Jennifer Lopez’s 1st Husband Proposed to Her in an Extremely Public Way

Jennifer Lopez and her first husband were married for less than a year. He said his proposal was romantic, though.

Jennifer Lopez’s first husband, Ojani Noa, proposed to her when her career was on the precipice of a major transformation. She had picked up a number of acting credits before they met, but her starring role in Selena changed everything for her. The wrap party represented a major turning point in her career. It also brought major changes in her personal life.

Jennifer Lopez’s first husband proposed to her at the wrap party for ‘Selena’

In 1997, Lopez starred in Selena, a film about Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. As she worked on the film, Noa saved up money for an engagement ring.

“The ring was $15,000 — a fortune back then,” he told the Daily Mail in 2022. “I hid the ring in a plastic bag behind the sink.”

The cast and crew of Selena celebrated their wrap party at the Hard Rock Cafe. Noa took the opportunity to propose to Lopez in front of everyone.

“They were making speeches. I grabbed the mic and said, ‘Jennifer, I love you. Will you marry me?’ Everyone was cheering,” he said. “I went down on one knee and gave her the ring. She was crying and laughing and said Yes!”

Jennifer Lopez’s first husband said their relationship fell apart shortly after this

This was a happy moment, but Noa said their relationship quickly took a turn for the worse. Lopez fought with her mother about the wedding venue. When Noa stood up for his fiancée, he landed on her mother’s bad side. Lopez’s rapidly expanding career also made it difficult for Noa to keep in contact with her.

“She went from Jen to being J Lo, this big business bringing in millions,” he said. “She had all these new people around her, all wanting to make money off her. I would call and an assistant would say, ‘Sorry, she’s not available.’”

He grew jealous of her relationships with other men in show business and felt frustrated that she made significantly more money. While they married in 1997, the marriage was over by 1998. He claimed that they remained close in the aftermath of their split, though.

“There were times she told me she wanted to get back together,” he said. “In quiet moments she would say, ‘I need you in my life. I don’t want to lose you.’”

He offered her advice for relationships moving forward

When Lopez married Ben Affleck in 2022, Noa said he wished the couple the best. Now that they are in the middle of divorce proceedings, Noa said he hopes his ex-wife will stay single for some time.

“Stay single for a while, take 12 months off,” he told the Daily Mail in a separate interview. “If she meets someone new, maybe keep it private and not get ­married again. She has an amazing career and she’s a hard-working, beautiful woman, but when you’re with someone, you have to spend quality time with them and not think about being on camera.”