Ben Affleck spoke out for the first time about his relationship with on-again girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
“I can say that it’s definitely beautiful to me,” the Deep Water actor, 49, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Wednesday, December 1. “My life now reflects not just the person that I want to be, but the person that I really feel like I am — which is not perfect, but somebody who tries very hard and cares very much about being honest and authentic and accountable.” The director, who has been open about his struggles with alcohol abuse in the past, added that he’s “very healthy” these days.
“I am very lucky in my life in that I have benefited from second chances, and I am aware that other people don’t even get first chances,” he continued. “I’ve had second chances in my career. I’ve had second chances as a human being. Life is difficult, and we are always failing and hopefully learning from those failures.”
That said, the dad of three was hesitant about giving too much away. “One of the harder lessons that I have learned is that it’s not wise to share everything with the world. There are some things which are private and intimate and have meaning in terms of their intimacy by dint of the fact that they’re not shared with the rest of the world,” he explained. “I’m more comfortable just learning to find a boundary between things that I want to share and things that I don’t. I don’t know if it’s good or bad.”
The Oscar winner and Grammy Award winner, 52, were famously engaged from 2002 to 2004 but rekindled their romance in April following J. Lo’s split from ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez. Since reuniting, the couple have been moving fast.
An insider exclusively told In Touch their relationship has changed for the better since the early 2000s. “Jen and Ben celebrated Thanksgiving together back in the day when they were engaged, but this one was very different,” a source exclusively told In Touch after the pair spent the holiday together. “It wasn’t as long as they wanted, but it was special because they’ve both grown so much since then. They’re like two different people, especially Ben, but they know that they belong together. There’s no doubt.”
In fact, fans shouldn’t be surprised if Ben gets down on one knee (again) soon. A separate insider told In Touch Ben is “more than ready” to propose to the “Jenny From the Block” singer. “Jen is excited about starting a life with Ben. All the kids have met each other, and everyone seems to get along.”
Ben shares kids Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, while Jen shares 13-year-old kids Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
Earlier this month, J. Lo revealed to Today that she still believes in “happily ever after” despite “a few” marriages. Considering Ben appeared to be shopping for an engagement ring recently, could a proposal happen before the new year? Only time will tell!
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).