When it comes to celebrity couples, there are few who have garnered more attention than Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who have been affectionately called Bennifer for parts of the past 20-plus years. The A-list couple, who finally tied the knot in a much-covered July 2022 Las Vegas ceremony, hasn’t been without their ups and downs over the years, as their initial relationship fell apart under the pressure of fame and unrivaled media attention. The two megastars went their separate ways, starting and stopping multiple relationships before eventually getting back together.
With the rise and fall and rise again of the ongoing Bennifer saga, sometimes keeping track of the whole shebang is not the easiest of tasks. But, worry not, for we have put together a complete timeline of their relationship (so far) with all the major chapters documented in full detail...
Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Initially Crossed Paths At Parties But Didn’t Become Close Until Filming Gigli In 2001
Before they were co-stars who started to date in real life, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez crossed paths at various parties in the later part of the 20th Century and early days of the 21st Century. However, as they revealed in a 2003 NBC primetime interview, they “barely paid any any attention to each other at all” during those early days.
That began to change when the future couple joined the cast of Gigli in late 2001, though they didn’t initially begin to date because she had just married her former backup dancer, Cris Judd, at the time.
Ben Affleck Proposed To Jennifer Lopez (For The First Time) In November 2002
Sometime after Lopez’s marriage with Judd ended, the multi-talented star went public with her relationship with Affleck, who addressed rumors during a 2003 Vanity Fair interview about the specifics of the timeline, denying they became a thing while she was still with her husband.
Then in November 2002, Lopez, just months after going public with her relationship, revealed during an ABC News interview that they were engaged to be married, describing to Diane Sawyer how the Academy Award winner popped the question during a visit to his hometown of Boston.
The Planned September 2003 Wedding Was Postponed Due To Media Attention
Throughout much of 2003, Bennifer and their relationship was one of the biggest stories in all of pop culture, with countless magazine covers and news stories dedicated to their planned September wedding. However, that same media attention, which was addressed in the iconic 2002 “Jenny from the Block” music video, would ultimately drive the two apart.
On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, just four days before they were scheduled to tie the knot, People reported that Lopez and Affleck were postponing the wedding. In a statement that was carried by the publication, the couple blamed “the excessive media attention” surrounding their wedding in deciding to call it off. According to the statement, they made the decision after contemplating hiring decoy brides and multiple locations to throw off the press.
Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Ended Their Engagement In January 2004
The much talked about engagement between the two came to an abrupt end in January 2004, when Lopez’s reps released a statement (carried by MTV News) confirming that the pair were no longer getting married. The couple didn’t divulge why they called things off, but a source later told Page Six that Affleck wasn’t willing to give up “his bachelor life” at the time and that Lopez was “tired of waiting for him to come around.”
The pair would later break up and go their separate ways. In the 17 years following the end of their relationship, both stars got married (and divorced) and had children of their own. But, this wouldn’t be the end of Bennifer…
Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Were Spotted Together Multiple Times Before Making Their Relationship Official In May 2021
In May 2021, Lopez and Affleck were spotted together in Montana, according to People. At the time, a source told the publication that the former couple spent several days with one another on an out-of-town trip and that the whole thing had been “quick and intense.” The couple was later spotted arriving on a private jet in Los Angeles following the trip.
A few weeks later, Affleck was spotted wearing a watch that was strikingly similar to one he wore in the “Jenny from the Block” music video nearly 20 years earlier. All signs were pointing toward a rekindling of the long-dormant relationship.
Jennifer Lopez Made Her Rekindled Relationship With Ben Affleck Instagram Official In July 2021
The rumors about the duo rekindling their relationship were confirmed in July 2021, when the Grammy winner posted a series of photos on her Instagram account, with the final showing Bennifer locked in a passionate kiss aboard a boat. Affleck’s longtime friend and creative partner, Matt Damon, addressed the relationship during an appearance on Desus & Mero, commenting on how the press was much nicer to the couple the second time around.
Later in the year, an anonymous source told E! News that the twosome were finding ways to make their relationship work despite their incredibly busy schedules, disclosing that the pair made it a point to see each other every few days to stay connected.
Ben Affleck Proposed (A Second Time) To Jennifer Lopez In April 2022
Affleck and Lopez got engaged for the second time in April 2022. The announcement was initially exclusive to Lopez’s online newsletter, OnTheJLo.com, but EW later confirmed the news as it began to spread around the internet. The ring, which contained a massive light-green diamond, was special to Lopez for a number of reasons, most notably being the fact some of JLo’s biggest moments happened when she was wearing green.
Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Finally Tied The Knot In A July 2022 Las Vegas Ceremony
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck avoided repeating history by getting married in a July 2022 Las Vegas ceremony that reportedly only cost the couple $75. As was later confirmed by Variety, Lopez took on Affleck as her legal name in the marriage license filings.
In the same article about the couple’s nuptials, the publication included a message from Lopez’s “On The JLo” Newsletter where the actress and singer revealed that she and Affleck flew to Las Vegas and “stood in line with four other couples” before tying the knot.
Following The July 2022 Ceremony, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Went To Paris For Their Honeymoon
Lopez and Affleck may have saved some money by having a low-key wedding ceremony (the first one, anyway) in Vegas, but the couple spared no expense for their July 2022 honeymoon. Following their Parisian getaway, which saw Bennifer experience the sights and sounds of the French capital, Vogue reported that the couple made the most of their time away.
In addition to visits to the Louvre, cruises down the Seine, and strolls throughout the city, the couple also took in some of the best food offerings Paris has to offer like Joseph Dirand’s Girafe, Arnaud Donckele’s Plénitude, and multiple others during their extended stay.
The Couple Held A Second Wedding Ceremony At Ben Affleck’s Georgia Property In August 2022
Though their initial wedding was a smaller and more low-key affair, the couple had a bigger ceremony and celebration the following month that was attended by some of their famous family and friends at Ben Affleck’s private property in Savannah, Georgia, according to People.
During this celebration, which was leaked without the consent of Lopez, Affleck reportedly gave a sweet and emotional speech that was 12 pages long, according to Kevin Smith.
A Second Honeymoon Followed The Georgia Ceremony, This Time In Italy
What would a second wedding ceremony be without another honeymoon? Shortly after tying the knot for a second time, the couple jetted off to Italy, where they spent a decent amount of time relaxing and exploring various hotspots like Lake Como and Milan, according to US Weekly.
Page Six reported that the week-long honeymoon consisted of shopping sprees, romantic moments, and of course, photo opportunities with fans wherever they stopped in Italy.
In January 2023, Jennifer Lopez Said 2022 Was The Best Year Since Her Kids Were Born
During a January 2023 appearance on Today, Jennifer Lopez talked about all the big things that happened in her life (both professional and personal) in 2022. When she and Ben Affleck got married, Lopez said they blended their families together, meaning they had a collective five kids under one roof.
Though there was some adjusting for the children, who are all between the ages of 10 and 17, Lopez said all her dreams were coming true, and that it had been a phenomenal year. In fact, the multi-talented star admitted that it was the best year since her kids were born in 2008.
In February 2023, Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Collaborated Again… For Dunkin’
Nearly 20 years after last working together for the 2004 romantic comedy, Jersey Girl, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez collaborated on another project. However, this time the couple shared the screen in Dunkin’s Super Bowl LVII commercial instead of a Kevin Smith movie.
The Dunkin’ ad, which was also directed by Affleck, saw the Academy Award winner running the drive-thru at a Medford, Massachusetts, location, much to the surprise of seemingly random customers. Though most of the drivers were excited to see him handing out their coffee, his wife, in the hilarious closing seconds, was more concerned about her husband’s new gig. Not enough, however, to not ask for a glazed donut on the way out.
Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck Were Reportedly ‘Closer Than Ever Before’ In May 2023
Just when it seemed like the couple couldn’t be any more in love with one another, Entertainment Tonight published a report in which a source intimated that their love was growing even stronger. According to the source, Lopez and Affleck were “closer than ever before” and were both “elated” at the time of the article’s publication in early May 2023. The unnamed person also said they “lean on each other and are supportive of one another” as they navigate the next stage of their lives and careers.
While co-parenting five kids with their exes, Jennifer Garner and Marc Antony, it’s easy to see how life can be chaotic for the newlyweds, but it seemed like they were excelling in this regard thanks to one another’s help.
Well, this catches us up with the full history of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship and all its ups and downs from over the years. But, who knows, maybe we’ll have more to add in the ongoing Bennifer saga in the years to come.
