The couple got together in the summer of 1999

"The breakup happened in the last couple of days. They will continue to be friends and he supports her, but the relationship is over," said publicist Natalie Moar.

"Mr Combs is confirming this as he wanted to put all the rumours surrounding their relationship to rest," she added.

"At this difficult time we ask that you respect his privacy."

Lopez is currently in Australia promoting her album J.Lo. Her spokesman Alan Nierob said: "Puffy Combs put out a statement confirming the demise of their relationship. I don't know anything about it. It's been read to me."

The couple's split has been rumoured for weeks.

At the end of January it was reported that Lopez had dumped Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, for a dancer who appears in the video to her track Love Don't Cost A thing.

American reports claimed the Latino performer had ended their 17-month romance on the eve of his trial for gun and bribery charges, relating to a shooting incident in a New York nightclub in December 1999.