Jennifer Lopez‘s first husband, Ojani Noa, has opened up about his marriage to the Hollywood megastar amid her divorce proceedings with Ben Affleck.
The actor-producer married the Atlas actress in 1997, but their relationship ended just a year later.
In an interview with the Daily Mail on Friday, he revealed some untold stories about their brief marriage and admitted that, after watching her documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, he can relate to Affleck who is currently divorcing the singer after two years of marriage.
Recalling the similar pressure of having his relationship play out in the public eye, he said, “We would have arguments in the car, and then 20 minutes later, we’d have to sit and act like everything was fine.”
Noa met Jennifer Lopez in 1997 while working as a waiter in Miami, where she was filming Blood and Wine with Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine.
They got married the following year but divorced just 11 months later.
Noa was the only one of the singer’s four husbands who knew her before she became famous, and he described feeling like an “uncomfortable passenger” during her rise to stardom.
He proudly shared, “We started talking about marriage within months of seriously dating and I asked her to marry me about a year and a half after we met.
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“I was the first, the pioneer. I was there at the beginning of her career supporting her, dealing with her anxieties and insecurities.”
Ojani didn’t hold back in praising himself, claiming he was “a really good husband” because he truly believes in marriage.
He admitted he was left “heartbroken” when they split, adding, “I feel like once she got what she wanted, I was no longer needed.”
“I put a lot of time and effort into loving her. But when you’re with someone, you have to spend quality time with them and not think about being on camera.
Despite his tough reflections, Noa made it clear he holds no grudges against the music star.
He even offered advice amid her ongoing divorce from Affleck, suggesting it might be a good idea for her to “stay single” for a while.
He concluded, “If she meets someone new, maybe keep it private and not get married again.
“I would just say to Jen: you need to be yourself so you can find yourself.”
