Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Split Comes as Surprise

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have split seemingly out of nowhere. Although Lopez and Anthony seemed to be going strong after almost seven years, they announced their amicable split in a statement on Friday. Of course, there is probably more to it than has been reported, and the press will now spend the next several days and weeks trying to find out what.

According to People, the couple hadn't been seen in public together since June, with Anthony notably absent while Lopez was at a BAFTA gala last week. But the two did perform together on the American Idol finale, although it now seems like their last duet.

Back in the day, Lopez's love life was the talk of Hollywood, after her two marriages and mega hyped romances with Puff Daddy and Ben Affleck. Yet after marrying Anthony in 2004, it looked like she had finally settled down. The lack of romantic drama helped get the press off of J. Lo's back, as she took a step back in the years ahead, before making a big return on the American Idol panel.

There are already questions on Lopez's future on Idol, and whether she will come back. Now her romantic off-screen life will become a tabloid target all over again, especially as the press searches for how her marriage with Anthony ended.

The media has gotten lucky before, as the split between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver seemed amicable and shocking at first. But once reporters dug, they found a love child and affairs to help explain it all. Those circumstances are probably unlikely for Lopez and Anthony, especially since they appeared to have a more stable union.

Given the whirlwind romantic pasts of the two superstars, that seemed improbable at first. But they endured, and had just renewed their vows last year for their sixth anniversary. Yet that came after rumors that their marriage was getting shakier, although it appeared they had overcome those reports.

Despite the coming separation, the two still have a lot ahead of them, career wise. They are now stars in music and television, as Anthony is now on TNT's Hawthorne, while Lopez may or may not be back for a second season on Idol. The couple even announced plans to develop a TV show together in April, but there have been no updates since then.

Although Lopez and Anthony are being peaceful with their split so far, the fallout may be anything but. Yet it has been years since their love lives have been tabloid fodder, thanks to their marriage, which made the separation more surprising on Friday. But they still may be better equipped to handle the rumors and gossip this time around.

Sources

People- "Jennifer Lopez: Signs of Marriage Trouble During Royal Visit?"

TMZ- "Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony SPLIT"

MSN.com- "Shocking Celebrity Splits!"

CBS News- "Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony split"