After two years of marriage and hope that it would last, J.Lo confirmed the speculation surrounding their relationship when she filed documents to court in August.
In the wake of this news, we’re diving into their two-decade-long love story.
2001: Chemistry brews on the set of Gigli
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Though the film was an absolute flop, Bennifer was the best thing that came out of Gigli. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had crossed paths in the years before they formally met on the movie’s set, per a 2003 interview with NBC. Tabloids began picking up on their potential romance, leading to speculation that J.Lo had an affair with Affleck while married to Cris Judd, a rumor she denied.
April 2002: Ben Affleck’s ad campaign
July 2002: The debut of Bennifer
September 2002: “Jenny From The Block” music video
November 2002: Ben Affleck pops the question
2003: Media attention and Hollywood efforts
September 2003: Wedding postponed
January 2004: The end of an era
June 2004: Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony elope
April 2021: A second shot
May 2021: Love blossoms
August 2021: Will Ben pop the question…again?
April 2022: Another shot at engagement
July 2022: Wedding #1
August 2022: A second ceremony
October 2022: Back to the grind
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After a summer of love and travel, the couple got back to their regularly scheduled program. As Jennifer Lopez began filming a new movie, Affleck helped take care of their children, according to an insider. “They’re looking at homes to purchase together and hoping to find one they’re both happy with. It’s been an ongoing process,” the source said. “She adores the fact that he is such a great father and she can always rely on him. He’s been very supportive of her and has visited her on set, which she loves.”
The following month, Jennifer Lopez opened up about how Ben Affleck inspired her album, This Is Me… Now. “That album, This Is Me … Then, really captured a moment in time where I fell in love with the love of my life,” she told Zane Lowe. “When he came back into my life, again the same thing happened where I felt so inspired and so overtaken with emotion that it was just pouring out of me. When I feel good, I write music. And I wrote music and I got in the studio in I think May, and by August when we got married, it was done.”
February 2023: The Grammys debut
May 2023: Closer than they’ve ever been, and a new home
February 2024: This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, Super Bowl, and The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
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Despite trying to keep their personal and professional lives separate, they eventually intertwined. Accompanying her album, This Is Me…Now, was a movie titled This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, which debuted on Amazon Prime. In a press conference, she revealed that Affleck pushed her to finish wrapping up the movie when she faced self-doubt. The movie itself was inspired by real-life events in Lopez’s life, including her marriage to Ben.
In addition to This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, Prime debuted The Greatest Love Story Never Told, a documentary exploring the album’s making. Affleck appeared in the documentary, discussing their break-up and reuniting nearly 20 years later. Also that month, the couple appeared in a Dunkin Donuts Super Bowl ad.
May 2024: Rumored turbulence
August 2024: It’s officially over
What are your thoughts on Jennifer and Ben’s relationship? Share your thoughts in the comments.
