JLo and A-Rod are officially over.
After a public flip-flop last month regarding the status of their relationship, singer/actress Jennifer Lopez, 51, and former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, 45, announced Thursday they “realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” according to a statement shared exclusively with the “Today” show and confirmed to the USA TODAY by a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.
“We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects,” the statement continued. “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.”
Lopez and Rodriguez got engaged in March 2019. The couple was scheduled to tie the knot in Italy in June 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic hit mid-March.
Last month, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly had confirmed the couple’s split to USA TODAY. Multiple news outlets, including People, E! and The Associated Press, had also confirmed the news. Page Six first reported their breakup.
But 12 hours later, the two changed course, announcing they had not called it quits.
“All the reports are inaccurate. We are working through some things,” the couple said in a joint statement provided March 13 to USA TODAY by Rodriguez’s representative Ron Berkowitz.
When asked by TMZ that same day if he was single, Rodriguez kept his response short: “I’m not,” he said. Later, in a video published by the outlet, the former MLB star received a phone call, which he confirmed was from Lopez, who was in the Dominican Republic filming her latest movie, “Shotgun Wedding.”
