She's still Jenny from the block, but he will never be Mr. Jennifer Lopez. News broke Thursday that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have broken up — for real this time. In a statement sent to Today, the pair admitted that "we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so." The rest of their joint statement:
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 comes one month after Lopez and Rodriguez's PR machine appeared to go in overdrive following rumors of a split, insisting that they were simply "working through some things," while sources merely pointed to their relationship hitting a "rough patch." Yet, considering it had been six weeks since Lopez posted an Instagram photo of Rodriguez (and she had been spotted without her engagement ring), discussion surrounding their relationship (or lack thereof) only continued to follow them.
The relationship might be over, but it's doubtful that the dramah will be. One factor that might have contributed to the split surrounded rumors that Rodriguez had been unfaithful with Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy. Fellow Bravo star Craig Conover had alleged during the show's reunion episode that LeCroy had traveled to Miami to hook up with a celebrity, a "married ex-baseball player" that gossip sites pegged as Rodriguez. Their evidence? The former baseball player followed and liked LeCroy's posts on social media.
That Rodriguez wasn't married to Lopez yet didn't seem to matter to speculating fans — the story continued to follow the couple long after initial rumors of a split. (For what it's worth, LeCroy claims to have only FaceTimed with Rodriguez, while the baseball player has never addressed the story surrounding the reality star. Lopez, meanwhile, is said to not be "bothered and doesn't care" about the rumors, according to sources, but a tawdry story involving a reality star can't possibly be welcomed by Lopez's A-list brand.)