When Marc Anthony Spoke Out on Alleged Affair with Jada Smith Amid JLo Marriage: "It's Laughable"

A rumored affair that Marc Anthony denied ever existed. Apparently, When he split with his ex-wife and superstar Jennifer Lopez, the media was abuzz with speculations that his alleged romance with Hawthorne co-star Jada Pinkett Smith broke their marriage. However, according to Anthony, the reports of the fling were completely baseless. 

In a 2011 interview with U.S. show Nightline, the singer cleared the air, "When something like that happens, it's laughable," adding that all those who were involved in the fake news had a laugh when they heard it, "We were laughing, cause we've been friends for years - Jada, Jennifer, me, him - for years," as per Daily Mail. 

However, he admitted that his concern was more about the impact of this gossip-mongering on his family and the relationship between his friend Jada and her husband Will Smith. "What bothers me is the effect it has on family: To Will and Jada's circle, to their friends, their family, their loved ones." 

JLo and Anthony first met in 1998 while he was performing on Broadway in the musical The Capeman. At the time, the Marry Me actress just split from her first husband Ojani Noa. In her memoir True Love, the songstress recalled Anthony's first words to her, "One day you're going to be my wife." Although it did come true but not before some hurdles. 

Anthony went on to marry former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres in May 2000, two years after being romantically linked with Lopez. The Wedding Planner star met actor Ben Affleck and announced her engagement in November 2002 only to call of their marriage plans in January 2004. The same year, the stars once again aligned for the ex-flings and a source back then told PEOPLE, "[Marc and Jennifer] They're engaged unofficially." 

Following their engagement, they tied the knot in a secret ceremony in June 2004 in Beverly Hills only after dating for six months. However, in 2011, the things went downhill for them as the parents to twins announced they are breaking up for good, "Marc and Jennifer decided it's best to go their separate ways for the sake of their two kids," said an insider at the time. 

The reason, however, remained unclear but several reports said Anthony's alleged infidelity led to the split. But, the now-55-year-old refused any such claims in the ABC News interview, saying, "No, absolutely not, nothing sensationalistic. It was the flight attendant, it was the pilot, it was this guy sitting next to me in rehab in Houston. I've heard it all. Celebrity watching and speculation is almost like a sport." 

While there could be some truth to what Anthony said, one source told Us Weekly, that they may not have been in a full-blown romantic relationship, their friendship was rather inappropriately close. "They were a little touchy and like they were in their own little world." Another family insider echoed, "The more distant Marc and Jennifer became, the closer he got to Jada," claiming that she may have "overstepped her bounds" which "Jennifer didn't like."