Jennifer Lopez Minus Marc Anthony: What Happened?

Power couple calls it quits after being married for seven years.

ByABC News
July 16, 2011, 8:00 AM

July 16, 2011— -- Power couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have called it quits after seven years of marriage.

"This was a very difficult decision," the couple said in a joint statement Friday. "We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters. It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time."

Lopez and Anthony married in June 2004 and have two children -- twins Max and Emme.

Lopez's marriage to Anthony was her third and it was the second marriage for Anthony.

"This is a shocker for everybody. The last time most of us saw them together, they were doing an incredibly hot sexy performance on 'American Idol,'" People magazine assistant managing editor Julie Dam said today on "Good Morning America."

"When they got together we all thought this was going to stick because they have similar backgrounds. They have similar interests. They collaborated on music and movies and they of course have a reality show they just recently announced," Dam said.

However, there may have been signs of trouble.

Ian Drew, senior music editor of Us Weekly, said the couple's breakup wasn't a surprise.

"This has been sort of bubbling for a while. They've been in and out of counseling. You just basically have two very tempered, very in-control people. It just doesn't work," Drew said. "You usually need one person to be more aggressive and one person to be more passive.

"Both of them are very controlling," Drew said. "You can't control a controlling person. It didn't work with Diddy for the same reason. You just can't control Jennifer Lopez."

Lopez's role on "American Idol" and the success of her new album likely had something to do with the breakup, he said. Lopez joined "American Idol" this past season as a judge and released her latest album, "Love?" in May.

"Suddenly, he wasn't the one in control," Drew said. "For a while, they were on an even career path, but then she started becoming the more successful one. When they first got together, she was in a career low."