David Cruz died over the weekend on Saturday at Mount Sinai West Hospital in Manhattan, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office told TMZ on March 23. Cruz, who dated Jennifer Lopez from 1984-1994, died of heart disease. He was 51.
No further information about his death was provided. HollywoodLife reached out to the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office. As this story continues to develop, still below are five quick things to know about David Cruz, following his death.
Jennifer and David got together when she was just 15 (he’s only a year older than her, BTW) and they dated for about 10 years before calling it quits in the mid-’90s as J Lo’s fame was skyrocketing.
1. David and J.Lo were high school sweethearts. — The duo met in the 1980’s when she was 15 and he was a year older. They spent about a decade together from the mid-late ’80s to the mid-’90s, just before the singer‘s rise to fame. Yet, the end of their romance did get a small taste of Jennifer’s stardom. David and Jennifer walked a few red carpets together, as seen in old photos.
2. He was in a relationship when he died. — David had a partner of 18 years, named Isa, who told TMZ that he helped raise her son.
“He was kind and loving. He never held on to anything and was always very open. He was a devoted father, he helped raise his step-son who is now in the Marines,” she said. “…My favorite moment was family date night, because it wasn’t just special for me but for the kids as well,” Isa continued, noting, “He always made sure to end things with an ‘I love you.'”
3. David was a big New York sports fan. — “He loved the Yankees and Knicks,” Isa said, adding that David “loved going to the theatre with me.”
4. It’s unclear if David had any children of his own.
5. David doesn’t appear to have any social media.
HollywoodLife will continued to update this post. Our thoughts are with David Cruz’s family and friends during this difficult time.