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Before Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were married, she had a history of famous lovers — and one was Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Lopez and Combs dated for two years before breaking up in the early 2000s. Here’s what Lopez said about her “different” relationship with Combs and what happened when Combs commented on her Instagram while engaged to Alex Rodriguez.

Jennifer Lopez once said that Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs apologized to Alex Rodriguez for commenting on her Instagram

A head shot of Jennifer Lopez leaning her head against Alex Rodriguez's shoulder in 2020
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez | Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs had a high-profile romance in the late ’90s to early 2000s. Lopez met Combs on the set of her music video for “If You Had My Love” in 1999. The couple dated from 1999 to 2001. Unfortunately, Lopez alleged that Combs cheated on her during their relationship. Combs later admitted that he was still in love with Kim Porter, whom he got back together after Lopez.

Lopez spoke to Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM in 2019. At the time, she was engaged to Alex Rodriguez and talked about their loving relationship. Lopez and Rodriguez never made it down the aisle, as they separated in 2021. That same year, Lopez reconnected with Ben Affleck, whom she tied the knot with in 2022.

During Lopez’s interview with the radio station, she talked about her past relationship with Combs.

“I don’t know; we never lived together,” Lopez said when asked about Combs. “… We were like, boyfriend and girlfriend. We were little. I feel like that was such a long time ago. You know, it was a different type of relationship.”

The interviewer reminded Lopez that Combs commented on one of her Instagram posts at the time. “He wrote Alex after that,” Lopez explained, noting that the comment didn’t cause bad blood between Combs and Rodriguez. “He was like, ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. I have nothing but respect for you guys. I’m so happy for you guys.’ You know, we were together so many years ago. It’s just like, we were kids.”

Jennifer Lopez ‘didn’t like’ Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs ‘at all’ when she first met him

Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs and Jennifer Lopez interacting in 2018 during her residency
Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs and Jennifer Lopez in 2018 | Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment
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Jennifer Lopez Once Joked She Wouldn’t Save Ben Affleck or Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs From Drowning

Jennifer Lopez and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs never got engaged, though their high-profile relationship was well-documented. Lopez admitted that she didn’t like Combs when she met him.

“He was larger than life, but at first, I didn’t like him at all,” Lopez said in an early interview on YouTube. “… I thought he was, like, you know, ick. I didn’t like him because Sean and I were very different that way; I was very family-oriented and kind of the married type.”

However, Lopez “developed” a “bond” with Combs as she got to know him. “We both understood where we were at that time in our lives, and we both knew nobody else understood exactly how we felt,” she said.

A source said that Alex Rodriguez likes watching his ex’s marriage fall apart

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez didn’t have a lasting relationship. After the breakup, Rodriguez praised Lopez for her talents, and the exes vowed to stay friends. However, a source alleged to In Touch Weekly in June 2024 that Rodriguez enjoys “watching” the “train wreck” of Lopez and Ben Affleck’s issues, as he harbors resentment.

“He felt like she tossed him out with the trash when she got a better offer from Ben, and it did a huge number on him,” the source alleged, according to Yahoo. “He went from planning a wedding to watching her marry someone else in what felt like the blink of an eye. It was the worst year of his life, and to make things 10 times worse, J. Lo didn’t have an ounce of empathy for him. She flaunted her romance with Ben every chance she got.”

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