Insider the Wild Timeline of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Decades-Long Romance
Celebrity couples aren’t much different than everyday couples. But there’s something magical about star-studded pairs, hitting the red carpet, and holding hands in tabloid photos. And the bigger the stars, the more dynamic the couple. One such bombshell of a Hollywood pair over the years is Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Like most celebrity couples, Affleck and Lopez eventually hit a few bumps in the road. And when the dynamic duo officially split and went off to marry other people, fans thought for sure the romance was over. However, public comments about each other over the last decade suggested there was still a flame smoldering between the two. A rekindling has since been announced as Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are back together. Here’s a look back at this “Bennifer” roller coaster.
When did Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck actually meet?
When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez first met in 2001, it was on the set of Gigli. Because Lopez was married at the time, Affleck said they immediately became friends with no intentions of romantic involvement. This budding friendship changed when Lopez divorced in 2002. According to Insider‘s timeline, it was that summer the pair went public with their official relationship.
Together, Affleck and Lopez graced the covers of all the tabloids as the latest power couple in Hollywood. They filmed together on a few projects, including Lopez’s music video for “Jenny from the Block” and a second movie, Jersey Girl. By November of 2002, the couple confirmed their engagement during an ABC interview with Diane Sawyer. The custom-designed, six-carat, pink diamond ring seemed to be the perfect fit for this larger-than-life union to be.
She loves him; she loves him not
Fans anticipated the Ben Affleck and J.Lo wedding as if they were Hollywood royalty. The hype led the couple to postpone their big day in hopes of losing some of the publicity. It was 2003, and while the pair continued to show love and support for each other, life had other plans.
The negative press surrounding the couple’s movie flop, Gigli, among other movie star pressures, led the duo to eventually split, calling it quits by January 2004. Fans were devastated, but Lopez said in an interview, that period of her life “eviscerated” her.
Over the next several years, Ben Affleck went on to marry Jennifer Garner and start a family. Jennifer Lopez found her footing and wed Marc Anthony and had twins in 2008.
Rekindled romances can be the happiest endings
The love roller coasters of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez continued. Affleck split from then-wife Jennifer Garner after 10 years. Lopez split from Marc Anthony and later married Alex Rodriguez – cementing the A.Rod and J.Lo celebrity union. However, it didn’t keep Affleck from publicly supporting his past love, as he spoke of Lopez’s “agelessness” and tireless work ethic during an interview in early April 2021.
By April 15th, Lopez and Rodriguez confirmed their official split. This meant Affleck and Lopez were both back on the market. And fans wondered if they would reconnect.
With the recent A.Rod and J.Lo breakup announcement ink still drying, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were already spending time together again at her LA home. By May of this year, Daily Mail reports surfaced about Lopez and Affleck spending “several days together” in Montana. The two were seen together at the gym, and Affleck reportedly was wearing a watch previously gifted to him by Lopez.
Rumors were circulating, and more pictures of the celebrity duo surfaced. However, it wasn’t until July 24th that Lopez officially confirmed via Instagram that she and Affleck were back together. As part of her 52nd birthday post, Lopez shared the news. Glamour shared the couple’s official red carpet appearance in September, and fans couldn’t be happier.
No one can predict how long this second time around romance will last for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. But some say rekindled relationships can still have the happiest endings.
