In a statement released Monday through his publicist, the rap mogul otherwise known as Sean Combs, refutes rumors that he and Jennifer Lopez had gotten back together, triggering her split from husband of eight months, dancer Cris Judd.
"Contrary to reports, Mr. Combs and Ms. Lopez are not together," spokeswoman Nathalie Moar says in the brief statement. "However, he wishes her well during this difficult time."
The source of the rumor was New York Post gossip Cindy Adams, who, in her typical breathless style, wrote in Friday's column that Combs and Lopez were once again a twosome.
"He's always been in love with her. She's always been in need of him," said Adams. "Cris Judd was handsome, available and a quick stand-in when Puffy's legal problems were overwhelming. They are now underwhelming. And so, thinks J.Lo, is Cris Judd."
(The irrepressible Adams hints in today's column that Lopez was now cozying up to Gigli co-star Ben Affleck, so go figure.)
A source close to the couple confirmed to E! Online Friday that Lopez and Judd had separated and were considering divorce. The split was described as amicable and no third parties were said to have been involved.
Lopez's publicist, Alan Nierob, declined to comment on the entertainer's marital status.
Lopez, 31, met the 32-year-old Judd, a backup dancer and choreographer, while working on the video of "Love Don't Cost a Thing" in November 2000. They got together a few months later following her breakup with Combs and, after a whirlwind romance, they married last September.
As for Puffy, Lopez has said in recent interviews that she remains friendly with her onetime paramour despite dumping him last year (the official announcement broke on Valentine's Day) during his highly publicized trial on gun and bribery charges. Combs was eventually acquitted.
Aside from Adams' pronouncement, it's understandable to see how Lopez and Combs are once again being linked. In an interview appearing in the June 2001 issue of Vanity Fair, Combs compared their two-year romance to the torrid love affairs of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, and Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.
And now that Combs, 31, has been cleared of criminal charges and his career is again on the upswing with the success of his new single, "I Need a Girl," and, P. Diddy and Bad Boy Records Presents?We Invented the Remix, he becomes a much more eligible bachelor. Especially when Lopez's latest cinematic offering, Enough, is bombing with critics and audiences.
But, in a recent interview with Elle magazine, Lopez says for the record that she never got together with Combs as a matter of convenience. "My relationship with Puff was genuine. For people to suggest that I used him is ridiculous. And I'm saying that for the first time because people need to know that this wasn't some kind of bullshit relationship. We fell in love. You know what, forgive us."