Jennifer Lopez was left "really embarrassed" after discovering that her four-year relationship and engagement to Alex Rodriguez were entirely absent from his new HBO docuseries, Alex vs. ARod, according to people familiar with her reaction. The omission has stirred fresh tensions nearly five years after the celebrity couple ended one of Hollywood's most visible romances.
The three-part documentary chronicles Rodriguez's baseball career, business pursuits and personal setbacks, with the former New York Yankees star participating in extensive on-camera interviews. Yet the period in which he was engaged to Lopez-one of the most photographed pop culture relationships of the late 2010s-was not addressed, a decision sources say stunned the singer and actress.
"J.Lo was bracing to be in that documentary, so to have it then come out and there is nothing about her was very shocking and actually really embarrassing," an insider said. The source added that Lopez felt "upset" and "triggered" after realizing their relationship had been omitted altogether.
The absence stood out because the series does explore other chapters of Rodriguez's personal life. His marriage to Cynthia Scurtis, which ended in divorce in 2008, receives significant attention, including reflections on his infidelity during that period. The documentary also references former relationships with actresses Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz, according to people who have seen the episodes.
"There was all this talk about his mistakes and about how he could have treated his ex-wife better and yet absolutely no mention of J.Lo, as though she never even existed," the insider said. The selective scope, the source suggested, made the silence around Lopez feel deliberate rather than incidental.
Lopez, 56, and Rodriguez, 50, began dating in 2017 and became engaged two years later, positioning themselves as a cross-industry power couple spanning music, film, sports and business. Their relationship unraveled publicly in 2021 amid reports linking Rodriguez to reality television personality Madison LeCroy, allegations he denied at the time.
"It's not hard to see why Alex wanted to gloss over that chapter of his life," the insider said. "It was incredibly embarrassing when Jennifer dumped him and went off with Ben proclaiming that the actor was the true love of her life as if Alex never existed."
Lopez ultimately rekindled her romance with Ben Affleck, whom she later married, further cementing the public narrative around the breakup. According to people close to her, the HBO series reopened unresolved feelings because it offered Rodriguez an opportunity to acknowledge the relationship-and the hurt surrounding its end-that he chose not to take.
The singer believes her former fiancé "owes her plenty of apologies for what went down between them," the source said. "Don't forget there were all sorts of rumours and accusations about Alex getting cosy with that reality star. The fact that he didn't even acknowledge the pain he caused her has really triggered her."
Those close to Lopez say the omission has prompted renewed interest in telling her side of the story. "It's got her wanting to tell her side of the story," the insider said. "She's not going to let him just erase her from his history."
