The Lives And Loves Of J-Lo
Rex FeaturesJennifer Lopez was born in 1969 in the edgy NY neighbourhood of the Bronx. Her Puerto Rican parents were kindergarten teacher Guadalupe Rodríguez and computer specialist David Lopez.
Rex FeaturesFrom a young age, Jennifer knew she wanted to perform and, after leaving school at 19, she worked to pay for dancing and singing lessons. Her odd jobs included working in a legal office and performing in Manhattan night clubs.
WennJen got her big break from another pop icon - Janet Jackson – after she appeared as a back-up dancer on her tour and in the video for That’s The Way Love Goes.
Rex FeaturesJennifer made her first big acting debut in 1997 as the title role in pop biopic, Selena. The singer got more than she bargained for at the movie’s 1996 wrap party, as her then-boyfriend, Cuban waiter Ojani Noa, grabbed the microphone and proposed by presenting her with a large diamond ring.
PA PhotosThe pair married in Miami, having the reception at Gloria Estefan’s restaurant On The Beach. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t even last a year and the couple filed for divorce in January 1998.
Rex FeaturesBut while her personal life was in turmoil, J-Lo’s career went from strength to strength. She scored a mass of award nominations (and got to kiss George Clooney) for her role as U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco in Out Of Sight.
PA PhotosIf You Had My Love, was J-Lo’s lead single on her debut album, On The 6. It became the singer’s first No1 and cemented the star in mainstream music.
PA PhotosThe awards came quickly too and Jen was nominated at the 2000 Grammy Awards for Best Dance Recording. She might not have won a gong but, who cares? - all anyone was talking about her outfit!
Rex FeaturesJen’s increased celebrity pull was evident in her new A-List boyfriend – rapper P Diddy (known then as Puff Daddy). The pair dated for two and a half years but the relationship ended dramatically after the couple became embroiled in a nightclub gunfight and Puff Daddy was charged with possessing an illegal gun.
PA PhotosJ-Lo has never been single very long and following her split from P Diddy, she married backing dancer Cris Judd after they met on the video of Love Don’t Cost A Thing. Unfortunately it did cost quite a lot and the pair signed a financial settlement when they filed for divorce in 2002.
Rex FeaturesJ-Lo already had two weddings under her belt when she appeared in The Wedding Planner opposite Matthew McConaughey in 2001. The film was a commercial success, and Jen became the first actress and singer in history to have a film and album at No1 in the same week.
PA PhotosJennifer’s keen acumen led her to venture into the celebrity perfume business, well before it became de rigeur among the stars. Glow by J.Lo came out in 2002 and was quickly followed up by Still, Miami Glow, Live by Jennifer Lopez and Love at First Glow.
PA PhotosAlways a foodie, Jen opened Cuban restaurant Madre’s in 2002. The manager was her first husband Ojani Noa but things got nasty when he was fired and tried to sue the singer over his termination. The eaterie was cursed with further bad luck and shut in 2008.
Rex FeaturesJ to tha L-O!: The Remixes became the first remix album to debut at the top of the chart. J-Lo’s former squeeze P Diddy featured, as did Fat Joe and Nas, in the reinvented hip hop tracks.
Rex FeaturesJennifer Lopez made a rare career blunder by signing up for the ill-fated Gigli. It received six Razzies, including Worst Actress for J-Lo.
PA PhotosFollowing the expense of her failed second marriage, J-Lo went back to dating A-Listers. In 2002 she hooked up with Ben Affleck and he quickly presented her with a $3.5m engagement ring. Sadly the Bennifer fairytale wasn’t meant to be and the pair split a few days before their September wedding, blaming the media attention.
Rex FeaturesJust two months after her split with Ben, Jen was spotted out with singer and long-time friend Marc Anthony. The singer’s third wedding was completely private, with guests being invited to an “afternoon party”, only to find themselves at the singer’s nuptials when they arrived.
PA PhotosThe singer’s clothing lines have proved a financial and critical success. JLo by Jennifer Lopez, Sweetface and JustSweet are sold in 40 countries around the world.
Rex FeaturesJen is a serious advocate of human rights and Amnesty International recognised this, honouring her with an international award for her work on Bordertown, a film about the murders of hundreds of women on the Mexican border.
PA PhotosJen has always stayed true to her Puerto Rican roots and, in 2007, she released her first full Spanish album, Como Ama una Mujer, with husband Marc as producer. The record did well both in the mainstream and Hispanic charts.
Rex FeaturesJennifer Lopez confirmed she was expecting her first child while on tour in 2007. It turned out to be twins - Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz were born in March 2008.
PA PhotosJ-Lo’s past came back to haunt her in 2009 as her first husband Ojani Noa revealed he was planning to release “unseen home video footage” of the singer. J-Lo’s lawyer claimed that the video was “private and personal, but it wasn't a sex tape”, and a judge barred Ojani from releasing the material.
Bigpicturesphoto.comIn July 2011, Jennifer and Marc Anthony confirmed that they had decided to split. The break-up was amicable however and the pair share parenting duties of their twins.
PA PhotosJen also got herself a new man in the form LA dancer Casper Smart, who she started dating in November 2011.
Getty ImagesHaving tackled the music industry herself, J-Lo took the opportunity to inspire new talent, signing up as a judge on American Idol alongside Steven Tyler.
Rex FeaturesJennifer had to wipe away a few tears as she was honoured with a Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2013. The singer celebrated her achievement with her parents and children in LA.
GettyIn early June 2014 Jennifer announced that she had ended her relationship with Casper, after three years together. Later that same month J-Lo was rumoured to be dating Dancing with the Stars professional dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Watch this space.
