There are few celebrity breakups as infamous as those of the 2000s — just looks at Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck! But when Ben and Jen (or Bennifer, as fans like to call them) got back together in 2021, it felt like a literal movie. In Jennifer Lopez' new documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, the couple revealed why they actually broke up in the first place: "the massive amount of scrutiny around our private life." Here's everything you need to know about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, in the 2000s and now — including their wedding and their divorce.
Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck's Relationship Timeline
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Winter 2002 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Meet On The Set Of Gigli
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first met while filming their 2003 movie Gigli. "The first time meeting him on that film was at the read-through," Jennifer tells Variety. "I remember kind of just walking in and I think he was outside, smoking a cigarette...I don't remember a whole bunch more about it, but I remember being on the set with him every day and loving it."
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November 2002 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Announce Their Engagement
During an interview with Diane Sawyer at the end of 2002, Jennifer Lopez showed off the engagement ring from Ben Affleck. The platinum band + pink diamond combo is absolutely beautiful, just like the proposal itself. "[It was] traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it," Jennifer says, via ABC News.
"He is brilliantly smart, loving, charming, affectionate," she continues. "And I just admire him in every way. I respect him. I feel like he teaches me things."
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Early 2003 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Experience The Tabloids Firsthand
Before the age of iPhones and TikTok, celebs constantly dealt with the tabloids — even more than they do now. And as one of the hottest couples in the world, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez constantly faced paparazzi and tabloids. “We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” Jennifer Lopez tells PEOPLE in 2016. “We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like ‘Oh my God.’ It was just a lot of pressure.”
"People were so f*cking mean about her," Ben Affleck says on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcastin 2021. "Sexist, racist. Ugly, vicious sh*t was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now you would literally be fired for saying those things you said...Now it's like, she's lionized and respected for the work she did, where she came from, what she accomplished — as well she f*cking should be!"
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
September 10, 2003 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Call Off Their Wedding
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were supposed to be married on September 14, 2003, but four days before their wedding, they postponed the ceremony. "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date," the couple says in their official statement, via PEOPLE. "When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry."
"It was so painful after we broke up," Jennifer tells Apple Music's Zane Lowe in 2024. "Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life. I honestly felt like I was going to die. It sent me on a spiral for the next 18 years where I just couldn't get it right. But now, 20 years later, it does have a happy ending. It has the most would-never-happen-in-Hollywood ending."
Barbara Nitke/Courtesy of STXfilms
February 18, 2020 — Ben Affleck Supports Jennifer Lopez In Hustlers
At the beginning of 2020, in an interview with The New York Times, Ben Affleck voiced his support for Jennifer Lopez. "She should have been nominated [for Hustlers]," he says. "She's the real thing. I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That's f*cking baller."
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
May 10, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Take A Trip Together
After Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez broke up in the spring of 2021, J.Lo was seen hanging out with Ben Affleck around Los Angeles. "[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town," a source tells PEOPLE. "They have a strong connection. It's all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy."
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July 24, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Make Their Relationship Instagram Official
Hidden at the end of an Instagram carousel, Jennifer Lopez posted a photo of her kissing Ben Affleck. "5 2 … what it do …" the caption reads.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
September 10, 2021 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Walk The Red Carpet
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attended the premiere of his film The Last Duel at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. They both looked amazing in old school glam!
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April 8, 2022 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Announce Their Second Engagement
PEOPLE confirmed that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were engaged again in the spring of 2022. Jennifer also revealed the news via email and on social media. "So I have a really exciting and special story to share," she said on Twitter.
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July 16, 2022 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Finally Get Married!
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck finally tied the knot in July of 2022. Jennifer shared the details about the "best night ever" via On The JLo newsletter (via PEOPLE) the next day. The couple later had a larger ceremony in Georgia.
"It's a beautiful outcome that this has happened in this way at this time in our lives where we can really appreciate and celebrate each other and respect each other," she says. "We always did, but we have even more of an appreciation because we know that life can take you in different directions."
"[Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck] were attentive only to each other, didn't have eyes for anything else," a PEOPLE source said after spotting the couple on their honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy.
Jennifer Lopez/Instagram
February 14, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Reveals Her Tattoo With Ben Affleck
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck showed off their coordinating tattoos on J.Lo's Instagram. The tattoos (hers of an arrow through an infinity sign on her ribcage and his of two arrows tied to one another) are super cute together!
"Commitment," Jennifer says in her Instagram post. "Happy Valentine’s Day my love."
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
May 3, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Calls Ben Affleck A "Wonderful Father"
When she was on the Today Show (via Twitter) at the beginning of May 2023, Jennifer Lopez had high praise for Ben Affleck's relationship with all their kids. Jennifer has twins, Max and Emme, with Marc Anthony, while Ben Affleck shares three kids, Samuel, Seraphina, and Violet, with Jennifer Garner.
"He's a wonderful, wonderful father," J.Lo says in the interview. "And a father figure to [Max and Emme] as well, because he has his own three beautiful children, and then there's us...They love him. And they appreciate him, and so do I."
Jennifer Lopez/Instagram
August 21, 2023 — Jennifer Lopez Celebrates Her One Year Anniversary With Ben Affleck
In honor of their first wedding anniversary, Jennifer Lopez shared some photos, and some lyrics from "Dear Ben, Pt II", to Instagram. "One year ago today," she says in the caption. "Dear Ben, Sitting here alone / Looking at my ring ring / Feeling overwhelmed / It makes me wanna sing sing / How did we end up here / Without a rewind / Oh my / This is my life...Jennifer"
Dunkin'
February 11, 2024 — Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Star In A Super Bowl Commercial
Following Ben Affleck's iconic, viral photos with his Dunkin' coffee, the couple starred in Dunkin' Donuts' 2024 Super Bowl ad — in addition to Matt Damon, Jack Harlow, and Tom Brady. The commercial features Ben and his friends coming into the studio while Jennifer records her newest album This Is Me Now... — a move that is not well received.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
February 26, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Reveal Why They Originally Split Up
"Ben and I, we broke up three days before our wedding," J.Lo recalled in her new documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told. "We had a big wedding planned—14 ushers and bridesmaids—and three days before, we just crumbled under the pressure."
"For all those years, it was really hard because I didn't just feel like I lost the love of my life, I felt like I lost the best friend that I ever had," Jennifer continues. "I've made it through. I've made something good of my life. I'm proud of that."
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images
May 15, 2024 — Rumors Swirl About Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Alleged Divorce
Though Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have reconnected, there have rumors that their marriage may be in trouble. A source alerted InTouch Weekly that there have been obvious signs that something is wrong for a while.
"The writing is on the wall – it’s over," the source claims before saying, "They’re headed for a divorce – and for once, [Ben’s] not to blame!" The source believes the two have a lot of love for each other, but that they're jus too different to be together.
TMZ has also reported that Ben seems like he hasn't been living at home — yikes! He was photographed leaving going to and coming from a L.A. home without Jennifer. It's also being reported that he's been allegedly spending the night there.
But, TMZ also pointed out that the pair are still wearing their wedding rings so it's hard to say if there's any merit to the breakup rumors. Until Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck actually give a statement, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best! And we're not the only ones — 13 Going on 30's Jennifer Garner (who was married to Ben Affleck from 2005-2015) “is encouraging Ben to work on his marriage to Jen,” according to an Us Weeklysource. “She fully supports their relationship and wants nothing more than for him to be happy.”
Also, Jennifer Lopez wants us to really mind our business. People reported than an actress was not feeling a pushy reporter's question about her marriage and didn't have a problem letting them know. She was promoting Atlas with her co-stars when said reporter asked, "Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? These rumors?"
Though her co-star Simu Liu expressed his disdain for the questions first, Jennifer quickly said," You know better than that." This lets us know that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are well aware that people are talking about their marriage.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
Still, this hasn't stopped insiders from talking about what's going on behind closed doors. One even reached out to People to say, "They’re still living separately," and "She’s back in L.A. for tour rehearsals. She seems okay. She’s very focused on work." The outlet even reported that the couple are in fact living apart and have been seen on several occasions without each other.
While I know some people could care less, I remember when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first started dating so to see them struggling again feels a little painful. I'm trying to keep hope alive, but they ultimately know what's going on in their relationship. If they do choose to separate, that's a choice we'll all have to respect.
Will Heath/NBC
May 31, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez Cancels Her "This Is Me" Tour
At the end of May, Jennifer Lopez revealed she was cancelling her summer tour to spend time with family. Her newsletter (via Variety) reveals that “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends." (Refunds will be distributed through Ticketmaster automatically; third party purchase sites need to be contacted).
“I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down," Jennifer continues in the newsletter. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time…”
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
June 21, 2024 — Ben Affleck Discusses Family Life With Jennifer Lopez
In a newly released interview with Kevin Hart, Ben Affleck showed a rare vulnerability that we don't often see. The two chatted about several things during the Season 4 premiere of Hart to Heart, but it was Ben's admission that he has "resting hard face" (via Entertainment Tonight) that caught our attention.
Though there have been theories about why Ben often looks like he'd rather be somewhere else than dealing with paparazzi, he made it clear why he's not always smiling when the cameras are on him. "I also don't like a lot of attention...people see me [and] they're like, ‘Well, this dude always mad…’ Because somebody has their camera and sticking to my face.”
Ben even mentioned a time when he, Jennifer, and their kids were trying to make it to a play while walking through Times Square. Though he knows fans are going to be excited to see them, it's obvious he's not thrilled when their kids are subject to that kind of pandemonium.
"We get out with her, all the kids, through Times Square, and the s--- was like f---in’ bananas...it feels like hundreds of people and now screaming," Ben explained (via People).
July 20, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez Throws A Bridgerton-Themed Birthday Party
Jennifer Lopez celebrated an upcoming birthday milestone this weekend by hosting a party the Ton would've loved to attend. She spared no expense as it's reported she had "horse-drawn carriages" on-site (via Glamour).
She also posted a few selfies on Instagram to share her excitement about the special day. "Today is gonna be a great day 🤍🙏🏼 Happy Saturday everybody ☀️," she wrote as her caption.
Though other guests — including Jennifer's mom — attended the Bridgerton-themed soirée, a source made special note of Ben Affleck's absence (via People).
They've yet to confirm the status of their relationship, but it seems they're giving each other space.
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix
August 20, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez Files For Divorce With No Prenup
After months of rumored separation between the two, it seems that Jennifer Lopez has finally filed for divorce from her husband, Ben Affleck, after 2 years of marriage. Many speculated their separation this year, but since Lopez was spotted multiple times with Affleck’s kids, it seemingly put those rumors to rest. But after this filing citing their separation date as April 26, 2024, it seems like any outing was due to those close relationship over the years, and because of Lopez and Affleck’s kids being friends.
TMZ reported about Lopez’s filing, stating that there is “indeed no prenuptial agreement.” This means that they split everything 50/50 from their 2 years of marriage. While TMZ says that the two are not on speaking terms, hopefully the two can seek some peace in this situation in the future!
August 31, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez Is Moving On
She may be heartbroken, but Jennifer Lopez knows the key to getting over an ex is moving on. She cryptically acknowledged her eventful summer with the largest picture carousel I've seen on Instagram in years and looked great in most of her candid shots.
She kept her caption lighthearted by writing, "Oh, it was a summer" and was essentially met with rounds of applause from fans. One person even called her, "AN UNBOTHERED Queen!"
Even if that only scratches the surface of her emotions, it's clear Jennifer believes "Everything is unfolding in divine order" per the second picture in her carousel.
Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff
September 16, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Seen Together After Time Apart
We were sure that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were in the 'no contact' zone, but it appears they briefly changed their mind long enough for their kids to spend time together. A source said, "They are still moving forward with the divorce" but went out just "so the kids could hang out," (via People).
They almost had us fooled as they seen enjoying a nice meal at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills, but it really seems like it's over for these two. As long as things are amicable between them, that's all that matters.
October 9, 2024 — Jennifer Lopez Isn't Worried About Falling In Love Again
The thing about being a hopeless romantic is you often keep hope alive even when you probably shouldn't give your ex a second chance. However, it seems like Jennifer Lopez has learned her lesson after filing for divorce from Ben Affleck. She recently sat down and chatted with her friend Nikki Glaser to talk about how life seemed to course correct for her, plus she detailed how she feels about dating.
"I understand that now in a much deeper way, which doesn’t mean that I won’t make mistakes in the future, but again, when your whole house blows up, you’re standing there in the rubble going, 'How do I not ever let that happen again,'" she said (via Interview Magazine). She went on to say she's "not looking for anybody" after experiencing a very public second breakup from Ben Affleck.
When Nikki Glaser asked her if she regretted the hardship she just went through, Jennifer Lopez said this: "Not one second." It was quite painful for the entertainer, but she feels it was another lesson she was finally able to learn.
Hector Vivas/Getty Images
October 17, 2024 — Ben Affleck Appears To Be Unbothered
Almost a week after Jennifer Lopez's bombshell Interview Magazine feature, a source is sharing an update about how Ben Affleck is doing. Apparently he doesn't want to seem hot and bothered by Jennifer's declaration because It's being revealed Ben "never looked back" once they separated (via People). It seems all that matters to him is spending time with his kids and working as much as possible. If you ask us, that's one way to get over a breakup!
November 4, 2024 — Ben Affleck Praises Jennifer Lopez
Ahead of the release of Unstoppable, in which Jennifer stars and Ben produced, Ben is showering his ex with praise. Highlighting similarities between Unstoppable and his other movie Small Things Like These, Ben told Entertainment Tonight that “Unstoppable is a very different movie than this, but in a way, it’s similarly rooted in the passion of really talented artists."
“Billy Goldenberg and Jennifer and Don Cheadle and Jharrel [Jerome], and Bobby Cannavale, all were really passionate about this film,” he says, adding that “Jennifer is spectacular” and the movie is “another one that we’re really really proud of.”
“We believed in the right people," he continues. "Unstoppable is another example of that."
And what did Jenny from the Block think about being called spectacular? "I would describe all of the cast and everybody behind the scenes as spectacular and wonderful," she said in a red carpet interview. Sweet!
What's your favorite Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck moment? Check out The Latest On Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce's Relationship and The Latest News On Blake Lively And Ryan Reynold's Kids for more of your favorite celebrity couples!
This post has been updated.
