Jennifer Lopez left an autograph signing event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night after being questioned about her past relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs, who now faces serious legal allegations. Lopez, 55, appeared to end the signing session abruptly when a fan raised questions regarding Diddy, her ex-boyfriend from the early 2000s. The incident unfolded following her appearance at the AFI FEST 2024 screening of Unstoppable, an event where Lopez initially engaged warmly with fans but ultimately exited when confronted with inquiries about the embattled music mogul.
The interruption came just as Lopez was leaving the venue. A fan reportedly asked her, "JLo, do you have any comments about Diddy and the allegations?" according to local media. Following the question, Lopez stopped signing autographs and promptly exited, ignoring pleas from other fans asking her to stay. The swift departure highlighted her continued reluctance to discuss Diddy publicly, especially as he faces severe allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lopez's relationship with Diddy, now 54, spanned from 1999 to 2001 and was famously volatile. The pair were among the most high-profile couples of their era, and while they never married, Lopez has previously described the relationship as "tempestuous" and "emotionally exhausting." Reflecting on that time, she once said, "We broke up many times and got back together, and nobody knew about it. It was very tempestuous. Towards the end, it was emotionally exhausting."
The recent resurgence of public interest in Lopez's past with Diddy follows mounting legal battles for the rapper, who is now entangled in a series of lawsuits. Diddy's legal troubles include allegations of sexual misconduct, some involving minors, which has cast a shadow over his career. His legal team has denied the charges, calling the lawsuits a "barrage of filings" meant to "garner publicity." Diddy's attorney has insisted that he "never sexually assaulted anyone."
Lopez's silence on the allegations is consistent with her longstanding approach to her history with Diddy, keeping details of their relationship private. In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, she revealed that Diddy often referred to their relationship as a "marriage," even jokingly requesting a "divorce" at times when the pair were apart for extended periods. Despite such references, the couple never formalized their relationship, and Lopez has kept discussions around their personal lives "sacred and private."
This recent incident at the signing event adds another layer to Lopez's complex relationship history with Diddy, particularly as she navigates her current divorce from estranged husband Ben Affleck. Over the years, speculation has persisted that Lopez's involvement with Diddy contributed to her split from Affleck during their initial engagement in the early 2000s. Lopez's first husband, Ojani Noa, also suggested that Diddy's influence led to their divorce in 1998, calling his involvement "part of that divorce."
Wednesday's departure by Lopez is not the first time her past with Diddy has resurfaced in the public eye. In one of the most notorious incidents during their relationship, Lopez and Diddy were involved in a 1999 nightclub shooting in New York City, which led to a police car chase after the couple fled the scene. While Lopez was quickly cleared of any wrongdoing, Diddy and his then-protégé, Jamal "Shyne" Barrows, faced criminal charges. Diddy was eventually acquitted, but Barrows served nearly a decade in prison for his role in the incident.
Diddy's recent legal challenges are taking a significant toll on his reputation, with new allegations surfacing regularly. Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who has been outspoken about his mission to file numerous lawsuits against the rapper, recently announced additional charges involving minors. The new lawsuits, among 120 cases Buzbee plans to pursue, include allegations of sexual assault against minors during audition processes.
The resurgence of these allegations has cast a new light on the past connections between Lopez and Diddy, although there is no suggestion that Lopez has any involvement in his current legal issues. In her own statements, Lopez has kept discussions of their relationship limited, describing it only as "a complete nightmare" when addressing the fallout from the 1999 shooting.
