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| Jennifer Lopez compared media attention to her engagement to Ben Affleck to interest in her relationship with Alex Rodriguez. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
By Annie Martin, UPI
Jennifer Lopez says dating Ben Affleck during "the tabloid era" was a "crazy" experience.
The 49-year-old singer and actress compared media attention to her engagement to Affleck to interest in her relationship with Alex Rodriguez in the age of social media in the December issue of InStyle.
"It was actually worse then," Lopez told the magazine. "It was just crazy."
"Now at least I can show you who I am a little bit," she said of social media's benefits. "Back then you just believed anything you read on the cover of a tabloid. Many times it wasn't true, or it was like a third of the truth."
The World of Dance judge acknowledged social media presents its own set of problems but said young stars have it easier today.
"They didn't live through the tabloid era," she said. "Now I sound like my mom. 'I used to walk uphill to school, before there were cars!'"
Lopez split from Affleck in 2004 after less than two years of dating. In addition to less tabloid attention, she said her relationship with Rodriguez is more serene due to their maturity.
"When we met, we'd both already done a lot of work on ourselves," the star said.
"Everybody has flaws, and the people I want in my life are the people who recognize that and are willing to work on those flaws," she said. "It's super-important: someone who's willing to look at themselves and say, 'OK, I'm not great here' or 'I could do better there.'"
Lopez and Rodriguez confirmed their relationship in March 2017. Rodriguez unearthed a signed photo from Lopez while cleaning out his storage this month that the singer autographed for him nearly 20 years ago.
