Fans were shocked this week when news broke that couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez (opens in new tab) had broken up.

The news came out of the blue for fans of the couple, who had been dating for four years and engaged for two, but sources close to the couple told People (opens in new tab) that the breakup had actually been looming for a long time. For at least three months, to be exact.

"They have been on edge for almost three months now. They have been trying to stay together for the sake of their children, but everyone knew it wasn't going to work," the source said." They were going to buy a mega-mansion together, but it didn't happen, and they backed out of a deal that all their friends here (in Miami) knew about."

Lopez and Rodriguez (open in new tab) had already delayed their wedding plans before news of the split broke, and according to another People source, quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic only made the couple's problems worse.

"They started having problems during quarantine," a second source told People. 'They went to therapy together. They were really working on their relationship."

"They were really working on their relationship.

Earlier this week, a source told Entertainment Tonight (open in new tab) that Lopez and Rodriguez "decided their relationship had run its course."

"Jennifer felt it wasn't right to move forward with the marriage," the source explained.

"Alex's character has been called into question lately, and that didn't sit well with Jennifer, and they have always respected each other."

This weekend, in a statement to TMZ (open in new tab), the couple denied reports that their relationship was indeed over for good. ''All reports are inaccurate,'' Lopez and Rodriguez said in a statement. 'We are working through some things.'