Who Was J.Lo's Second Husband, Cris Judd, And What He's Doing Now

It's no secret that we're just as invested in Jennifer Lopez's love life as her professional endeavors. We can't help it. Over the years, Lopez has given us plenty to talk about, including her previous marriage to Cris Judd. The union lasted just 9 months before the singer-dancer duo called it quits in the early '00s. Lopez has since stated that because the marriage was so short, she doesn't consider it a proper marriage. Her subsequent high-profile entanglements with Ben Affleck, Marc Anthony,and Alex Rodriguez took center stage, and Judd faded into obscurity, seemingly disappearing out of the public eye for good.  

Jennifer Lopez's divorce filing from Affleck in 2024 has renewed interest in the singer's past marriages. Though Judd might have thought his time in the spotlight was over, he may find that people are just as intrigued by him today as they were when he was Mrs. J.Lo in 2001. At the time he met the hitmaker, Judd had been working in the entertainment industry for some time himself, but the dancer was never a bonafide star in his own right. Unlike some other famous ex-spouses, Judd seems pretty content to keep it that way, living for his art form and his young family. 

Let's take a look at who the dancer was before he met J.Lo, how the relationship shaped him, and what his life looks like post-Lopez love. 

For many professional dancers working in the '80s and '90s, dancing with Michael Jackson was the dream. The King of Pop knew how to put on a show and was infamous for his iconic dance routines, so when Cris Judd got the opportunity to perform alongside him, it was a no-brainer. Judd first danced with Jackson at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards, going on to join the "Thriller" hitmaker on his "Dangerous" and "HIStory" tours. That's impressive by anyone's standards, but Judd later admitted on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" that it wasn't a walk in the park. 

"When we were rehearsing for his tours, when we would learn all the numbers, he would sit us down and it would be in a rehearsal hall, like a dance studio," he explained. "And he would make us perform the entire show one at a time, from top to bottom." Judd went on to say that Jackson's high standards caused a lot of tension and insecurity as he was so focused on nailing the routine. "He never demanded us to be at our best," Judd finished. "He expected it."

Judd's involvement with the Jackson family didn't end with the pop star's untimely death in 2009, either. Later that year, Judd was on stage with Janet Jackson when she honored her late brother at the MTV Music Awards, busting moves to a medley that featured "Scream."

Jennifer Lopez's relationships always attract a lot of interest, because she's one of the world's biggest stars. Even before social media was upon us, fans wanted to know what she was up to. Her relationship with Sean Combs, aka Diddy, was a prime example, but no one expected J.Lo to get hitched to someone else mere months after their split. Cris Judd first crossed paths with the "Hustlers" actor on the set of the music video for her song, "Love Don't Cost A Thing." According to Judd, the attraction was instant. In an episode of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?", Judd admitted, "So when Jennifer walks in, I shake her hand and we kinda look at each other — and in my head, I'm like, 'Oh my God, I'm going to marry this woman.'" 

Although they attempted to keep things private initially, their public debut caused a huge stir. In fairness, they went for a hard launch. Judd accompanied Lopez to the biggest award ceremony on earth, the Academy Awards, in March 2001. As you may imagine, things only got more chaotic from there.

The pair wed in September that year, and it was the definition of dramatic. Talking to US Weekly in 2014, Judd said, "I think several people got arrested trying to climb up a mountain ... trying to sneak in. We actually rented the airspace."

Given how invested fans were in Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd's marriage, maybe it's not surprising that Judd continued to ride the fame wave post-split — albeit for a short time. In 2003, he appeared as a contestant on the U.S. version of the British reality TV competition, "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!". Though a wild success across the pond, the series only lasted two seasons in the U.S., with Judd participating in the series' debut run. For those that aren't aware, a group of stars are transported to the Australian jungle and given some truly skin-crawling tasks to complete, featuring all sorts of creatures and critters.

Viewers took a shine to Judd and he went on to win the competition, beating the likes of Caitlyn Jenner, and one of Rod Stewart's ex-wives. But the dancing star didn't just win the title of "King of the Jungle," he also scooped a whopping $500,000 for his efforts. Of course, he donated the hefty sum to an honorable charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

If fans were hoping Judd would spill the tea on his marriage to Lopez on the show, they weren't disappointed. He explained their first date to campmates, and it wasn't exactly glam. "The whole time we never said anything," he said, via the Irish Examiner. "She just kept burping. She was burp, burp."

Fans might remember that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck canceled their 2003 wedding, and in hindsight, it was probably for the best. After all, Lopez had thrown a huge white wedding just two years before, tying the knot with Cris Judd in a big ceremony. The Lake Como nuptials saw 170 guests gather for the occasion, but Judd probably didn't realize he would be signing divorce papers less than a year later. Though certainly not one of the messiest splits Hollywood has ever seen, the divorce came with terms: Judd would receive $10 million if he kept his mouth shut about his time with the star.

A source told the Daily Mail at the time that it was all down to Lopez wanting to protect her privacy. "Jennifer doesn't want her bedroom secrets splashed across the press, so she's hedging her bets," they divulged. In exchange, Judd would get the cash injection spread out over a few years, perhaps in a bid to ensure he stuck to his end of the bargain. 

Indeed, Judd has never said anything crass about his time with Lopez. Even when he has mentioned her, he hasn't revealed anything earth-shattering about the pop princess.

Sometimes, life has a way of working itself out. Despite the demise of his very public relationship with Jennifer Lopez, Cris Judd didn't give up on romance. In 2009, the dancer walked down the aisle again, this time with his girlfriend of 9 months, Kelly A. Wolfe. Talking to Us Weekly, Judd revealed that the pair wrote their own vows, committing themselves to one another in a small but sweet ceremony in Laguna Beach. The 35-guest affair was miles away from Judd's first lavish wedding, but that's just what he wanted. "It was completely and utterly perfect," he told the publication. 

Though some were a little skeptical at the time given the couple hadn't been together long, fans needn't have worried. At the time of writing in August 2024, Judd and Wolfe are still a dream team. Judd frequently posts photographs of the two enjoying their life together on Instagram, proving that they're the real deal and still going strong 15 years later. Not many Hollywood marriages can say that. 

Back in 2017, Judd paid a heartfelt tribute to his wife on her birthday, posting a series of photos on Instagram along with the caption, "She is one of the strongest, smartest, most caring people I know. So much so that it's a fault but part of her character that I truly respect and admire."

Any parent knows that spending quality time with your kids can be tricky. The demands of modern life can often make it difficult to juggle, but when it comes to his daughter, Cris Judd doesn't play around. In 2013, Judd and his wife, Kelly A. Wolfe, welcomed an adorable baby daughter, Vivienne. In the years that followed, Vivienne became a staple on her dad's Instagram page, much to the delight of his followers. When he's not busy working on different projects, Judd can be found spending precious time with his only child. In 2021, he posted a selfie of them both enjoying a day out for Father's Day. 

He captioned the Instagram snap, "I'm grateful to be the Dad of this awesome kick-ass girl. Never ceases to amaze me." He went on to thank Wolfe for being an amazing mother, before giving other dads their dues. It looks like Judd has the perfect family dynamic, as the trio are always pictured smiling and enjoying different activities together.

Cris Judd may have become a household name in the '00s because of his connection to Jennifer Lopez, but it doesn't define him. Before meeting Lopez, Judd was an established dancer in the business, and after their split, he continued to thrive. In 2018, he embarked on a lengthy dance tour for a project called NEX.US. The tour started in Miami, Florida in October, before finishing in San Francisco, California, in May 2019. At the time, Judd took to Instagram to express his excitement for the project, writing, "After an amazing and brilliant end to an era. We embark on a new chapter and new legacy! We are very excited to announce our new 2018-2019 tour NEX•US!" 

The company were responsible for The Pulse Dance Experience, offering dancers the opportunity to register and perform in different cities, mixing the likes of Judd with other choreographers such as Ian Eastwood and Gil Duldulao.

The year 2018 was big for Cris Judd in more ways than one. Not only was he getting ready to go on a national dance tour with NEX.US, but he was working on an exciting project overseas. Judd hauled his cookies all the way to Japan to work as a choreographer on "iMen Tokyo, The Show." In May of that year, he took to Instagram to express how excited he was, posting a photograph of himself posing alongside the caption, "Long days of creative meetings, editing, producing, staging, and choreographing. We still have time to have a little fun! Countdown till show time! 4 days!" 

The entire project looked like a creative tour de force if Judd's continuous updates were to be believed. A short time after his initial post, Judd took to social media once more to reflect on the experience. "After six long weeks of busting our ass putting together a show from concept to reality, this was a great way to finally exhale," he captioned a series of Instagram snaps of himself walking in a Japanese park. 

The tragic true story of Michael Jackson has taken many twists and turns over the years. As a former backup dancer for the King of Pop, Cris Judd knows that all too well. Though he is a self-confessed Jackson fan, things got a little complicated for Judd when allegations of sexual assault and child abuse were levied against the star in 2019. One of the accusers was Judd's best friend, dancer Wade Robson, who told his truth in the documentary, "Leaving Neverland." At the time, Judd was getting ready to help choreograph an interesting project called "For the Love of a Glove." The strangely-titled satirical show was a musical based on Jackson's life, but it's a little out there. 

It may not have directly tackled the accusations against the star, but it didn't ignore them either. Writer Julien Nitzberg opted to incorporate the use of Jackson's famous white glove, turning it into an alien life form. "You can't explain in a normal, dramatic, logical storyline why this guy, who's a millionaire, suddenly is adopting a monkey ... You can't explain sleepovers with kids," Nitzberg told LAist. After clearing his participation with Robson, Judd put his knowledge of Jackson's dance moves to good use — but Jackson fans weren't happy.

Several took to Judd's Instagram posts to put him on blast, calling him a traitor, and worse. "I hope MJ is in all his dreams and cut his feet!" wrote one disgruntled fan. "The money you got for betraying his name is really disgusting, respect deceased people!" Another wrote, "Hi Cris, fat dancer, stop earning money using MJ's name. You and your brother Wade are a bunch of losers! Nobody loves you!" Despite the enormous amount of hatred he received, Judd remained silent on the subject. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Considering just how experienced Cris Judd is as a dancer, it's unusual that he's never been on "Dancing With The Stars" at all. Perhaps if the show had started earlier (it didn't debut until 2005) Judd would've joined the cast instead of going on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here." Either way, Judd didn't need the profile boost the show gives in order to have an illustrious career in choreography. He's done just fine on his own. 

Over the years, Judd has worked on several television projects, such as NBC's "Mixedish", Nickelodeon's "All That," "Henry Danger," and much more. In 2019, he was even nominated for Best Choreography in a television episodic at the World Choreography Awards. "It truly is an honor to be mentioned alongside some pretty amazing people that I truly admire and respect," Judd wrote on Instagram alongside a video snippet of his work.

To say that Judd has been killing it in the game would be an understatement. As well as working on these impressive projects, Judd also enjoys teaching. In May 2024, he posted on Instagram announcing his return to workshops, alongside Salsa with Stephanie. "He hasn't taught a workshop in years so this a very special event you won't want to miss!" wrote his fellow dancer.