Jennifer Lopez Once Said She Never Caught Diddy Cheating, But 'Just Knew' Something Was Wrong

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.

Jennifer Lopez and Sean "Diddy" Combs had a brief but tumultuous romance. The couple started dating in 1999 and later broke up in 2001. In a 2003 interview with Vibe Magazine, Lopez revealed why she broke up with Diddy. She said: ”I never caught him but I just knew. He’d say he was going to a club for a couple of hours and then never come back that night. It was the first time I was with someone who wasn’t faithful.” 

”I had to think, do I want to be home with kids in 10 years wondering where somebody is at three in the morning?” she stated. Rumor has it that Lopez stalked Combs in hotel rooms. According to Forbes, in her 2024 documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told  Lopez revealed that she had been "manhandled and a couple of other unsavory things" in past relationships, which she likened to her current situation with Ben Affleck.

Combs was taken into custody in 1999 after a shooting took place at a nightclub in New York City in 1991. As per Style Caster, although Lopez hasn't discussed the shooting much, she did so in a 2000 interview with British magazine ELLE. She said, “It was a complete nightmare from beginning to end. I was scared to death in the car. I had absolutely no idea what was going on. No one did.” 

The controversial couple broke up in 2001, Comb’s publicist confirmed the news at the time saying, “Mr. Combs confirmed that he and his love, Jennifer Lopez, have, in fact, broken up. He wanted to put all the rumors surrounding their relationship to rest. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect his privacy.”

However, in 2014 the I Need a Girl rapper highly praised his ex-girlfriend's hit song. "It’s a work of art. It’s something that will go down in history,” Diddy told in an interview after Lopez released the song Booty. “She will never give up. She’s a great friend of mine that thing is just incredible.”

“I am so lucky to have that great woman in my history. She is one of the greatest I’ve ever seen. Go girl!” he continued, further stating that they are “great as friends” and he’s “great as a fan rather than a love interest." Lopez responded positively, “I’ll always be grateful to him for that and I love that he can be so supportive of me so many years later and there’s still so much mutual respect, admiration, and love there."

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673).