Bennifer forever! Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s cutest photos through the years prove the A-listers have a lot of history between them.
Ben and Jen first met in 2001 on the set of their movie Gigli, which was released in 2003. At the time, the “Ain’t Your Mama” singer was still married to her second husband, dancer Cris Judd, but they split shortly after.
The Maid in Manhattan star admitted it was love at first sight with the Good Will Hunting actor. “I felt like … ‘OK, this is it,'” she recalled to People in 2016. “[But] sometimes I feel like what you think people are and how you see them when you love them is different than when they reveal later.”
The pair got engaged in 2002. Ben popped the question with a 6.1-carat pink diamond Harry Winston ring that reportedly cost $2.5 million at the time.
Jen and Ben had a very high-profile relationship that was followed closely by the public. The Gone Girl actor’s appearance in the “Jenny From the Block” music video was a little jab at the public obsession over their romance. They even claimed they postponed their nuptials in 2003 due to the attention.
“When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry,” they wrote in a joint statement. “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.”
In January 2004, Ben and Jennifer split. Five months later in June 2004, the “Dance Again” singer surprisingly married longtime friend Marc Anthony. They welcomed their twins, daughter Emme and son Max, in 2008 before separating in 2011. They finalized their divorce in 2014 but remain very good friends to this day.
Jennifer reflected on marrying Marc following her “first real heartbreak” when things ended with Ben in her 2014 book, True Love.
“Ben and I split up at the moment when I thought we were committing to each other forever, it was my first real heartbreak, it felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest,” she wrote, according to Page Six. “I sought out comfort in another person, tried to find someone who could make me feel loved and wanted in my loneliest hour. … Marc came back into my life three days after I should have been at the altar saying ‘I do’ to another man.”
As for the Argo actor, he married Jennifer Garner in 2005, and they share three kids — daughters Violet and Seraphina and son Samuel. The Hollywood duo divorced in 2018.
Needless to say, fans were shocked when the Justice League star and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer reunited in April after Jennifer ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez after four years together. The A-list exes then spent a week in Montana together in May.
Luckily, Ben’s ex-wife is supportive of their rekindled romance. The 13 Going on 30 actress “is really happy for them,” the source told In Touch. “She’s moved on [with John Miller], and Ben has moved on too! She’s glad that he met a woman who is successful in her own right and isn’t using Ben for fame.” The Jersey Girl actor’s last public relationship was with actress Ana de Armas, but they ended things in January.
Take a look back at Bennifer’s cutest photos through the years!