JLo and Ben Affleck Were Always Meant to Be and Her Mom Knew It

Bennifer’s love saga has been going on for over 20 years. They were right when they said, “All you need is love” and the couple seems to be living proof of that. Thus, after a very long wait, the Hollywood stars watched their dream and that of their fans eventually become a reality, proving there’s much more long-lasting love in La La Land than one would think.

Their career brought them together.

The life-changing meeting happened in 2002, on the set of Gigli where Jennifer and Ben portrayed 2 gangsters that fall in love with each other. The movie was a flop, and critics explained that there was no chemistry between Affleck and Lopez on the screen. But it was very different in real life. Jennifer was still married to her second husband at the time, dancer Cris Judd, but she divorced him shortly after meeting Ben Affleck.

Affleck spoke about this in an interview where he said, “Because she was married, there was no thought of a romantic relationship. So that created the opportunity for us to get to know each other without any of the falsehoods that go along with dating because you’re trying to make a good impression. I didn’t try to change anything about myself, and neither did she. We became very good friends in a way that was very comfortable.”

They even were in a music video together.

The music video for Jenny From the Block, which was released in November 2002, features Lopez and Affleck. The song’s video was inspired by the couple’s real-life experience of being followed by the public and hounded by photographers. It showed the pair relaxing on a boat while clutching a newspaper full of rumors about them. In the now-iconic video clip, Bennifer had a passionate encounter.

The couple got engaged the same year but their relationship didn’t last long.

That same year, Ben proposed to Jennifer Lopez with a 6-carat diamond ring. Once the planning for the big day got underway, the paparazzi were all over the happy couple, as such a stunning ring was bound to result in a lavish wedding.

During an interview, the singer of On the Floor declared that Affleck’s proposal was “traditional, but also in a very spectacular way as, of course, Ben would do it... it was very, very beautiful.”
In other appearances, Lopez revealed Affleck read her a letter in which he listed all the reasons he loved her and wanted to marry her, “It was the most cleansing feeling and the most wonderful feeling I had ever had.”

Following months of engagement, the couple made a brief statement a few days before the wedding announcing that they would cancel the wedding due to increased media attention. The couple asserted: “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring 3 separate ’decoy brides’ to be at 3 different locations, we realized that something was awry.” They did, however, confirm their split in January 2004, which wasn’t entirely surprising to fans, who noticed Affleck alone and Lopez no longer wearing her engagement ring.

After their relationship ended they continued to go on their own paths.

Over the years, Lopez has been romantically involved with other celebrities. In 2004, she married Marc Anthony, a singer with whom she has twins, but the couple divorced in 2011. “This was a very difficult decision,” they stated later. “It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time.”

In 2017, the singer began dating professional shortstop Alex Rodriguez, a longtime friend. They got engaged in 2019 after years of rumors about their wedding. Unfortunately, the pair reportedly declared their breakup on March 2021 — “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so” they stated.

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck married Jennifer Garner in June 2005, and the couple had 3 children together over the years. However, after a decade of marriage, the pair announced their divorce in 2015. “After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the couple tells PEOPLE in a statement. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children.”

Affleck has admitted in several interviews that he felt stuck in that marriage, “I was like, I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?” This anxiety led him to develop unhealthy habits. The actor then dated actress Ana de Armas in 2020, but their relationship lasted barely a year.

It seems like their feelings for each other never faded away.

The 2 celebrities have occasionally made public statements regarding their prior relationship throughout the years. During an interview, the singer revealed “I think different time different thing, who knows what could’ve happened, but there was a genuine love there.” She then declared to have suffered from their split and the media attention around them, “When the tabloids were out and we were being hounded by paparazzi constantly, it was a really hard time.”

In February 2020, Affleck highlighted the work of Lopez in Hustlers and thought it was unfair that she didn’t get an Oscar nomination, She should have been nominated. She’s the real thing. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50?"

Both have always admired each other, whether as friends or as a couple. They both celebrate and express respect for each other’s journeys. Lopez explained, “I feel like he’s at a place in his life where...just like I feel about myself.” She then added, “When you get to a place where you feel really good on your own and who you are, so you can be in a happy, healthy relationship.”

And finally, Bennifer was back.

This heartwarming happening shows us that second chances in love come with benefits, those of appreciating the other person more and not taking what we have for granted, as JLo claimed, “It’s a beautiful outcome that this has happened in this way at this time in our lives where we can really appreciate and celebrate each other and respect each other.” The star then added, “We always did, but we have even more of an appreciation because we know that life can take you in different directions.”

On a different note, the Argo actor/director also agrees that he feels “lucky” to have been given a second chance, both in his work and personal life.

Jen’s mom always knew that she would reunite with Ben.

Although some people don’t believe in the union of Ben and Jen, the mom of the singer thinks differently. According to sources, Guadalupe “Lupe” Rodríguez (J. Lo’s mom) always knew they would reunite one day. She said that “I knew that you would always get back together because I prayed for 20 years.”

While Jennifer was discussing her new album, she said “I went on an incredible journey through my life for the past 20 years, and I think I’ve grown a lot. The album is really about capturing those moments in time. Falling in love and having that moment, then 20 years later trying to capture what this moment was, which was a very different thing.”

It is also important to note that Lopez has legally changed her name to Mrs. Affleck, even though people will still know her with her stage name. “People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we’re joined together. We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that. I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Not only these two people’s love flourished 20 years after their initial breakup but it also ended up in marriage. Even though their lives had been completely apart and filled with entirely different people. But it’s not only them who can steal people’s attention, since many other celebrities do it all the time with just one photo.