By Jessica Wedemeyer
6:19am PDT, Mar 20, 2021
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in mid-March 2021, starting with this power couple… It was a rough week for Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. On March 12, multiple media outlets reported that they'd called it quits. According to a Page Six source, "there were already problems" between the duo — who got engaged in March 2019 — but A-Rod's Madison LeCroy cheating scandal "was the reason they finally broke up." In February, there were rumors he had an affair with the "Southern Charm" star sometime last year, and J.Lo "was really embarrassed by it," said the insider. A People magazine source, meanwhile, said the breakup was "a long time coming." The following day, however, the power couple released a joint statement insisting they were still together — though they admitted they're "working through some things." According to a second People source, they "talked about" throwing in the towel after "they hit a rough patch" but "never officially broke up." The source went on to say that the Madison rumors "had no bearing on the rough patch at all" and that the "Hustlers" star and the former professional baseball player "want to try to stay together." A third People source reiterated that the issues between Jennifer and Alex were "not caused by a third party." But that was just the beginning of the drama…
Keep reading to get the scoop on what happened next with J-Rod, plus check out more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
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On March 17 — after Alex Rodriguez traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit Jennifer Lopez on the set of her upcoming movie — People magazine reported that, according to a source, the pair hope "to figure out their life together," and although they "have a lot of issues," they "both seem willing to do whatever it takes to stay together." Said the insider, "They've been trying to keep it together for [their kids from previous relationships]. … They invested a lot into their relationship. An official split would be devastating on so many levels. … They love each other and they have so much to lose if they split." According to a second source, Jennifer's actually "been contemplating breaking up with Alex for six months." Explained the insider, "They're tied in their business worlds so it's not a cut and-dry breakup. It's taken a while for them to even think about untangling it all." Meanwhile, a third People source said that the singer-actress was "very much ready to give up" on her relationship with Alex but "is happy they are still together" and seems "much happier" since he's arrived in the DR, though they're "taking things slowly." Explained the insider, "Jennifer is struggling with trust issues. They are far from planning a wedding again, but they are still engaged."
RELATED: Celeb splits of 2021
On March 18, Tinsley Mortimer's fiancé of a little more than a year, Scott Kluth, told People magazine they quietly split several months ago. "After fourteen months of engagement, Tinsley and I have ended our relationship, and we have been living independently for the last few months," he said in a statement. "This was an incredibly difficult decision, but it is one that I believe is best for both of us. I will always care about Tinsley and I sincerely wish her happiness and success in all that she does in the future. While I understand this news will be of interest to many, I ask for privacy and understanding during this time as I continue to work on recovering emotionally from the end of our relationship." A source close to the former "The Real Housewives of New York City" star — who walked away from the Bravo show when she moved to Chicago to be with Scott after they got engaged in late 2019 — described her as "blindsided" by the breakup. "This was not mutual," said the insider. "She's on the floor heartbroken and devastated. She left everything for him because she didn't think he'd ever call off the engagement. She trusted him that this time was going to be different." A Page Six source had even harsher words for Scott: "He tortured her. For years he would break up with her and get back together with her and break up with her again. But when he proposed, she believed he meant it. She left her career, she left her livelihood, she left her home, and suddenly he's back to his old tricks again and he called off the engagement," said the insider. "He has a fear of commitment. He never had it in him to follow through with his promise to marry her. And he used her celebrity to promote his coupon company." The source added that the former reality star "didn't want this" and that her "head is still spinning." When asked for a response, Scott's rep told Page Six, "It is disappointing that during this emotional time for both of them, Tinsley is mischaracterizing the circumstances of their breakup, which happened months ago. As Scott has already said, he wishes nothing but the best for Tinsley and is seeking to recover emotionally and move on." Us Weekly's sources also gave conflicting accounts of the breakup. One source said that Tinsley "feels like she wasted four years of her life on Scott," who allegedly dumped her at a photo shoot earlier this month. "Scott made her leave the show, giving her an ultimatum of getting married to him and starting a family or continue to be on 'RHONY.'" Said a second source, "Tinsley shouldn't feel blindsided when she was aware [the relationship] was over months ago. Maybe it actually sunk in last week, but Scott did not blindside her. They have not seen each other since the beginning of January. They did not spend Valentine's Day together. He's been living alone since January. … He's been trying to move on and deal with the emotions of the breakup. He's heartbroken. He thought they would get married and raise a family together. .. [The breakup] has been incredibly hard for Scott." Regardless of who's right about the timeline, the first source said that "Tinsley is done this time" and "there's no way she's going back to Scott." Almost exactly a year ago, Tinsley said she and the Coupon Cabin founder were planning to wed in Japan before the coronavirus pandemic forced them to postpone their plans to tie the knot. The duo have been off and on for years.
RELATED: Stars who got engaged in 2021
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times that debut online on March 11, Selena Gomez cleared up rumors she's dating "Only Murders in the Building" co-star Aaron Dominguez — which kicked off when they were photographed smiling and walking arm-in-arm in New York City in late February … while shooting a scene for the upcoming Hulu series. "We had just started working together," she said. "I honestly thought, 'No wonder guys don't want to date me!' I think people only care because I'm young, and the older I get the less they'll care. For now it's a part of the job that I don't really like. I'm actually grateful that I'm not involved with anyone right now."
On March 18, E! News reported that Kristin Cavallari and comedian Jeff Dye had ended things after about five months of dating. "It was never that serious to begin with," an insider said, noting that K-Cav, who lives in Nashville, was just "having fun" with Jeff, who's Los Angeles-based. One day earlier, "Entertainment Tonight" reported that the romance seemed to be winding down. "Kristin and Jeff's relationship has been fizzling out," said a source. Just hours after the E! report made headlines, though, an observer sent photos of Kristin and Jeff holding hands at a restaurant to the Instagram gossip account Deux Moi, where another reader insisted that the pair didn't split or fizzle out — but only because they've never been in a relationship and simply hang out and have fun together when they're in the same city.
In her new documentary "Dancing With the Devil" — which debuted during SXSW on March 16 — Demi Lovato opens up about what ultimately went wrong in her whirlwind romance with Max Ehrich. "I think I rushed into something that I thought was what I was supposed to do," she says. "I realized as time went on that I didn't actually know the person that I was engaged to." She goes on to call their relationship "false advertising," noting that the coronavirus pandemic accelerated things between them. "The hardest part of the breakup was mourning the person I thought he was," she says. As for Max's public reaction to the split, "I was just as shocked as the rest of the world at some of the things that were said and done," she claims. Demi also says in the doc that she's "actually too queer to marry a man" at this point in her life.
The 25th season of "The Bachelor" came to a disappointing end on March 15 with Matt James realizing early in the episode that he wasn't ready to propose to either of his two finalists: Rachael Kirkconnell and Michelle Young. Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that he wasn't in love with Michelle and couldn't see a future with her, leaving her blindsided and devastated. (Later, during the "After the Final Rose" special, she said that she asked to speak with Matt following their breakup to get closure … but he said no.) Matt then told Rachael he was in love with her and saw a future with her but couldn't propose. Instead, they decided to continue dating … which they did for several months until her racism scandal erupted in February as the season was midway through airing. During the "ATFR" special, Matt described his early days with Rachael after shooting wrapped as "an extended honeymoon period." He then revealed they're no longer together, though he was vague regarding the exact timeline and circumstances of their breakup, saying only that he felt he had "to take a step back" to let her work on herself amid the scandal. "It's heartbreaking. If you don't understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there's a lot of me that you won't understand. It's as simple as that," he said, adding that he realized "Rachael might not understand what it means to be Black in America." Rachael, meanwhile, said she was blindsided and confused when Matt dumped her and admitted that she's still in love with him. According to an Us Weekly source, "Matt broke up with her to protect himself. It came at a bit of a shock to [her]. … He told her over and over again that he believed her side of the story and that he knew she wasn't racist. He ended things with Rachael because it wasn't a good look for him to stay with her." Also on March 15, ABC announced that Michelle and another woman who vied for Matt's heart, Katie Thurston, will headline the next two seasons of "The Bachelorette," which will air later this year.
In other Bachelor Nation breakup news… Tayshia Adams took to her Instagram Story on March 15 to shut down rumors that she and Zac Clark — who got engaged on season 16 of "The Bachelorette" in late 2020 — called it quits. "Everything is good. … We're good. We're chilling," she said, explaining that she hasn't been wearing her engagement ring recently because she's getting it cleaned and resized.
In still more Bachelor Nation news… Earlier this month, E! News reported that Clare Crawley and Dale Moss wouldn't be "getting back together" after seemingly reconciling in late February following a January split. But on March 16, the former "The Bachelorette" stars were snapped packing on the PDA in New York City. (See photos here.) The following day, Us Weekly reported that, according to a source, they're "dating again" and "working on things in their relationship." Explained the insider, "Nothing has been made official with regards to an engagement, they're enjoying their time together and taking things as they come." A second source noted that the duo are "taking things slowly" and "supporting one another" in the wake of their sudden rise to fame. "They are now just starting to really understand all the difficulties a public relationship can create, and they want to make sure they are giving their relationship the opportunity it deserves without all stress and anxiety that followed after the show," said the second source.
In even more Bachelor Nation news… On the March 16 episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off the Vine" podcast, Kelley Flanagan opened up about her late-2020 split from Peter Weber: "On my end, there were just a lot of non-negotiables in the relationship," she said, adding that her ex gave her the impression that he was working on certain things and making changes, but that ultimately, she came to the conclusion things "weren't really changing." Kelley — who started dating the pilot early last year after competing for his heart on season 24 of "The Bachelor" — went on to say that she was "pretty vocal" about things she "saw as disrespectful" in the relationship. "There were things that essentially I would be like, 'Hey, look, this makes me feel [bad].' … I would always try to talk about my feelings … like, 'My needs aren't really being met,'" she explained, adding that "there wasn't something massive" that led to the breakup — just "a lot of little things" that eventually added up. Kelly also confirmed that she and Pete briefly reconciled earlier this year. "He essentially tried to get back together and was trying to work on things, and I was pretty, pretty hesitant toward all of it," she recalled. "He's telling me, like, 'I love you, I want to get back together with you.'" They split for good around Valentine's Day and are no longer in communication. "I don't think I will be in communication with him," she said. "I don't think it was the healthiest thing for me. … But I wish him well." She's now seeing someone new. "There's a guy that I've been on a couple dates with," she said, noting that he's not famous and isn't familiar with Bachelor Nation.
On March 16, the Bravo & Cocktails Instagram account published a video of Brandi Redmond's husband, Bryan Redmond, kissing another woman in a nightclub. It's unclear when or where the video was taken. The "Real Housewives of Dallas" stars, who were high school sweethearts and have been married for nearly two decades, just welcomed their fourth child earlier this year.
In other Housewives news… On March 12, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" newbie LaToya Ali indicated on Instagram that she and her rumored boyfriend, Von Rhé, aren't dating after all: She captioned a photo of herself and the personal trainer with a hashtag for "bestie." A day earlier, the pair gushed about their close their friendship during an extremely flirtatious and PDA-packed vlog on their joint YouTube channel. At one point in the video, the reality star jokes to her handsome pal, "I might marry you in three years. If I don't find the love of my life."
The Blast reported on March 17 that Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies recently settled their divorce with the help of a private mediator. The duo — neither of whom will pay spousal or child support to the other — will share joint legal and physical custody of their two kids, their two cats and their two dogs, with the court retaining jurisdiction "in the event of a dispute." They're barred from bad-mouthing each other in front of the children and from introducing new romantic partners to the kids without first discussing the matter amongst themselves. The former "The Originals" star is walking away from the marriage with his 2019 BMW, while the "She's All That" actress is holding on to her 2020 Audi Q5 and a property in Redondo Beach, California. The former couple has agreed to sell another home in the Los Angeles area.
During an interview with Us Weekly that debuted online on March 13, Nikki Bella said that couples counseling has helped her and her fiancé, Artem Chigvintsev, "tremendously." Said the former professional wrestler, "We don't even have to keep going. … All of a sudden, our sessions turned into, like, you just sit there. You're like, 'Oh, I'm really loving right now. Like, there's no problems.' It's like we didn't know what to talk about." She went on to explain that their issues stemmed from a lack of communication following the birth of their son, Matteo: "It's hard for the guy to understand what us women are going through and us women don't always [tell them]," she said. "I don't tell him how I'm feeling. I just assume that he should know. And he's this guy, like, 'I have no idea what she's feeling and now she's upset at me.' And I just realized [it was] miscommunication. We used to have an amazing foundation of communication and we lost that when Matteo came, and it's both of our faults in different ways — me for not communicating and Artem for not asking. And it was so amazing when we started to realize that. … Now, like, how we communicate when we both feel a certain way or anything with Matteo, we appreciate each other now in a certain way. … [It's] cool how things have changed."
In her new documentary "Kid 90" — which debuted on Hulu on March 12 — Soleil Moon Frye reveals that she and Charlie Sheen were intimate when she was 18 and he was 29. In the film, the former child star describes the older actor as someone she "had a crush on for years." In a 1994 journal entry, she wrote of Charlie, "He's a person that intrigues me and excites me." She later told USA Today of her history with the controversial star, "He was really kind to me … and treated me really beautifully. And for all these years afterwards, in some of the most pivotal moments in my life, has checked in and [offered] his support."
E! News correspondent Erin Lim revealed on Instagram on March 12 that she and fashion designer Joshua Rhodes quietly tied the knot earlier this year. She later told E! they exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by the groom's father in the backyard of her parents' home in Los Angeles on Jan. 21. "We wanted to have a small, intimate wedding with just our family," she explained, calling their nuptials "really, really special." She later gushed, "I feel so happy that I get to wake up next to someone who wants to spend the rest of their life with me. I feel like my life is just beginning!" Erin and Josh got engaged in September 2020.
"Big Brother" stars Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo, who are currently expecting their first child, tied the knot at the Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum in Winter Park, Florida, on March 16. "It feels amazing! We've been waiting for this moment for so long and it's finally happened," the couple told Us Weekly. "All the stress of having a wedding is lifted off our shoulders. Now all our attention is focused on having a healthy and happy baby." The duo, who got engaged on "Big Brother" in 2018, pushed their big wedding plans several times amid the coronavirus pandemic. "This day could not have been more perfect," they told Us Weekly. "Yes, it was daunting and stressful to have to move the wedding so many times, but at the end of the day, we are so happy with how everything came together and are excited for our next chapter."
"The Challenge" co-stars Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols — who previously postponed their plans to tie the knot amid the coronavirus pandemic — exchanged vows in Michigan on March 13. "We decided to have a mini personal wedding with just our immediate family in [Michigan]," the couple, who are expecting their first child together, wrote on Instagram, adding that they're still planning to have a big wedding in New York in April 2022.
"Southern Charm" alum Ashley Jacobs took to Instagram on March 16 to announce that she and Mike Appel are engaged. "My fiancé!! (Kinda has a nice 'ring' to it!)," she captioned a slideshow of photos depicting the proposal, which went down during a snowmobile ride in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 26. "After a year and half of dating, we can both agree that this adventure we're on together is just getting started," the blonde beauty, who previously dated Thomas Ravenel, told People magazine. "We're a great team and we can't wait for what's ahead! Buckle up!" she added.
