takes place in New York:
They also celebrate the finale of Lopez's incredible Las Vegas residency:
October 2018
They attend the 2018 American Music Awards where they pose with Bebe Rexha:
Later in the month, they attend ELLE's 25th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration:
November 2018
Rodriguez and Lopez share an adorable Instagram of their blended family:
December 2018
Rodriguez supports Lopez at the premiere of her new movie, Second Act, where the singer and actress wears a hot pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown:
And during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (via Entertainment Tonight), Lopez gets tearful and reveals, "He’s come into my life and really contributed in such a way. He’s so supportive, he’s so loving. He’s one of these people, he’s like, ‘Shine, be the best.’ Some people try to dull you down, try to squish you down and he’s so not like that. And it’s just so refreshing. It’s just such a beautiful thing."
January 2019
Lopez tells Harper's BAZAAR, "I’ve got two amazing kids and a great boyfriend. I don’t have everything figured out, and everything isn’t perfect. But I feel very proud that with all the things I’ve gone through in my personal life, I’m still optimistic and hopeful."
💥 Light it up in 2019 💥
Cover Story: https://t.co/aPHRprlsOW pic.twitter.com/6Esu8YyvaD— jlo (@JLo) January 9, 2019
February 2019
They hit up the Grammys red carpet together:
And celebrate Valentine's Day with a bed selfie:
Before stepping out at the Oscars:
And their after-party look is perfection:
March 2019
Rodriguez and Lopez get engaged while on vacation in the Bahamas.
Following their engagement announcement, a source tells People, "Jennifer is ecstatic and so are their families and friends. Very few people knew Alex planned on proposing. It was very much a surprise for Jennifer. It was just how Alex wanted it."
Even the Obamas congratulate the couple on their engagement.
May 2019
The couple walk the pink carpet at the 2019 Met Gala together, and Lopez's low-cut Versace gown is simply jaw-dropping.
The same month, Lopez tells Entertainment Tonight, "I think we have a pretty busy year ahead of us, so you know, we are [taking it slow]... There's no rush. We really see this as something that's gonna be forever, and we're gonna just take our time and do it right. And do it not rushed."
July 2019
Lopez celebrates her 50th birthday on July 23, 2019, while Rodriguez turns 44 on July 27. Both share romantic Instagram posts to celebrate the occasions, and J.Lo surprises A-Rod on stage at one of her concerts with a birthday cake.
September 2019
Even though they're taking their wedding planning slowly, Lopez and Rodriguez share photos from their engagement party on social media.
During an interview with EXTRA TV, Lopez revealed that her twins would be "thrilled" if she had a baby with Rodriguez. Per Lopez, "I think they would love to have a brother or sister." She continues, "We really form a beautiful blended family and I think they would all be thrilled."
November 2019
Of her relationship with Rodriguez, Lopez tells GQ:
"We're really alike in our drive, in our ambition. He's an athlete. He wanted to be the best. I'm the same way. I just want to be great at what I do. We're both like that. We're both super-hard workers. We're driven by our passions. And we have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. Everybody in the room can be talking, and if he says something, I key in on it, and if everybody in the room is kinda in his ear and I go, 'I don't think that's the right thing,' he'll hear me; he'll listen. He knows I only have his best interest at heart, and I only want him to thrive and succeed and to be his best self. And I believe that he wants that for me. He wants me to be seen and to get what I deserve. Like, he's made his half a billion. And he's like, 'I want you to have that.'"
December 2019
A-Rod makes a hilarious cameo during J.Lo's Saturday Night Live appearance in December 2019. During the skit, the singer falls in love with Pete Davidson's character Chad, and Rodriguez is not best pleased.
January 2020
On January 2, Rodriguez and Lopez hit the red carpet for the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The singing superstar wore a mullet dress by British designer Richard Quinn.
September 2020
In an interview with People magazine, Lopez shared that having more time at home with her fiancé and their children has been the ultimate "blessing" throughout quarantining amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"Because Alex and I have both separately and now together lived a gypsy-type life, as both of our careers require tons of travel. The blessing of the quarantine for us was having dinner with the kids every night, for months and months," Lopez told the outlet. "That's been a huge blessing for us during this time."
The couple have shared multiple social media posts, especially on holidays, of their two families coming together for quality time.
March 2021
J.Lo and A-Rod reportedly broke up and called off their two-year engagement, according to outlets including Page Six and TMZ. Multiple sources also confirmed the news to People, with one insider saying, "This has been a long time coming." However, the couple denied the news in a joint statement, saying, "We are working through some things." They later showed some PDA in the Dominican Republic, where Lopez is filming her new movie, Shotgun Wedding.
April 2021
Lopez and Rodriguez officially break up and call off their engagement, announcing their split in a joint statement to the Today show.
We have realized 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.
You Might Also Like
