J-Lo and A-Rod and Page Six
It's Gossip Time!
Hello and welcome to Gossip Time, a weekly guide to the stars by Allie Jones. This week: a celebrity couple talks to the tabloids, another celebrity couple stops talking altogether, and Drew Barrymore forgets her shoes.
Last Friday afternoon, Page Six reported that Jennifer Lopez, 51, and Alex Rodriguez, 45, had broken up and called off their two-year engagement. All the major tabloids and gossip sites quickly confirmed the unhappy news: a source told People that “this has been a long time coming,” while another insider revealed to Us Weekly that “there have been issues in their relationship for a while now.” Lopez and Rodriguez didn’t comment on the reports, but the whole exercise felt like your standard celebrity-approved Friday news dump. People, especially, is not in the habit of reporting on an A-list breakup without checking in with the relevant parties’ publicists first.
But on Saturday morning, J-Lo and A-Rod decided to change the narrative. They released a one-line statement to People refuting the reports of a breakup while acknowledging that their relationship had hit a rough patch. “We’re working through some things,” they said. A few days later, Rodriguez flew to the Dominican Republic, where Lopez is currently filming a rom-com called Shotgun Wedding. Since their reunion, the couple has made a point to kiss in front of the paparazzi multiple times.
So what happened? Based on tabloid reports from this week, it seems like Lopez had been contemplating a breakup for a while, and then someone jumped the gun and told Page Six. As Maria Tallarico at Lainey Gossip points out, Rodriguez has had a direct line to Page Six over the years. (The gossip outlet got the scoop on his last breakup with 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, as well as the exclusive on his new relationship with J-Lo in 2017.) Lopez, meanwhile, has sources talking to People.
“She’s been contemplating breaking up with Alex for six months,” a “friend” of Lopez told the tabloid. Another source connected to the star said that Lopez has “trust issues” with A-Rod. “Don’t forget, this is the first time they have been apart in a year [as she films] and that can be hard,” the source said. “Whatever happened, they are working past it.”
So something happened that is making it hard for Lopez to trust Rodriguez. Is it the fact that he was caught FaceTiming a blonde Bravo reality star earlier this year? Or something even dumber than that? Perhaps Rodriguez’s primary antagonist Jose Canseco will tell us (he called the breakup back in January):
In the meantime, Lopez’s sources are assuring the tabloids that the couple is working through their issues. “They are far from planning a wedding again, but they are still engaged,” another source told People. Sadly, J-Lo has been here before — it took her about four months to fully break things off with Ben Affleck in 2004, after he was caught with Canadian strippers during their engagement. I don’t know what’s going to happen with this situation, but I wish our Botox-free superstar peace.
One couple that is definitely breaking up: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. The Kardashian family officially acknowledged the divorce filing in a couple of interviews this week. Kris Jenner said on “The Kyle and Jackie O Show” that “all I want is for those two kids to be happy.” Caitlyn Jenner, meanwhile, talked to Entertainment Tonight about the split and how it might play out on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
“I love Kimberly,” she said. “Honestly, I love Kanye. I have had a very good relationship with Kanye. I wish them both nothing but the best. But, as far as speaking about that, that is their story to tell, not mine. And I think you might learn some things in the final episode, I wouldn’t be surprised — although I haven’t seen the show, but I do remember shooting scenes. And yeah, I think it should be pretty interesting.”
Pretty interesting, okay! So far, the E! reality show hasn’t touched the divorce; last night’s premiere episode focused mostly on Khloe Kardashian’s desire to have another child with her not-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, and Scott Disick’s breakup with Sofia Richie, the 22-year-old daughter of Lionel Richie. (He’s now dating Amelia Hamlin, the 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin.) At least we know something pretty interesting is coming several episodes from now.
STUFF BY HILARY DUFF: Last week, I mistakenly reported that Hilary Duff had written a children’s book called My Brave Little Girl. The correct title is My Little Brave Girl. Gossip Time regrets the error.
Finally I’ll leave you with a photo of Drew Barrymore walking around barefoot in New York:
This image was captured on Monday, when it was 37 degrees outside. What? And why? If anyone has answers, please let me know.
Thank you so much for opening this email. If you have a friend who likes celebrity gossip, why not forward it to them? And feel free to share your own thoughts and theories in the comments or by replying directly to this email.