Andreas Rentz/Getty ImagesNicole Scherzinger's on-off relationship with longtime boyfriend Lewis Hamilton hasn't been without its ups and downs.
The former Pussycat Doll and the Formula One driver most recently broke up in July. But, the very next month (August 2013), a source tells E! News exclusively that Lewis "proposed to Nicole on the beach in Malibu" and was "trying to win her back" with the help of a Cartier ring he purchased in July. Unfortunately for him, though, Nicole said no.
But that's just the beginning! A source tells E! News that Nicole, 35, and Lewis, 28, have "recently have started communicating again." This includes a secret rendezvous at a London hotel last month, although the pair then insisted they were "just friends."
Lewis wasn't deterred by his first rejection and is reportedly "ready to propose to Nicole for the second time." But "just after their 5-year anniversary [in June 2013], something happened," says a source. "Nicole called it quits—saying she would never get back with Lewis."
"Nicole did not break up with Lewis because of distance or work obligations," adds the source. "The couple had issues within the relationship that caused the breakup. There were many longstanding problems in the relationship."
It seems, though, that the singer might have eased up on her "never getting back with Lewis" stance. In November, she told the Sun that she wouldn't "rule anything out" for her future, adding, "I also don't have any regrets."
If Lewis does indeed propose and if Nicole does indeed say yes, this would be the first marriage for both. Nicole was previously engaged to 311 rocker Nick Hexum until they broke up in 2004.
A rep for Lewis said that it "is well known that [he and Nicole] are friends but we do not comment further on personal/private matters." Nicole's reps did not immediately respond to E! News request for comment.
—Reporting by Holly Passalaqua