Keeping tabs. Alex Rodriguez’s response to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck‘s birthday photos was subtle but that didn’t stop the internet from noticing him keeping tabs on his ex and her new boyfriend.

J-Lo and Ben, who dated from 2001 to 2004 and got back together in 2021, went viral on Saturday, July 24, when the “Jenny From the Block” singer posted a photo of her kissing her boyfriend on her 52nd birthday. The photo, which was taken while J-Lo and Ben were on a yacht in the Mediterranean in St. Tropez, showed the Oscar winner with his arms around his girlfriend in a multi-colored swimsuit and a robe as they locked lips. “5 2 … what it do …,” J-Lo captioned the post, which included other pictures from her vacation. A-Rod was also seen on a yacht with several women in the Mediterranean over the weekend just miles away from J-Lo and Ben.

After the photo, a J-Lo fan Instagram account, @jloverg12, posted a screenshot of A-Rod watching their Instagram Stories. “I see you Arod ! LOL” the fan captioned the post. Instagram account @bravoandcocktails reposted the Story with the caption, “Arod stays viewing Jlo [fan] accounts!!!”

But that wasn’t the only way A-Rod reacted to J-Lo’s birthday celebration with Ben. The former New York Yankees player, who split from the “On the Floor” singer in April after four years together, also liked an Instagram post by J-Lo’s sister, Lynda Lopez, which included a photo of the siblings and a caption about how much J-Lo means to her younger sister. “Now it’s my turn to celebrate you!! My original BFF, I love you more than words can say,” Lynda wrote. “Not only are you the most fun, and my ride or die, You light the world and show me what’s possible and are my inspiration always. Sometimes I can’t believe I was so lucky that God put the beautiful soul that is you into my life. Wishing you your best birthday yet! #letsgetit! #happy28th #Im26 #love #familia #happyhappybirthday .”

Source: Instagram

A source told E! News in May that A-Rod was “shocked” to see J-Lo “move on” so soon after their split with Ben. “A-Rod is shocked that J.Lo has moved on,” the insider said. “He truly thought they would be able to make it work and reconnect. He has been reaching out to J.Lo trying to meet with her and she has been very short with him.” The insider also claimed at the time that A-Rod was “saddened” by J-Lo and Ben’s reunion and even told her that he was “upset” to learn the news, which J-Lo didn’t entertain. “She’s not interested in rekindling anything with A-Rod and is done,” the source said.

An insider also told HollywoodLife at the time that A-Rod was “jealous” thinking of J-Lo and Ben’s relationship. “Alex is a little jealous as his mind is racing on what Jen could be doing with Ben by possibly starting this new renewed relationship,” the insider said. “A couple of friends are razzing him about it too and referencing that Ben is a Red Sox fan to add some fuel to the fire.”

The source continued, “But the thing that is really getting to Alex the most is that she got in a potential relationship so soon after theirs broke, because he still loves her. It’s really messing with his head that she may have moved on so fast and so easy,” the insider said.

True Love by Jennifer Lopez

Image: Courtesy of Celebra.

For more about J-Lo’s life, check out True Love by Jennifer Lopez. The 2014 memoir covers the “Jenny on the Block” singer’s career and personal life, from her start as a dancer to when she became a mom of two twins with her now-ex-husband Marc Anthony. In the book, which includes more than 200 personal photographs from J-Lo’s never-before-seen collection, the Selena actress writes about how “she confronted her greatest challenges, identified her biggest fears, and ultimately emerged a stronger person than she’s ever been” to become the pop icon we know today.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.