A-list celebrity couples are always fun to keep up with, and one of the quintessential pairs is Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who are also known by the portmanteau “Bennifer.” The term is one of the first instances of a couple’s names being used in this way. Both artists are known for their illustrious careers. Affleck is an actor and filmmaker while Lopez is a singer and actress.
The couple has a colorful dating history. The two actors met in 2001 on the set of the film “Gigli.” They first began dating in 2002 and were engaged to be married in 2003. Sadly, their wedding was postponed and then the pair decided to split up in 2004. During their time together, the couple became an iconic celebrity romance. There were tons of paparazzi photos of the two of them being affectionate that frequently made headlines. This coverage continued when Affleck showed up in Lopez’s music video for her song “Jenny from the Block.”
Prior to dating Affleck, Lopez had been married twice before. She got married to Marc Anthony the same year that she and Ben decided to call it quits. She was then married to Anthony until 2014. As for Affleck, he married Jennifer Garner in 2005 and they were together until 2018. They share three children together.
In 2021, after they both were finally single again, Affleck and Lopez decided to get back together. In July of that year, Lopez confirmed they were dating in a social media post. Here we take a closer look at their dating history and how these two found love again 20 years after they first met.
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez (2021), (Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty Images)
When they were first engaged in 2003, the pair made headlines for being in love but so different from each other, however, they said that they actually have more in common than some might think. Lopez said:
“We’ve talked about this so many times. And we talked about how people kind of see him with one type of person and me with another type of person, and the two of us together is like ‘How did that happen?’ and how we’re probably more alike and from the same kind of background and, you know, same kind of upbringing and same kind of family and same kind of house.”
As a romantic at heart, Lopez especially felt the love between her and Affleck. “I am such a kind of artist in that way, you know, just such a flutter bug in that way,” she said. “Where it’s just like, you know, the idea of love and fairy tales and romance and all that.”
Sadly, the pair had to postpone their wedding in 2003 because of security concerns. They shared in a statement at the time: “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.”
The statement 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.”
All of a sudden, however, they were over by early 2004. The public never truly found out what happened between Bennifer, but it seems their story wasn’t finished.
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez (2003), (Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images)
In 2021, the couple got back together and were seen showing affection to one another at the gym. An insider shared with People, “They were holding hands, hugging, kissing. They weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were together. They are very much into each other and being together.”
The gym is called Anatomy Miami Beach and the insider claims that the couple is incredibly kind when they are there. “Truthfully, they are really nice people. No one stands around the gym saying, ‘Don’t approach them.’ No one bothers them, everyone is respectful. Everyone loves her. All the women are checking her out and her routine because she looks so amazing and is so strong,” they said.
Currently, the couple is in a long-distance relationship and makes a great effort to see each other. Another source said, “They will travel back and forth as much as they can to make things work. They don’t want to hide anymore. They are both excited about their relationship. They want to make sure they do everything they can to make this work. Jennifer is incredibly happy. She feels like she can just be herself around Ben.”
For Halloween 2021, the couple was joined by Affleck’s ex, Jennifer Garner, while taking their kids trick-or-treating. A source claimed, “Everyone gets along and the focus is always on the kids. Jennifer, Ben, and Jen Garner all wanted the kids to have an amazing Halloween. The kids are friends and wanted to go trick-or-treating together. It made sense that they all went together.”
It seems the couple has already found ways to fit their families and lives together. Lopez told host Zane Low in an interview:
“I’ve never been better. I’ve really gotten to a place in my life where I’m great on my own. And I think once you get to that place, then amazing things happen to you that you never imagine in your life happening again … I just want everybody to know that it’s the best time. It’s the best time of my life.”
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez (2021), (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
What do you think of Lopez and Affleck’s love story? Let us know and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family.
