She might be back with her former love Ben Affleck now, but Jennifer Lopez has had a very interesting dating history. The thing is, though she has many famous exes, a few weren't quite as high on the A-list as she has long been.

In fact, she once dated her backup dancer, a relative unknown named Casper Smart. Sure, her much-younger boyfriend (he's 18 years her junior) made plenty of headlines when he stepped out with J.Lo. But after they split, no one heard from him again for years.

At least, they didn't if they were looking in the wrong places (like in Jennifer's shadow). It's clear that Casper Smart has been very busy since his breakup from J Lo, and he's actually become famous in his own right.

What Has Casper Smart Been Doing Post-J.Lo?

While Ben Affleck is busy gushing about how wonderful Jennifer Lopez is, Casper Smart is off showing the world how amazing he is on his own. Since dating Lopez, Smart has gone from rubbing elbows with J.Lo and her famous friends to building his own connections in the dance industry.

RELATED: Ben Affleck Trolled For His Comments About Jennifer Lopez's 'Effect On The World'

Though he's apparently not running in the same circles as Jennifer these days, Casper has earned enough of a following that he has surpassed 1M Instagram followers, and he's backed by a talent agency.

His IG bio notes that Beau Casper Smart is an actor, creative director, and choreographer. He's well-known enough that famous folks like Cristiano Ronaldo follow him on social media, and every dance post he shares gets a ton of views, likes, and effusive comments.

How Did Casper Smart Get Famous?

Sure, being the boy toy on Jennifer Lopez's arm for five years probably gave Smart some opportunities. His IMDb resume does include many credits for her music videos, but he's been doing a whole lot more than serving as J.Lo's minor talent.

In fact, the year after he and Jennifer split, Smart's film 'Dirty Dancing,' a TV movie version, came out. He may have been working on the project while dating J.Lo, but the work didn't stop flowing once they publicly split.

Smart went on to appear in a Becky G/Bad Bunny collab, had some guest roles on shows like 'S.W.A.T.' and 'Shameless,' and more. Then, Smart appeared in a couple of films between 2019 and 2020, and now has a film currently in progress.

There Are More Reasons Smart Is Famous

His movies and sitcom appearances aren't the only reasons Casper Smart has grown beyond his reputation as J.Lo's ex. In fact, there are two projects that helped Smart's rise.

Though it's not a mainstream show with English-speaking audiences, the show 'Mira Quién Baila' is produced in the US and has a pretty wide viewership. This is the series that helped cement Casper Smart's popularity in the dance industry; he's served as a judge on the show and seems well-liked.

Plus, Casper was also a staple on MTV for a time, and he continues to rep for the network now. In 2018, he appeared on 'The Challenge,' 'Champs vs. Stars,' where he raised over $30K for charity.

What's interesting is that when people discuss Casper, they don't always mention J.Lo, which proves that his career has solidified beyond that point. For example, a fan noticed Casper Smart on 'Shameless,' and their point of reference for remembering him was 'Champs vs. Stars,' rather than his earlier history in the media.

Even better, noted fans, Casper got to kiss Emmy Rossum on 'Shameless,' so viewers generally hold him in high regard for that reason alone. Lucky guy!

Other fans noted that they would tune in to 'Shameless' just to see Casper, and more fans want to see Casper revisit 'The Challenge' in some other capacity, now that he's an alum. A lot of fans have also enjoyed picking apart Casper's season on 'Champs vs. Stars,' so clearly he has some star power.

How Much Is Casper Smart Worth?

If the true test of someone's fame in Hollywood is how much they're worth, Beau Casper Smart might be a bit below the threshold. Though he's arguably been very successful in all facets of his career in choreography, Smart is currently worth about $2 million.

RELATED: What Lenny Kravitz And Other Celebrities Have Said About Working With Jennifer Lopez

For comparison purposes, consider the fact that inauguration poet Amanda Gorman reportedly has a net worth of about $2M, as does top-ranking gaming streamer Pokimane.

The thing is, it might seem like a low amount for someone who's pretty widely recognized in Hollywood, but Casper has built his choreography empire on his own, and he's also attracted the attention of big names like MTV and Univision -- no J. Lo assist needed.

NEXT: Fans Can’t Believe Teyana Taylor Was Just 15 When She Helped Choreograph This Beyoncé Video