In a city where there are only so many hotspots, it’s bound to happen. Jennifer Lopez, out with current squeeze Alex Rodriguez, ran into her ex, dancer Casper Smart, at West Hollywood restaurant Craig’s on Monday night. In the insightful words of the immortal Pauly D., the situation was “Awk-ward!”
Jennifer, giving us “Jenny from the block realness” in a navy blue track suit and the half up-half down ‘do that Vogue has dubbed “the hairstyle of the summer” and Alex, in a light blue sweater and khaki pants, were dining with Jen’s manager Benny Medina. Casper, whom Jennifer dated on and off from 2011 to 2016, showed up, reportedly for a “business meeting” of his own. I’d like to know what kind of “business” Casper is into, but that’s a topic for another post.
According to E! News, Lo-Rez beat feet out of the eatery via a back door a few minutes after Casper’s arrival. A source told Entertainment Tonight that the couple and Casper didn’t see or speak to each other in the restaurant. Thank goodness she was wearing her finest athleisure wear so she could make a speedy escape, right? Crisis averted. As you were, everybody.
This happened to me a few months after I had started dating my current guy. I saw my ex the minute we walked in and told Kevin, but he wanted a burger and didn’t want to leave, so he walked me right past my ex and his friends to our table. It was awkward, but we made it through without incident. This wasn’t the first time Jennifer ran into Casper, and it probably won’t be the last. I’m sure she’ll handle it with style every time.
Photos: Getty, WENN, Backgrid
I forgot about him!! Casper not so Smart!
Me too!
I totally forgot about him lol
I was she is having problems with Marc Anthony!? I thought they got along well?
but then saw it was THIS loser jackass 😀
I love her sunglasses.
I guess they are comfortable but I’m always surprised when I see her in track suits??? And for once she doesn’t match with A-Rod.
Running into an ex when you are with a new partner is awkward, but seeing an ex with a group of friends is worse! You just imagine all those eyes focused on you as you walk by and continue to sneak glances at you! Shudder
At least it wasn’t Ben Affleck…
Between the two of them, they must run into exes often! I still can’t believe she dated that Casper guy for five years.
Sides of your hair pulled back is the “style of the summer”? Everybody has done that forever.
Ha-I was thinking the same thing. At this point in their lives that’s going to happen all the time!
Should your partner “make” you walk past someone you are clearly not wanting to possibly confront?
Anyways, good for you, for not cowing. They’re exes, what’s the worst that can happen?
Eh, I don’t interpret of it as coercion but merely a show of supports and strength, that walking by isn’t as scary as it might seem.
I actually would have guessed Lo-Rez (LMAO) would be the types to stand their ground vs. take off. But as Corey said, at least she got to put her tracksuit to the test, lol.
I understand that it can be awkward, but if I am with my current guy and see my ex, I don’t really care. I’ll sit away from him, but I wouldn’t leave a restaurant just not to see him. Why should it bother me that much? Why give the situation so much power and meaning? I leave in a small town, so it would be difficult to never ever see him again. I have someone else and I’m happy. Just ignore the ex.
Exactly.
I’m surprised she cared that much.
Yeah I don’t understand running away unless she owes him money or he is known to be abusive in public.
“unless she owes him money” – OK, that made me LOL.
Totally agree.
She really has terrible taste in men. You’d think she could do a lot better.
I would run away. I never know what the etiquette is when you see your ex. Are you supposed to say hi and chat for a minute? Or not. If i see an ex, i usually don’t say anything but i wonder if I’m supposed to. Especially if it was a long term relationship.
I stayed friendly with a some ex-boyfriends and would probably say hi, how are you, and move on. Sometimes there’s no bad blood.
Seriously, even A-Rod’s an upgrade from that douche. Ghost the Casper.
Sooooo awkward!!!!
My husband and I were seated at the same table as my ex and his wife (I was next to her lol), at a wedding recently – it was fucking awkward for the first 30 mins or so, as he and I hadn’t seen each other for like 10 years – by the end of the night we were all pals. Huge credit to his wife and my husband for diffusing an incredibly awkward situation and initiating new friendships!
Whoever’s wedding it was–why would they place you at the same table as your ex? I’m guessing it was a friend who kept in touch with both you and your ex? That’s cool and it’s his/her right to invite you both but to seat both of you at the same table is really odd to me!
I recently had a friend attend a wedding with her ex as her date. They broke up a few months before the wedding but I think they made plans to attend together before they broke up so they shared a hotel room and everything. My friends and I all thought it was super odd (it was a mutual friend’s wedding so the entire college friend group was there), also because they acted like they were still together. I think they both care for each other deeply but they’ve been so off and on throughout the years we’ve all kind of given up trying to figure out their relationship lol.
Nah, it was a friend that the ex and I met at different times in our life (I went to college college with the friend, he worked with him) and in different parts of the world. I figure he either didn’t know we dated (because I don’t think I’d ever mentioned it, so why would the ex?) or if he knew it was just below his radar when doing table plans? Who knows 🤷🏼♀️
I mean, you guys, how cute is she in her Jenny from the Block outfit?!?! She is outright adorable.
I don’t understand why she left, honestly. Awkward? Maybe. For Casper. JLo is a goddess in her own right and currently with a super successful partner who worships her. If anything he should be the one slinking out the back — his “business meeting” was probably pan-handling out front.
Maybe it was awkward because his business meeting consisted of walking over with a water carafe and telling them the specials.
Hahaha!
LMAO
Murphy’s Law: the one night you go out to dinner in a track suit is the night you run into your ex. Kind of like running to the grocery store in sweats and a baseball cap: you’re going to run into five people you know.
The times I was the most scruffy and/or skin-exposed were the times I ran into the top boss and my biggest clients. Learned to always be at least presentable when leaving the house because you never, ever know.
I don’t see the harm of saying “hi” to the person you were once sleeping with. It’s childish to ignore each other
I guess it depends on whether you ended civilly or not … but in this case I really don’t understand why JLO, who has spectacularly sailed on with her life, felt compelled to run away.
Corey, I find it a little questionable that you wanted to leave but your bf refused because he wanted a burger. The respectful thing to do would have been to be sensitive to your discomfort and find another place to get that burger. Just saying.
I thought that first, but it could also have been a matter of helping her feel comfortable moving past the ex … while maybe wanting to signal to the guy, “Hey, she’s with me now buster…how do you like them apples?”
Men’s behavior around other men can be a real mixed bag of competitiveness and protectiveness.
That’s not for him to decide. And she’s not his property. It was insensitive.
I agree. A-rod made the right choice to follow her lead here. If she’s uncomfortable, then he should respect that.
Why do Americans wear tracksuits in public, especially out to dinner?! Absolute height of tackiness!
Totally agree – it’s tacky as hell no matter how much it cost or how “designer” it is.
Kill them with kindness and graciousness. That’s what I try to do when faced with these situations. I walk right up and say hello, introduce myself to everyone at the table with a big smile on my face, and then introduce my new friend/partner. “Hi John, it’s lovely to see you tonight. You look well. Hi, I’m Jane Smith. John and I used to date a while back. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is my friend Tom Jones. Tom, this is John and his friends X, Y, and Z. John, I’m so glad that we were able to reconnect like this. All my love.” Air kiss. Air kiss. Handshake. Grab the hand of your new beau and walk away.
It can be uncomfortable and awkward, but in the end I look like a more mature person for having diffused the tension with good manners and not pulled focus from the main event.
Now, the game is different when the ex is someone that has been abusive and/or the authorities have been involved in some way. If the restraining order is still in effect, I’ll leave so not to pull focus and have some mess kick off in public. If it was run of the mill abuse, I’ll say some basic pleasantries and then move on as quick as possible. If the abuser approaches me in any way, shape, or form I start recording with my phone and will forcefully let them know that I am doing them a favor by being polite in public but that my patience is thin and that I won’t hesitate to put them on blast in public if they don’t exit stage left immediately.
What’s your life been like that you have an etiquette plan for when you run into an ex that was abusive and you have a restraining order against them?! Like really, you “exchange pleasantries”? Girl. No.
I do not get why celeb women who have more money than most of us put together do not better tailor their pants. I get the slouchy look, fine but when you are stepping all over your damned pants that is just annoying as hell. And when it rains!!! Don’t even get me started!
How is this ‘handling it with style’ when she ran? I guess she thinks all the guys want her and a fight might break out. A Rod ain’t fighting for her. His manicure will smudge.
I find it extremely fishy that a paparazzo was waiting behind the restaurant to catch JLo sneaking off. And… this isn’t the first time she’s left a restaurant to avoid Casper Smart, you say?
I don’t mean to sound conspiratorial, but I always got the feeling Casper would do anything to lift his own star. Do the paps have a deal with Casper? Does he report on where he heard JLo is gonna be and, tit-for-tat, the paps call Casper anytime they see JLo around LA, so Casper can show up and hopefully stage some drama?
God, what a sideshow. I feel for her; I really do.
Exactly! How can Casper Smart…”no longer with J-Lo” even get into a place where someone like her is having a business meeting?
Well, and it’s extremely suspicious that the Backgrid photographer caught photos of both Casper entering (!!) AND JLo escaping. The pap HAD to possess some sort of foreknowledge of an impending situation. Someone definitely made a phone call.
It’s a very bad look for the restaurant–I wouldn’t be shocked to learn a leak was coming from the host station itself. Plenty of time to stage a coup if you know what time the reservation was made for…!
She really has bad taste in men. Most of her Ex Dudes were not worth her time.
Ben A being the worst, IMO. I can not stand Ben, he has always bugged me. No idea how he landed her. Only good thing I will say about Ben Affleck..he is tall.
Marc Antony is a popular, talented star in his own right. But, a cheater I’ve heard and he is a multiple marrying guy too.
This Casper tool had his luckiest break when he caught her eye.
Her 1st hubby, Ohani was gorgeous and they were both young. Next hubby Chris whateverhislastnamewas, also a dancer I think.
A-Rod? I don’t see this lasting either. If they are together 2-4 years I will be surprised.