A timeline of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s complicated relationship
Following Bennifer’s divorce news, Page Six is breaking down the complete timeline of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s complicated relationship: how it started, why it ended and so much more.
Where it all started
Lopez first met Affleck in 2001 on the set of their movie “Gigli.” Though the film was a critical and box-office failure upon its 2003 release, the couple’s off-screen chemistry wound up a hit.
Lopez was still married to her second husband Cris Judd at the time, but that didn’t stop romance rumors from bubbling up.
They’re getting warmer
Despite the drubbing “Gigli” took, Ben and Jen filmed their second movie together, “Jersey Girl” — in which Lopez played Affleck’s character’s wife (who, incidentally, died onscreen immediately) — from September to December 2002. This collaboration, however brief, notably occurred after …
J.Lo becomes available
J.Lo legitimized her romantic relationship with Affleck when things went south in her marriage to Judd.
She and the choreographer got married in September 2001, but things were rocky for the couple throughout their relationship and they called it off in June 2002, finalizing their divorce in 2003.
Bennifer is born
One of Bennifer’s most iconic moments came early, in Lopez’s unforgettable music video for “Jenny from the Block,” which premiered on MTV in November 2002, after being filmed in October of that year.
The same month the clip came out, Affleck proposed to J.Lo, popping the question with a 6.1-carat pink diamond by Harry Winston that reportedly cost $2.5 million.
Lopez initially revealed the happy news during an interview with Diane Sawyer, calling the proposal “traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course, Ben would do it.”
She added that Affleck was “brilliantly smart, loving, charming, and affectionate.”
And of the massive rock, she shared, “It’s the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen.”
Massive rock rocks relationship
While things heated up quickly for the pair, Lopez and Affleck decided to postpone their 2003 wedding.
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date,” the couple said in a joint statement. “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.”
They continued, “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.”
Bennifer no more
Calling off their engagement was a clear sign that things weren’t going well for the couple following the hot ‘n’ heavy early days of their romance.
In 2004, Lopez and Affleck revealed that they were officially calling off their engagement and ending their relationship.
“Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy,” a rep tersely told People at the time.
“I am not going to confirm anything about his personal life,” Affleck’s rep added. “We don’t want to get dragged into quicksand. Everybody wants a war. It’s not happening from our side.”
Living their separate lives
Both stars moved on to other relationships fairly quickly, tying the knot with other celebs around the same time.
Lopez went on to marry Marc Anthony in June 2004, with whom she had two children: twins Emme and Max, born in 2008.
Meanwhile, Affleck tied the knot with Jennifer Garner in June 2005 and went on to welcome three kids with the actress: Violet, Seraphina, and Sam.
AffGar would last slightly longer than AnthoPez, however, with the Latin music superstars splitting in 2014 and the big-screen couple following suit in 2018.
The J-Rod saga starts … and ends
Lopez entered into another whirlwind romance with Alex Rodriguez in 2017, moving into a $15 million love nest with him after a year of dating.
Then in 2019, the pair announced that they were officially engaged.
But Lopez called off their engagement after rumors swirled that Rodriguez had been up to no good with “Southern Charm” star Madison LeCroy.
In March 2021, Page Six exclusively reported that their engagement was off, and nearly a month later they confirmed that they had ended things for good.
Meanwhile, Affleck was linked to a slew of women during J-Rod’s run, including “Knives Out” star Ana De Armas until January 2021.
Sparks fly for Bennifer again
While the duo went their separate ways and started families, they still seemingly remained on good terms.
Affleck praised Lopez’s work ethic in April 2021, telling InStyle, “She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves.”
A 2000s throwback
Affleck and Lopez took the world by storm when they were first spotted hanging out together again in LA in April 2021 and in Montana the following month.
Things continued to heat up for the duo and they were soon after spotted on a romantic getaway in Miami.
And in June 2021, we reported that their PDA left little doubt that the pair were fully back together again after photos of Ben and Jen getting cozy on a date surfaced.
Taking things slow
While it looked like Lopez and Affleck jumped back into their relationship with lightning speed, their rekindling may have been coming for quite some time, as Affleck reportedly sent love letters to J.Lo prior to her breakup from Rodriguez.
That romantic streak seems to have carried over into the second act of the couple, who were “very affectionate” during a June 2021 dinner date in West Hollywood.
But as Page Six reported that month, while things were getting serious for the couple, Lopez’s children remained her first priority.
Meet the kids
The couple decided to introduce their respective children to each other as they got more and more serious.
In June 2021, Affleck was spotted chatting with J.Lo’s two kids whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony: Max and Emme.
And that August, Affleck brought his three kids — daughters Violet, Seraphina, and son Samuel — to tag along with J.Lo and her twins to see “Hamilton” in LA.
Going public
As they started to mesh their families together, the stars decided it was time they went public with their love.
In July 2021, Lopez made their love Instagram-official by posting a PDA-filled photo of the pair to her social media page in honor of her 52nd birthday.
And they made their red carpet debut at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021.
Wedding bells are ringing
Lopez and Affleck continued to date seriously for months, but in April 2022, rumors swirled that the pair were heading down the aisle.
The singer was spotted wearing a massive ring on her left ring finger, sparking speculation that Affleck had popped the question.
The next day, the pair confirmed that they were engaged for the second time, announcing the happy news in a short video via her fan newsletter, On The JLo, where she showed off her green ring.
The ring, which appears to be adorned with a very rare green diamond, could be valued at well over $5 million and could be worth more than $10 million,” Page Six Style reported at the time.
Tying the knot
Lopez and Affleck officially confirmed they said “I do” in the July 17 edition of her “On The JLo” newsletter.
“We did it. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” the “Marry Me” actress wrote in the post.
She called the Las Vegas ceremony “exactly what we wanted,” as she detailed their trip down the aisle.
“Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world. Behind us two men held hands and held each other. In front of us, a young couple who made the three hour drive from Victorville on their daughter’s second birthday—all of us wanting the same thing— for the world to recognize us as partners and to declare our love to the world through the ancient and nearly universal symbol of marriage,” she continued.
The Super Bowl halftime performer also noted that she wore “a dress from an old movie” as they exchanged vows in the “little chapel” and “gave one another the rings we’ll wear for the rest of our lives.”
The pair tied the knot again in front of friends and family in a lavish ceremony at Affleck’s 87-acre Georgia estate in August 2022 and honeymooned in Italy later that month.
Photo fodder
Amid their marriage, Affleck was captured multiple times looking miserable during different outings with Lopez.
He famously looked grumpy while attending the 2023 Grammys with the singer and was also seen looking gloomy as they stepped out for errands on several occasions.
Lopez reacted to the chatter surrounding Affleck’s glum expressions in paparazzi photos at the Golden Globes in January 2024, telling a reporter, “Ben is doing all right. You don’t need to worry about Ben, let me just tell you.”
She added that Affleck was “good” and “happy” and found it strange that the press never picks up on her facial expressions.
The couple even made fun of the media’s perception of Affleck’s moodiness in an epic Super Bowl 2024 ad in which Affleck was dubbed the “bordest man in the world.”
House hunting
Affleck and Lopez were spotted shopping around for a new home in New York City in April 2024.
Their quest for a second home came after they had shelled out $60 million on a love nest in Beverly Hills, Calif., a year prior.
Lopez was also spotted looking for new digs in May 2024, though Affleck was nowhere to be seen.
Solo at the Met Gala
Lopez co-hosted the 2024 Met Gala in May 2024, but strangely, Affleck did not accompany her at the star-studded event.
Instead, the pop star walked the red carpet alone.
For more Page Six you love…
Affleck’s absence was odd, though sources told TMZ that he could not be there because he was busy filming his film, “The Accountant 2.”
However, the “Good Will Hunting” star notably was able to attend “The Roast of Tom Brady” the night before the gala.
Breakup rumors run wild
Separate speculation plagued Lopez’s relationship with Affleck in mid-May 2024 after news surfaced that they had been living separately.
A source claimed that they have been on “two different pages” for some time and were heading for divorce.
“Jen and Ben are having issues in their marriage,” a source told Us Weekly. “They started having issues a few months ago as Jen had started ramping up work commitments and prepping for her tour.”
Another insider claimed to InTouch Weekly that they have been working on their marriage in couples therapy.
Lopez seemed to hint at trouble in paradise when she “liked” a post about unhealthy relationships amid the influx of breakup gossip.
Divorce Filing
Lopez officially filed to divorce Affleck on Aug. 20, 2024, after two years of marriage.
According to TMZ, the pop star submitted the paperwork at the Los Angeles Superior Court and listed their separation date as April 26, 2024.
The mom of two didn’t specify whether she or Affleck had a prenuptial agreement and asked the judge to waive spousal support on both parties’ ends.
Lopez chose to pull the trigger on her marriage with Affleck on the second anniversary of their lavish Georgia wedding.
