Well, well, well, it's just like we're back in 2002!
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck (endearingly known as "Bennifer") sparked reconciliation rumours after they were spotted driving in a car together in Montana over Mother's day weekend — fresh off the back of the singer's split from Alex Rodriguez.
J.Lo and Affleck, of course, were the darlings of the noughties paparazzi scene after they started dating, but it wasn't to be, and the pair split in 2004. Now, 18 years after their break-up, the pair seem to be rekindling some kind of relationship.
So, in honour of their purported reconciliation, we look back at Bennifer throughout the years...
How did it all start?
Lopez and Affleck first met on the set of the rom-com, Gigli, back in 2002, which bombed terribly at the box office.
At the time, Lopez was married to her second husband, dancer, Chris Judd, but the chemistry between the pair was undeniable. They went public with their relationship not long after the pop star's divorce from Judd.
Speaking at the time to People, Lopez said of meeting Affleck: "I felt like… 'Okay, this is it'."
Then, just a few months later, the couple announced that they were going to film another movie together, titled Jersey Girl, in September of 2002.
The proposal
Ben proposed to Lopez in November of 2002 with the ring of every girl's dreams: a 6.1-carat pink solitaire.
J.Lo told Diane Sawyer that the ring was "the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. I still look at it and kind of marvel at it. He’s like, 'I just wanted you to have something that no one else would have'."
She added that the proposal was "traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it … it was very, very beautiful," before calling Affleck "brilliantly smart, loving, charming, affectionate."
She also detailed that they both had "the same kind of upbringing" and that "my mother loves Ben."
Jenny from the Block
In the same month as the pair announced their engagement, the Good Will Hunting actor starred in the music video for Lopez's iconic song, Jenny from the Block.
His appearance in the video caused a huge reaction at the time as he featured in the film kissing the pop star's derrière – perhaps not the best move for an actor hoping to be taken seriously in Hollywood.
After the pair broke up, Affleck admitted he regretted taking part in the video.
The star said of his relationship with Lopez: "If I have a regret, it was doing the music video. But that happened years ago. I've moved on."
The Gigli premiere
J.Lo and Affleck appeared loved up as they attended the premiere of Gigli — posing and smooching for the cameras.
However, the movie went on to bomb at the Box Office, which went on to take a toll on the couple's relationship.
Reflecting on the film's failure, Affleck would later hint at his embarrassment and blame the bad press on the publicity surrounding his relationship with Lopez.
He told TimesTalk: :It could have been a bad movie no one cared about. Angelina Jolie had a bad movie [Beyond Borders/Tomb Raider] that year and nobody cared.
"But because I was dating Jennifer Lopez that made it a big f***ing deal, you know? And not only is it a bad movie but: 'They're dating each other in the bad movie!'"
Rumoured infidelity
According to The Daily Mail, following the release of Gigli, a stripper spoke out against Affleck in August of 2003, claiming that the actor had "cavorted" with her and three other lap dancers behind Lopez's back.
"It's a night I'll never forget and I'm sure one he'll want to forget," a then-29 Tammy Morris alleged. "He had this little boy look on his face. His hands were all over two girls at the same time."
She also said that Affleck gave the strippers large tips and told them to "keep this just between us".
According to the article, the claims were seriously damaging to Bennifer's relationship and resulted Lopez removing her engagement ring, reportedly telling friends that the relationship was finished. "It's over. He's made me a laughing stock," she allegedly said.
The Get Right singer's ex, Chris Judd, was not very sympathetic. "Jen is getting back what she gave," he is alleged to have stated. "It's bad karma coming back at her. She's getting a taste of her own medicine. I hate to see her hurt, but I was devastated when I found out about her and Ben, and now she knows how it feels. It's payback time for Jennifer and I guess, in a way, she is getting what she deserves."
Cold feet...
Despite Affleck's alleged infidelity making international news in August 2003, the couple did not break up and were still planning to exchange vows the following month.
However, just weeks later, the pair announced that their wedding was off just days before Lopez was du to walk down the aisle.
A joint statement released by the pair read: "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."
The split
Four months after calling off their wedding, Bennifer confirmed that they had officially split in January of 2004.
J.Lo's representative released a simple statement at the time that read: "I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck.
"At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy."
The aftermath
Lopez and Affleck both agreed on the fact that all the press attention resulted in the breakdown of their relationship.
Speaking about the split in 2008, per the Irish Examiner, the actor said that he and J.Lo were too "accessible" during their two years together: "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."
Then in 2014, Lopez said that her split from Affleck was her "first big heartbreak". A year later, she told HuffPost Live that "the worst, probably lowest point was the whole 'Gigli' era."
She added: "It was a very badly reviewed film. I was in a high-profile relationship at the time that fell apart in a really bad way, and so the kind of mix of those two things and the tabloid press had just come into existence at the time, so I was like a poster child for that moment. I was in the tabloids every other week about how my life was falling apart. It was a tough time."
Lopez also said that she had "no regrets" about her time with Affleck, stating: "I would do it all over again, I think. I really would. Even the relationship part. I just feel like everything is part of your story and your journey and is meant to be and helps you grow if you're willing to look at it, and I'm willing to look."
Affleck moves on quickly
In October of 2004, just a few months after his split from Lopez, Affleck made his first public appearance with Jennifer Garner. The couple were photographed at the World Series, where the Boston Red Sox were playing.
Affleck actually said that he fell in love with Garner when they were working on Daredevil in 2002 — while he was still with J.Lo.
"We met on Pearl Harbor, which people hate, but we fell in love on Daredevil," he later said during an interview with Playboy. "By the way, she won most of the fights in the movie, which was a pretty good predictor of what would happen down the road — my wife, holding swords and beating the living sh*t out of me."
They got engaged a year later, and married in June of 2005 — before divorcing in 2015. They share three children together: Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9.
And so does Lopez
Lopez went on to marry the singer Marc Anthony in 2004, and welcomed twins Max and Emme, 13, in 2008. They split in 2014.
In her book, True Love, she wrote of the relationship: "Marc came back into my life three days after I should have been at the altar saying 'I do' to another man.
"Thinking back, maybe deep down I knew that this was a Band-Aid on the cut, that my wound hadn’t been stitched or healed. But I pushed all that to the back of my mind."
Lopez and Affleck are on good terms
Lopez and Affleck appeared to be on good terms following their relationship, and especially of late.
In February of 2020, the actor told the New York Times that J.Lo should have been nominated for an Oscar for Hustlers. "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 fucking baller."
And then, earlier this month, the 48-year-old complimented the singer, saying: "She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I've come across in this business. 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."
Just days later, the pair were seen out together following Lopez's split from Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod), and then that Montana trip happened.
Stay tuned...
