Alex Rodriguez has given us rare insight into how he’s been holding up lately, four months on from splitting with ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez.
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the former New York Yankees player shared that he’s been focused on “all the positives” since he and J.Lo broke things off back in April after five years together.
When asked about “all that’s happened” in the past year, which appeared to refer to the breakup, Alex gave a pretty candid and heartwarming response.
“Things happen, and I think what happens [is] people don’t focus on all the positives,” he said. “Like, whatever’s happened to me over the past year, I’m so grateful for it.”
“I mean, I had five years of an incredible life and partnership — and also with my daughters, we learned so much,” he continued.
“Now we have an opportunity to take that and move forward and say, ‘You know what, we’re so grateful for the last five years. How do we make the next five years better?’” he added.
The 46-year-old went on to share that he is “in a great place” and is excited to see how his two daughters, aged 13 and 16, “keep developing.”
“I’m so grateful for where God and the light has really put me, and I’m really looking forward. Mostly to see how my girls keep developing,” he said.
Moreover, when asked about his “biggest regret,” Alex opened up further about the importance of “learning from [his] lessons.”
“You know, it’s funny. When it comes to regrets, I just think that there’s things that I look back [on and] I cringe,” Alex answered. “But everything happens for a reason… and one of the reasons I’m here is [because] of all those things that have happened. And I think I’ve done a good job of learning from my lessons and then applying them in the future.”
Alex’s latest comments come just days after J.Lo unfollowed him on Instagram and removed all photos of them together from her account.
The former couple, who’d lived together as a blended family with their respective children, announced their separation in April in a joint statement issued to Today, following numerous rumors that they’d broken off their engagement months prior.
“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” the statement read. “We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects.”
“We wish the best for each other and one another's children,” the statement continued. “Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support.”
Just a month later, Alex was reportedly “shocked” when news broke that J.Lo and her ex-fiancé Ben Affleck had seemingly started seeing each other again.
“A-Rod is shocked that J.Lo has moved on,” a source told E News at the time. “He truly thought they would be able to make it work and reconnect.”
And weeks later, Alex shared a cryptic Instagram story saying that he was “clearing out” his life — on the same day that Ben and Jen were spotted together again, in pictures that kind of broke the internet.
Those pictures of Ben and Jennifer, also known as Bennifer — who previously dated between 2002 and 2004 — certainly aged well, as the two officially announced they'd rekindled their relationship last month.
Much to the joy of the longtime Bennifer fans, after months of speculation around their possible reconnection, the two finally went Instagram official in July, showcasing their newly reignited romance with a picture of them kissing at J.Lo’s 52nd birthday celebration.
