The once-hopeful fans who witnessed Bennifer rekindle their relationship after nearly two decades are now reckoning with the possibility that there may be trouble in paradise.
After various media reports suggested Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may no longer be living together, the Hollywood A-List couple has been increasingly under the microscope, with media prying over their whereabouts and whether both are still wearing their rings (they are).
Most recently, during a Mexico City panel discussion for her new film, "Atlas," Lopez chided a journalist who asked whether the divorce rumors were true. After her chuckle and groans from the audience, co-star Simu Liu interjected, according to social media video. "OK we’re not doing that," Liu said. "Thank you so much, guys. We really appreciate it."
"You know better than that," she said to the journalist, before quickly moving on.
Amid the speculation, we take a look at the ups and downs of their high-profile relationship.
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Lopez and Affleck first met in 2002 on the set of the romantic comedy "Gigli," while Lopez was still married to her second husband, dancer Cris Judd. Although the movie bombed at the box office, sparks were definitely flying between Lopez and Affleck. The pair went public with their relationship shortly after Lopez's divorce from Judd.
The "Hustlers" star told People in 2016 that when she met Affleck at the time, "I felt like… 'OK, this is it.'"
Affleck and Lopez embarked on a high-profile relationship that attracted widespread media coverage. The couple were nicknamed "Bennifer," a legendary combination of Affleck's and Lopez's first names that started the one-name, pop-culture-couple portmanteau trend (think "Brangelina" and "Kimye").
“We didn’t try to have a public relationship," Lopez told People. "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."
Lopez addressed the invasion of privacy in her 2002 music video "Jenny from the Block," which included a memorable appearance from her actor beau, Affleck. The music video featured surveillance camera footage and paparazzi shots of the couple at home, restaurants, a gas station and even lounging on yachts.
Lopez confirmed her engagement to Affleck during a November 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer. She proudly showed off a pink engagement ring, calling it "the most magnificent thing I've ever seen."
"I still look at it and kind of marvel at it," Lopez said during the interview. "He’s like, 'I just wanted you to have something that no one else would have.'"
Lopez and Affleck were set to tie the knot in September 2003, but they postponed their nuptials over "the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding."
"When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry," the couple said in a joint statement at the time.
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."
The couple officially split in January 2004.
At the time, Lopez's rep said, "Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy."
Both attributed the demise of their relationship to all the media attention.
In 2008, Affleck said he and Lopez were "too accessible" during their high-profile relationship: "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."
In 2014, Lopez told "Today" that her split from Affleck was her "first big heartbreak."
"I was in the tabloids every other week about how my life was falling apart. It was a tough time," she told HuffPost Live. But Lopez added that she would "do it all over again… even the relationship part."
Lopez went on to marry singer Marc Anthony in 2004 and welcomed twins Max and Emme in 2008. The couple divorced in 2014.
Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner in 2005; the two divorced in 2018. They share three children together: Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck'sdaughter Violet graduates: See the emotional reaction
Lopez got engaged to baseball star Alex Rodriguez in March 2019 and scheduled an Italian wedding for June 2020. They later called off their engagement in April after they "realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so."
Despite their early aughts breakup, Lopez and Affleck remained friendly. Lopez's May 2021 cover of InStyle, published in April, included praise from Affleck.
"She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I've come across in this business," Affleck said at the time.
In addition to praising her talent, Affleck also pointed out her seeming inability to age. "Where are you keeping the fountain of youth?" he joked. "Why do you look the same as you did in 2003 and it kind of looks like I'm in my 40s…at best?"
The feeling was mutual. Lopez replied, "Ben is funny! He still looks pretty good, too."
A month after Lopez split from Rodriguez, she and Affleck were caught in a media frenzy reminiscent of their first go-round.
Rumors started to churn after it came to light the pair both attended the Vax Live concert in LA in May 2021, at which Lopez performed. They appeared separately, but the coincidence took over social media timelines. A couple of days later, photos obtained and published by the Daily Mail showed Lopez and Affleck driving in a car together in Montana over Mother's Day weekend.
Longtime pal Matt Damon was in on the rumors, telling the "Today" show that same month, "I hope it's true."
In June 2021, Lopez and Affleck were spotted having a steamy PDA dinner at a Nobu restaurant in Malibu, according to photos obtained by Page Six and reports from People.
Over that July Fourth weekend, Lopez and Affleck were seen enjoying a day at Universal Studios Hollywood in California with their kids, according to photos and reports from Page Six and Entertainment Weekly. The next day, photos obtained by Page Six and People showed Bennifer enjoying a cozy walk together in coordinated beige ensembles.
On Lopez's 52nd birthday in July 2021, she posted a series of bikini-laced Instagram photos that ended with a kiss. On the last slide, she wore her new-but-old lover Affleck, locked by the lips.
"5 2 … what it do …..," she wrote on the relationship reveal.
The couple went on to hit several high-profile red carpets. They walked hand-in-hand at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021, ahead of the premiere of Affleck's film "The Last Duel." The couple shared a sweet kiss for all the world to see.
Not a week later, the two showed more PDA the night of the 2021 Met Gala. Lopez posed on the famed steps of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art alone but still put on a show with Affleck. After stepping inside the event, the two kissed in front of the cameras with their masks still on.
In December 2021, Affleck spoke in a cover story for the Wall Street Journal about reconnecting with Lopez.
“I can say that it’s definitely beautiful to me," Affleck said. "And, you know, one of the things I really value across all facets of my life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that. And it is a good story. It’s a great story. And, you know, maybe one day I’ll tell it. I’ll write it all out. And then I’ll light it on fire."
When Lopez was honored as AdWeek's 2021 Brand Visionary in September of that year, Affleck praised his once-again girlfriend with inspiring words.
"I am in awe of what Jennifer’s effect on the world is," Affleck said in the interview. "Jennifer has inspired a massive group of people to feel they have a seat at the table in this country."
Lopez has returned the words of admiration in interviews.
"I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him," Lopez told People in February 2022. "I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of the man he's become that I've watched from afar."
She added: "To see the person, the human being, the man that he is today, the father that he is today, the partner that he is – he is so everything I always knew he was and wanted to be."
Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in April 2022 via a video in her On the JLo fan newsletter.
In the video, Lopez looks at her engagement ring – a green diamond with smaller diamonds on each side – and whispers, "You're perfect."
Affleck was likely in on the color green being meaningful to Lopez. She spoke about the hue being her "lucky color" in another On the JLo newsletter.
"Maybe you can remember a certain green dress," she wrote, likely referring to the iconic Versace dress she wore to the Grammy Awards in 2000 that catapulted her to superstardom. "I’ve realized there are many moments in my life where amazing things happened when I was wearing green. It may be a coincidence, maybe not. But as I took a better look, I realized there are no coincidences."
The twice-engaged couple got married in July 2022 at the A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Lopez confirmed via her On the JLo fan newsletter that the two had in fact wed, and she shared photos, videos and details from the big night.
While the wedding wasn't the glamorous, over-the-top ceremony fans would expect from Bennifer, Lopez said it was "the best possible wedding we could have imagined." The bride and groom made use of "a dress from an old movie and a jacket from Ben’s closet" to wear for the ceremony.
"When love is real, the only thing that matters in marriage is one another and the promise we make to love, care, understand, be patient, loving and good to one another," Lopez wrote. "We had that. And so much more. Best night of our lives."
"We did it," Lopez wrote of the nuptials at the time. "Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient."
A month after JLo and Affleck tied the knot in Las Vegas, the couple headed down the aisle again in August 2022, this time surrounded by friends, family and fellow A-listers for a much more elaborate celebration in Georgia, where Affleck has a sprawling estate.
Although the ceremony was "not at all the way we planned," Lopez later reflected in her newsletter "On the JLo," the nuptials turned out even better.
"Some old wounds were healed that day, and the weight of the past finally lifted off our shoulders," Lopez wrote. "Nothing ever felt more right to me."
While many fans shared excitement for Bennifer's revived love, others critiqued Affleck for having the festivities in a "plantation-style" home.
Located outside of Savannah, Georgia, Affleck's 87-acre compound sits on Hampton Island, which served as land for rice and cotton plantations, according to an overview of the property.
Ben Affleck, JLo's wedding venue:What we know about actor's Georgia estate
Lopez beat Affleck to the punch of telling their love story in the eclectic film, "This Is Me… Now: A Love Story," which was released in February with her latest album, "This is Me … Now," and the making-of documentary, "The Greatest Love Story Never Told."
The Amazon Prime documentary was named for a collection of letters Affleck wrote to his wife, and showed the making of her album and $20 million self-financed film.
In the film, Lopez's music soundtracks a bonkers quest for love, starting with a fiery motorcycle crash with a guy who shares Affleck's profile. The film stars Affleck and a host of celebrity friends, including Fat Joe as her therapist and a love zodiac council including Keke Palmer, Kim Petras, Sofia Vergara, Jenifer Lewis, Post Malone and the queen of every committee, Jane Fonda.
"I never thought I’d get a second chance at this love. I’d like to capture this moment in time because I feel it’s even more incredible than the first time," Lopez told USA TODAY earlier this year. "What I want to say with this album is that true love does exist and some things are forever. They may not take a straight road, but they don’t leave you. I made the most honest, true music I’ve ever done … So I sat with (director) Dave (Meyers) and said, 'I want to do a mini-movie-musical, but also not just videos. I want to do something new and different.'"
In the documentary, Fonda shared skepticism about the film. "I want you to know that I don’t entirely know why, but I feel invested in you and Ben, and I really want this to work," she said. "However, this is absurd. Like, it feels too much like you're trying to prove something instead of just living it."
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Elise Brisco, Edward Segarra, Melissa Ruggieri and Charles Trepany, USA TODAY
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