Jennifer Lopez has just made a very emotional statement

This is heartbreaking.

Jennifer Lopez is one of the most talked-about women in the world, with everything from her empowering quotes and career milestones, to her high profile relationship with A-Rod and her flawless appearance making headline news.

This week however, J-Lo made news for a heartbreaking reason, paying tribute to her friend, Oribe Canales, Cuban celebrity hairstylist, who died this weekend of cancer.

Taking to her Instagram, J-Lo recognised Oribe, sharing her own experience with the icon and a series of photographs of the two working together.

'When I was 16 I was fascinated with Vogue magazine I would ride on the train and look at all the images of the supermodels and I was obsessed with the hair!! When I saw an image I loved I would check who did it and it was always someone named Oribe... Wow... he’s amazing I would think!!' she posted to her Instagram. 'Cut to years later I was making my first album. I started working with Benny Medina and he said to me we have to do an album cover shoot who do you want for hair and makeup... honestly I was so new to the industry I knew no one and remembered my time flipping thru those magazines on the 6 and said ummm Oribe and Kevin Aucoin... Benny laughed and said oh OK!'

She continued: 'The next 10 years I would spend with Oribe by my side in every waking and working moment. We fell in love with each other. We traveled the world together. And along with Scott Barnes they helped me blossom into JLO. It was a magical and exhausting time...And when I was tired he would say to me... “You are gonna get up and go out there and be beautiful and fabulous bc that your job!!” We’d laugh bc that sounded crazy and then we would get to the business of doing our “job” !! He made me love the glam part of things. Bc he loved it so much and saw it as a powerful tool to empower women. He loved beauty and wanted women to feel beautiful and sexy. He loved the messiness and the imperfection and saw how interesting that was. He was a true artist.'

Concluding her tribute, J-Lo wrote, 'He made me feel special and beautiful for so long. I could go on and on but I will just say with a heavy heart... Thank you sweet, beautiful man... I will miss you. I love you Oribe... so much... #latinolegend #artistextraordinaire #hairgod #familia'

Our thoughts are with Jennifer and all of Oribe's loved ones at this time.