No need to rush. Jennifer Lopez is not in a hurry to walk down the aisle with Alex Rodriguez, but she does want to spend the rest of her life with someone.
“I do believe in marriage,” the Shades of Blue actress, 48, told Harper’s Bazaar in a story published on Thursday, March 15. “And I would love to grow old with somebody in a committed relationship. But I’m not forcing anything right now.”
As far as her relationship with the 42-year-old former Yankees player, she said: “It’s good, it’s healthy; we communicate well. We understand each other’s lives in a way that most other people couldn’t.”
She added: “We both entered the public eye in our early twenties and overachieved right from the start. And that affects every dynamic in your life, from your family to your work to your relationships. We have a similar makeup.”
The pair celebrated their anniversary in February in Minneapolis, where the singer performed a concert ahead of the Super Bowl. During the show, she debuted her single “Us” written by Poo Bear and produced by Skrillex, and dedicated it to Rodriguez, who was in the audience. “We’ve been together for one year today. I don’t want to get all mushy or anything, but baby, this song’s for you. I love you,” she told the athlete while on stage.
When talking about how she chose the song, Lopez told the magazine that the lyrics fit right into where the couple were in their relationship. She said: “They played me about 20 different songs, and when I heard this one I was like, ‘Oh, this is relevant!’ Alex and I were just getting to know each other. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, could this be? Could this be us?’”
Lopez was previously married to chef Ojani Noa for nearly a year in 1997, and dancer Cris Judd from 2001 to 2002. She later married singer Marc Anthony in 2004 and they called it quits in 2011. The pair share 10-year-old twins Max and Emme. The former Yankees shortstop shares daughters Ella, 9, and Natasha, 13, with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis. They split in 2008 after six years of marriage.
A lot has changed in the “Dance Again” songstress’ life since her last relationship, and she said a lot of it has to do with really knowing herself. “When I was younger I spent a lot of time being half happy and half not happy,” she told the publication. “I know who I am and what I want. I also know my strengths and weaknesses. It took me a long time to get to a point where I could say something nice about myself. I’m glad I can do that now.”
Lopez remains optimistic as she continues with her career, raise her two children and make her relationship with Rodriguez work for the long run. “Baseball is just like life,” she said. “All you want to do is hit a home run.”
