Advertisement

A Look Back At Jennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez's Relationship In Quotes, As They Confirm Split

Photo credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo - Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have confirmed they are ending their engagement and splitting up as a couple, following weeks of speculation.

In a joint statement, the couple of five years said:

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.

The news ends one of showbusinesses' most popular couples. After they got together in 2017, people questioned just why it didn't happen sooner thanks to their public displays of affection and devotion (including Rodriguez proving himself to be an attentive Instagram boyfriend (case in point: the photo below), their support for one another's projects at various red carpet events, joint magazine covers and fashion campaigns and the combining of their families.

Photo credit: Jamie McCarthy - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jamie McCarthy - Getty Images

The couple became engaged two years ago and even in the early months of 2021, the couple discussed their wedding plans which had been pushed back due to Covid-19.

Above all, the couple regularly spoke about each other during interviews and on social media, praising one another regularly and opening up about their love and relationship.

Here's a look below at the most adoring comments about one another:

February 2021: Alex Rodriguez celebrates Jennifer Lopez's impressive Super Bowl 2020 halftime performance

Alex Rodriguez took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 2 to mark the first anniversary of fiancée Jennifer Lopez's iconic Super Bowl 2020 halftime performance.

The former baseball star gushed over Lopez' career highlight last year in addition to recent history-defining moments including her performance at the New Year's Eve 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' celebration and at President Joe Biden's inauguration alongside Lady Gaga and poet Amanda Gorman.

A-Rod's tribute video post was accompanied by a heartwarming caption that reads: 'In baseball, the ultimate offensive achievement in one year is called the Triple Crown, For entertainers, I think what @jlo has accomplished in the past 12 months is right up there. Super Bowl. NYE. Inauguration.'

'Amazing. Truly amazing. #Macha. [sic]'

September 2020: Alex Rodriguez shares family photo with Jennifer Lopez on Labour Day

The former baseball player shared a photograph of himself, Lopez, the singer’s 12-year-old twins Emme and Max, and his daughters 15-year-old Natasha and 12-year-old Ella.

‘Tree cheers! 🍃💚 Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Labor Day, from our family to yours,’ the star captioned the sweet photo. ‘I’m excited to be working the Cardinals-Cubs game at 4 p.m. ET today on @espn. I love holiday!! How are you celebrating the holiday?'

The family tree-inspired snap bares a striking resemblance to the Kardashian and Jenner families' Christmas card photos in recent years, with the family members wearing colour-co-ordinated outfits.

July 2020: Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez gush about each other on their respective birthdays

On Monday July 27, Rodriguez celebrated his 45th birthday and Lopez shared the sweetest video to celebrate her husband-to-be's big day.

Sharing a clip made up of pictures of the former athlete and the couple with Andy Williams' 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' playing over the top, Lopez captioned the post: 'You are on TV right now and I’m sitting here in the studio watching you and thinking about how I only want to be right here with you... laughing and joking and enjoying life together... whatever that is, wherever that is...doesn’t matter.

'That’s the blessing I have in you... happy birthday 13 [sic].'

Photo credit: Jennifer Lopez - Instagram
Photo credit: Jennifer Lopez - Instagram

The post comes days after the singer’s fiancé share a video of highlights during the course of the couple’s relationship and her career to mark Lopez's 51st birthday on Friday July 24.

‘Happy Birthday, Macha!!!' Rodriguez captioned the video.

‘Every moment with you is magical. You are the greatest partner, the best mum, the most amazing performer. A role model. A hero. An inspiration. I'm so proud of you. I love you so much!’

The 51-year-old replied to the post, writing: ‘Omg!! I love you and feel so blessed today to have you to celebrate with my baby!! [sic]’

Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram
Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram

The mother-of-two recently opened up about her plans for her birthday to People, explaining that she was hoping for a ‘low-key’ celebration.

‘Last year I celebrated my birthday for almost three months straight, while on my It's My Birthday tour,’ she told the publication.

‘We had a birthday cake every night. So if we just stay home and I get to be with Alex and the kids and watch a movie, I will be fine. We'll keep it very low-key this year.’

May 2020: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez appreciate their time together in lockdown

While their wedding plans were on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lopez and Rodriguez still took the time quarantined together in Miami to appreciate the rare amount of quality time together.

Both Lopez and Rodriguez took to Instagram to acknowledge one another. Sharing a photo of herself hugging her fiancé, who was reading the newspaper at the time, the 'Let's Get Loud' singer wrote: 'When the headlines look like this, it’s so important to hug the ones you love a little tighter and tell them how much you love them.'

A-Rod also shared a photo of himself cuddling Lopez on the sofa, writing that the biggest benefit to being confined to home is 'being with family'.

'Sometimes we get so busy in our lives, it’s easy to lose sight of how important family time is to all of us. Don’t let this time pass by without making the most of it,' the baseball star wrote.

March 2020: Alex Rodriguez celebrates one year engagement to Jennifer Lopez

Alex Rodriguez celebrated one year since he got down on one knee to propose to Jennifer Lopez.

On Tuesday March 10, the former athlete shared a sweet video on his Instagram account of him proposing to his soon-to-be-wife and enjoying life as an engaged couple, whether it’s on the red carpet at awards shows, at dinner or on holiday together.

Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram
Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram

‘Happy anniversary, Macha!’ Rodriguez posted on the video while the Temptations 1965 song ‘My Girl’ plays in the background.

‘One year ago on a beach in the Bahamas…. I was a nervous wreck, more nervous than my entire playing career, I got down on one knee and asked you a question… you said yes,’ he captioned the video.

Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram
Photo credit: Alex Rodriguez - Instagram

‘Jennifer, every moment with you is a blessing. You are my best friend, my inspiration, an amazing mother, and a role model to all. Macha, I am so lucky to be with you. Thank you for making my life better. I can’t wait to make more memories with you. I love you.’

February 2020: Jennifer Lopez gushes about relationship with Alex Rodriguez

During a discussion with TV show host Oprah Winfrey on her 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour in Los Angeles on March 29, Lopez opened up about her engagement to Rodriquez, explaining that they’re not in a rush no marry.

‘No, no... it doesn't,’ she replied when questioned whether it matters when she marries Rodriguez.

‘It's so funny because when we first got engaged I was like, “Oooo, we're gonna get married in a couple months?!” You're old thinking comes right back, all that hopeless romantic [stuff] that made me get married three times,’ she said, laughing.

Photo credit: Emma McIntyre - Getty Images
Photo credit: Emma McIntyre - Getty Images

‘He's like, “Whatever you want to do, we can talk about it.” I said, “But if we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, what is the rush,'" she explained. 'If that's what we're really going to do, if we're really going to be partners.

‘If we're really going to try to build something together that we both never had or both never felt like we had—which was a family with a husband and a wife, and a mother and a father—and we embrace all of our children and we show them something that we didn't have.’

The singer continued, explaining that her relationship with the former baseball player is ‘different’ to her previous romances.

Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images

‘It was different than anything that I had ever experienced in the sense of his consistency,’ she continued. ‘What he says, he does... every time. And that is big. He wants to build together, which I've never had. I never had anybody who wants to see me shine and grow and be.

‘I think him being in my life is a big part of what happened this year because he allowed me to [take off] and it wasn't like, get back down here or don't outshine me...,’ she explained. ‘We have that kind of mirror quality for each other.’

When it came to introducing her children – Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian David Muñiz – to her new partner, the Hustlers star said that she took it step by step.

‘I think they just started seeing him come around, and little-by-little we kind of eased into it,’ she admitted. ‘And then we went on a family trip, so all the kids could be together... that was big step for us.’

Photo credit: Jason Merritt/TERM - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jason Merritt/TERM - Getty Images

‘It's the navigation, you have to navigate it. Everybody's a different personality. Marc [Anthony, Lopez’s ex husband] has a very different life. The mother of [Alex's] children has a very different life than what we have and we all kind of fill-in-the-blanks for each other,’ she said.

‘We give the kids different experiences.’

‘The kids have a network of people who love [and] adore them and want the best for them,’ she concluded her talk. ‘I think we figure it out as we go.’

January 2020: Jennifer Lopez Pays Tribute To Alex Rodriguez After Golden Globes

After the couple graced the red carpet together at the first awards show of the 2020 season (where Lopez was nominated for a Golden Globe but ultimately lost out to Laura Dern), the Hustlers star thanked her fiancé for always supporting her in a very public #alexappreciationpost on Instagram.

'I cannot even begin to explain what having you by my side means to me... I love riding thru [sic] life with you... my biggest supporter, my rock, my macho, [sic]' Lopez wrote.

The superstar's gushing post came hours after Rodriguez wrote one of his own on Instagram, praising his wife-to-be for all her many talents and crediting her as an inspiration 'for countless musicians, dancers, actresses and performers who have seen and emulate your passion, drive and work ethic to find their own success'.

'To everyone whose lives you enrich daily, you are a champion,' he wrote. 'And don't you ever forget it.'

December 2019: Jennifer Lopez Discusses Having More Children With Alex Rodriguez

Since getting into a relationship, Lopez and Rodriguez blended their families together. The dancer is mother to twins Max and Emme, who she had with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and Rodriguez has two daughters Ella and Natasha.

Appearing on the cover of People, Lopez was asked if she would consider expanding her family with her fiancé.

'I want to,' she said. 'I don't know that it's in God's plan but I would like to try. I'm so open to it!'

The 50-year-old also spoke about the lessons in love she's learned throughout her life, telling the magazine it wasn't until she accepted being single on her own that she found love with the 44-year-old baseball legend.

Photo credit: Lawrence Busacca - Getty Images
Photo credit: Lawrence Busacca - Getty Images

'I did get into relationships, sometimes the wrong ones for the wrong reasons because I didn't like being alone,' she reflected. 'Now that [fear] is gone and I'm ok on my own.

'When I really figured out you don't need anybody to complete you and you can be happy on your own, the shift happened and all of a sudden I wasn't alone. You do actually find that person.'

November 2019: Jennifer Lopez On How She And Alex Rodriguez Make Each Other Better

Speaking to GQ magazine, the Hustlers actress said:

'We're very similar. 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....

'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. I believe that he wants that for me. He wants me to be seen and to get what I deserve.'

April 2019: Alex Rodriguez On What Jennifer Lopez Has Taught Him

Asked about what his fiancé has taught him about living in the public eye by the New York Times Magazine, A-Rod could not have been more complimentary about what he's learned from his wife.

'I’ve never met anyone who’s more honest,' he said. 'She’s so authentic and genuine. It was strange to see someone of such magnitude be so normal, be such a great mother and partner and friend. How can you be like this and then go perform in front of 80,000 people? But that’s her superpower.'

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images
Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images

January 2019: Jennifer Lopez On Why She's So Suited To Alex Rodriguez

The actress spoke about their matching 'work ethic' but also noticed how their similar backgrounds (Lopez was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Rodriguez in the Washington Heights district of Manhattan - before growing up in Miami - to parents from the Dominican Republic) serves as a compatibility factor.

'Both Alex and I are Latino,' she told Red. 'We are both self-made. He was always the hardest working baseball player that was - me, the same. We have that in common. We have the same work ethic. We also appreciate and know that coming from nothing, we always want to try and help and give back and teach our kids that.'

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images
Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images

October 2017: The Couple Give A Joint Cover Interview To Vanity Fair

Lopez told the magazine, their ages - and all the different experiences they had - during certain decades in their life brought them together.

'I understand him in a way that I don’t think anyone else could, and he understands me in a way that no one else could ever,' she said. 'In his 20s, he came into big success with the biggest baseball contract [at the time]. I had a number one movie and a number one album and made history. We both had ups and downs and challenges in our 30s, and by our 40s we’d both been through so much. More importantly than anything, we had both done a lot of work on ourselves.'

Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images

July 2017: Jennifer Lopez Repays The Compliments to Alex Rodriguez

After Rodriguez told Extra TV Lopez is one of the most 'impressive and smartest' people he's ever met, the 'Waiting For Tonight' singer said that she feels the exact same way about him.

'He's a loving father,' she told the presenter. 'He's a generous human being with his family, with his friends, with me. He's caring and sweet and capable and responsible and just all the beautiful things you would want a man to be. I feel really lucky right now, so I'm excited about life.'

March 2017: Alex Rodriguez Confirms Relationship With Jennifer Lopez

After rumours start swirling that A-Rod and J-Lo are most definitely a thing, the former baseball star was asked about it on US chat show The View and diplomatically gushed: 'She's an amazing girl and one of the smartest human beings I've ever met and also an incredible mother.'

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. SIGN UP


You Might Also Like