Photo: Getty Images, Pinterest
Yay, that day has come! Love won: Bennifer got finally married 20 years after their first engagement. Below is an overview of how their uneasy but inspiring relationship evolved.
Gigli and Jersey Girl movie scenes
The couple's love story began like 99% relationships in Hollywood. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first met in December 2001 on the set of their movie Gigli. The film, by the way, won several Razzies and was called unwatchable by the critics. In spite of the huge failure, this movie was fateful for both actors. This is where the iconic couple's love story began. In fact, the actress was married to her second husband Chris Rudd at the time, though according to Us Magazine, she filed for divorce right after she met Ben. And even before their relationship status was officially confirmed, fans noticed the chemistry between the two and began affectionately calling them Bennifer.
2002 turned out to be an eventful year for the couple. First, they played together in another movie called Jersey Girl. Secondly, Ben finally proposed to his beloved. Jennifer later shared her emotions in the interview. She said the proposal was "traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it ... it was very, very beautiful". Ben definitely knew what he was doing. The actor chose a unique 6.1-carat pink solitaire ring. It's surely hard to resist!
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The wedding was expected to take place in 2003. But just a few days before the proposed date, the couple made a big public announcement that upset many Bennifer fans:
“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.”
Photo: Gigli movie scene, Getty Images
A year later, fans' hearts were broken - the couple split. Media pressure, busy schedules, regular filming - there were many reasons, but Jennifer and Ben decided not to comment on their breakup and only asked for respect for their privacy. The couple did not comment on their breakup straight away. In 2008, the Irish Examiner quoted Affleck about their relationship with Lopez. He said: "I think Jen and I made a mistake in that we fell in love, we were excited and maybe too accessible. I don't think either of us anticipated the degree to which it would take on a world of its own."
Jennifer was only able to give a full-fledged comment in 2016 in an interview for People magazine. She believed that it was the media and tabloid scrutiny that hurt her and Ben's relationship. "There was a genuine love there... 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."
Photo: Getty Images
In February 2020, it became clear that there was still a nice friendship between Ben Affleck and J.Lo. The actor told the New York Times how much he admired the work Jennifer did in Hustlers. His words didn’t make it into the final piece but fortunately reporter Brooks Barnes has shared some snippets from his talk with Affleck later. "She should have been nominated. 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**king baller."
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They were both in relationships with other people, but still continued to support and communicate with each other. In 2021, rumors began to circulate about a renewal of their romance. The actor was spotted in a white SUV, supposedly to visit Lopez (just after Jennifer divorced Alex Rodriguez and Ben broke up with Anna de Armas). From that moment on, fans froze in anticipation and the paparazzi started hunting for exclusive photos of the couple. And finally it happened: in May 2021, the lovers were spotted together on vacation in Big Sky, Montana. "They looked very happy together," an insider told the Us magazine of the trip. “It was just the two of them on vacation together. Big Sky is a special place to Ben.” On July 24, the two officially confirmed their relationship by posting photos together on Instagram. On September 10, they made their first public appearance as a couple at the Venice Film Festival.
Photo: Getty Images, Pinterest
Despite the fact that many thought it was just a PR trick, most still had no doubt: the two have finally found happiness with each other. In spite of all the haters, Jennifer and Affleck got engaged in April 2022. Lopez revealed this in her newsletter. The couple decided not to delay the wedding (apparently, they took into account the mistakes of the past). And surprise, they got married on July 16 in Las Vegas!
