I love a good love story and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have an excellent one, for sure. It’s the kind of love story that would make for a great rom-com movie with so many twists and turns that the lead characters don’t even get their Hollywood happy ending until almost two decades after their meet-cute.
More from MamásLatinas: All about Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck’s love story
Remember that Bennifer originally started dating in 2002, they were supposed to get married, but called it off and broke up in 2004. It truly felt like the end of them because they went on to marry and have kids with other people.
Their lives continued to twist and turn, they both got divorced from the people they had married and somehow, they ended up back together in 2021 and tied the knot in 2022. No one expected that to happen, not even them, as J.Lo revealed when she was a guest on the Kyle and Jackie O Radio Show, an Australian podcast. Check out what she had to say about her epic love story with Ben Affleck. I’m telling you, it’s the stuff of movies.
They fell in love, but it wasn’t enough.
They met in the early part of 2002, on the set of the movie Gigli. At the time, Jennifer was married to her second husband, Cris Judd. By July of 2002, Jen filed for divorce and was deep in her feelings about Ben. “I fell in love with the love of my life at that time and for whatever reasons that we needed to grow and do other things,” she said on the Australian podcast.
In November 2002, Ben proposed.
Jen said yes, but they broke up before ever making it to the altar. They were supposed to get married in September 2003, but the day before the wedding, they released the following joint statement:
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry. We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families, and our friends.”
By January 2004, they were no longer together.
“I am confirming the reports that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy,” a rep for Jen told the Chicago Tribune.
Then they went on with their lives without each other for a long time.
“We both went off and had children with other people and other relationships, but you know in my mind like I always had it like, ‘Oh, that was kind of the one.'” She married Marc Anthony in 2004 and they had twins Max and Emme in 2008 before their divorce in 2014. She went on to date Casper Smart and Alex Rodriguez, whom she was engaged to for a year before breaking it off in March 2020.
As for Ben, he married Jennifer Garner in 2008, they had daughter Violet Anne, daughter Seraphina Rose, and son Samuel before getting divorced in 2018. He also dated after his divorce. His last relationship before getting back together with J.Lo was with Ana de Armas.
Ben and Jen were both single and reconnected romantically in 2021.
“When we got back together, I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think he could either. It’s not something we ever planned. We really had moved on with our lives but when we reconnected, it was almost instant and we just knew,” Jen shared.
But she had changed since they were last a couple.
“I was on a real journey ever since my kids were born,” she explained. “Trying to be better and figure myself out and be the best person I can be so I can be a great mom and a great example for them.”
Of course, she changed in other ways as well. “Then when I got divorced, it kind of kick-started another phase of me trying to figure out myself and relationships and things like that,” she added.
When asked if she felt like something had "shifted" in her to get her to a place where Ben could come back to her, she answered:
“I was just like ‘I’m good on my own, I’m fine, I love my life.’ And when you get to that place, I think that’s when the universe kind of opened up to me and was like, ‘OK now you’re ready.'”
And that, my friends, is quite the Hollywood love story!
