J. Lo and B. Coop: The Scoop on an Unlikely Duo

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

It started with a gourmet haute-cusine dinner at Thomas Keller's NYC restaurant, Per Se (check it out) back in mid-September. A newly single Jennifer Lopez, age 42, met up with Bradley Cooper, 37, for a 'business meeting' at the Time Warner Center eatery, where they reportedly discussed a potential project.

That meeting must have gone pretty well, in the eyes of the duo's publicists, at least, because Jenny and Bradley are at it again! That's right, TMZ reports that the pair were spotted tooling around Hollywood in an S.U.V., and sources close to the diva confirmed that the two spent time together over the weekend. It seems that their 'business dinner' evolved into an ongoing conversation that has lead to a more-than-friends-ship. People.com quotes a source as saying,

"She does like his attention, and it makes her feel good that he seems so into her. She has a fun time with Bradley and he makes her laugh. Adds another source: "She likes him."

TMZ has some pictures of the pair, with Bradley behind the wheel. It certainly looks like Jennifer Lopez in the passenger seat, covering her face with her hands. Cooper looks undeniably pleased, although it's impossible to judge whether its due to the hordes of paparazzi or because of the shy beauty at his side.

So is a long-term romance in the cards for these two? Bradley Cooper has had a number of celebrity relationships, including a year-long marriage to Jennifer Esposito and a relationship with Case 39 costar Renee Zellwegger that ended back in March.

J Lo has had a much bumpier road where romance is concerned. We've chronicled the increasingly desperate shenanigans perpetrated by her ne'er-do-well first husband, Ojani Noa. She also made news as part of the ill-starred original Bennifer with Ben Affleck, who went on to marry Jennifer Garner.

Shortly after Bennifer crashed and burned, Jenny wed backup dancer Cris Judd, only to divorce him and tie the knot with Puerto Rican pop mega-star Marc Anthony. Those two divorced, more or less amicably, in July of this year. Did I forget any in there? I'm sure I did. Oy.

Anyway, that brings us to the current state of, er, affairs. Speaking of which... while the maybe-relationship with Bradley is definitely something to keep an eye on, rumors have also been circulating about J. Lo's "Parker" costar, the dazzlingly studly, markedly un-Coop-like (and also un-Affleck- and Anthony-like) Jason Statham.

Although Statham's got a steady squeeze in Transformers 3 star and Victoria's Secret model, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, word has it that Statham and Lopez are getting very chummy on set. (If she has to choose between the two, my money's on Statham. He fine.) Meanwhile, in her first post-divorce interview, J Lo seemed sad, but undaunted by her failed love affairs:

"I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love,” Lopez says. “It’s still my biggest dream."

Keep dreaming, Jenny!

So what do you think about the potential relationship between Jenny and Bradley? And what about a romance with Jason Statham? Should she just take a break, or is a post-divorce romance a fine cure for the blues? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Tags Ben Affleck, blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Bradley Cooper, Chisme, Jason Statham, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Lopez, popnews, Renee Zellwegger, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley