Casper Smart says it's "hard" being Jennifer Lopez's ex-boyfriend.
The 27-year-old choreographer split from the 'Booty' singer - who he met while working as one of her backing dancers - earlier this year and has confessed it's difficult to get people to take him and his career seriously following the break-up.
He explained: "It's also hard being looked at as, 'You only had that job because you were the boyfriend.'
"So now, standing on the other side, people go, 'Oh, wow, he actually does this for this person, this person and this person.'
"And before Jennifer I did a lot of stuff with a lot of other big artists."
However, Smart - who choreographed the risqué dance moves for Nicki Minaj's controversial 'Anaconda' music video - insists he still keeps in touch with JLo and her twins, daughter Emme and son Maximilian, from her marriage to Marc Anthony.
He told Entertainment Tonight: "We're great friends. I love her and the kids and they're incredible."
Meanwhile, Smart has also come to the defence of his latest client, Ariana Grande, insisting she certainly didn't live up to her "diva" reputation.
He said: "I just did her new music video, 'Love Me Harder,' so from the top to the bottom of the day I was right there next to her the whole day and she was sweet as pie."
