NEWSJennifer Lopez's First Ex-Husband Claims Her Marriage to Ben Affleck Was a 'Publicity Stunt': 'She Needed People to Talk About Her'
Jennifer Lopez's ex Ojani Noa referred to her wedding with Ben Affleck as a 'publicity stunt.'
July 27 2026, Updated 11:07 a.m. ET
Jennifer Lopez's first husband slammed his ex for her "publicity stunt" marriage to Ben Affleck.
Ojani Noa, 52, and Lopez, 57, married in 1997 after a whirlwind romance. They split in 1998, just a few years before Lopez first began dating the Good Will Hunting actor.
Affleck and Lopez were engaged in 2004 but called off their wedding. The couple rekindled their romance in 2021, married in 2022 and divorced in 2024.
"That marriage was a publicity stunt," Noa said. "She needed people to talk about her again."
Ojani Noa and Jennifer Lopez married in 1997 and split only 11 months later.
Noa revealed his true thoughts about his ex-wife's latest marriage to The Sun and reflected on their relationship early in her career.
He recalled the late 1990s version of Lopez as a "sweet, naive young woman."
"She was emotional when I did romantic things and insecure about her acting," he said.
But, Noa, a Cuban-born personal trainer, went on to slam the "Jenny From the Block" actress and singer as a total fraud.
"She was working on a TV show at 18," he said. "She had money and her mom was a teacher. She is a fake."
Why Did Jennifer Lopez and Ojani Noa Break Up?
Ojani Noa alleged that he and Jennifer Lopez broke up after she cheated with Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
He previously revealed that their romance ended after Noa accused Lopez of cheating on him with disgraced rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.
"She cheated on me with Diddy," he claimed. "I confronted him and told him I wasn’t scared of him."
Lopez and Diddy began dating in 1999 before breaking up for good in 2001.
- Jennifer Lopez's Ex-Husband Ojani Noa's Bombshell Statements: Everything He Has Said About His Relationship With the Singer
- Jennifer Lopez's First Husband Breaks Silence On Whirlwind Relationship With Ben Affleck: 'I'm Not Convinced It Will Last'
- From 'I Do' to 'I Don't': Inside Jennifer Lopez's 4 Failed Marriages
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How Many Time Has Jennifer Lopez Been Married?
Jennifer Lopez has been married four times.
Lopez has been married four times, including to Noa and Affleck.
She also married actor, dancer and choreographer Cris Judd in 2001, divorcing him in 2003. She married singer Marc Anthony in 2004.
Anthony fathered her twins, Max and Emme, in 2008.
He and Lopez divorced in 2014, making her relationship with Anthony her longest marriage to date.
Jennifer Lopez still believes in love despite multiple failed marriages.
Despite four failed marriages, Lopez told friends last year that she would never give up on love.
"Jennifer is confiding in friends that she’ll never give up on love," an insider told Life & Style in June 2025. "Even after all the heartache she’s been through, she truly seems to believe she just hasn’t met her forever man yet."
Those close to Lopez referred to her as a "hopeless romantic" who will never stop looking for the one.
"She’s a hopeless romantic with a huge heart," they said. "J.Lo's pals say she is convinced that her Mr. Right is out there."
