Science & Environment
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s relationship timeline: Early days…
For a second time, Bennifer is officially over.
Singer Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from actor Ben Affleck on Tuesday after roughly two years of marriage. Their on-again, off-again relationship spans two decades, long enough to spark nostalgia for some who came of age with the pop culture icons during their first romantic go-around.
Between their first relationship in the early 2000s and getting married in Las Vegas in 2022, both Lopez and Affleck had other marriages, children and career milestones.
Here is a complete timeline on how Bennifer came to be, broke up, got back together and broke up (again).
2001-2002: Meeting on set
Affleck and Lopez connected on the set of “Gigli.” While filming the movie, Lopez was married to her second husband, Cris Judd.
Affleck later told Vanity Fair in 2003 that their relationship was rooted in a strong friendship that they developed as co-stars.
“When I met her we became really, really, really good friends,” he told the publication. “But at first, because she was married, there was no thought of a romantic relationship, so that created the opportunity to get to know each other without any of the falseness that goes with courtship because you’re trying to make a good impression. I didn’t try to change anything about myself, and she didn’t either. We became really good friends in a way that was very comfortable.”
Summer 2002: The ‘Bennifer’ era begins
Lopez filed for divorce from Judd in July 2002.
That summer, paparazzi spotted Lopez and Affleck getting romantic at a birthday party for the singer. It’s around this time they are believed to have started dating.
November 2002: ‘Jenny from the Block’ release and engagement news
The music video for J.Lo’s hit song prominently featured Affleck, who is seen climbing out of cars, eating meals and hanging out with the singer.
The video was shot as if the two were being photographed by paparazzi. In one scene, which became enshrined in pop culture history, Affleck is seen kissing Lopez’s rear end while the pair lounge on a yacht.
ABC News reported that month that the couple had also gotten engaged. Affleck proposed to Lopez with a custom-made, six-carat pink diamond engagement ring from Harry Winston, according to PEOPLE.
August 2003: ‘Gigli’ bombs at the box office
“Gigli” became a box office disaster, making just $7.2 million worldwide. Rumors began to swirl that Bennifer’s romance was also in its flop era.
September 2003: Couple postpones wedding
Just before they were set to say “I do,” the couple released a statement saying they were postponing their nuptials.
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date,” the couple said in a joint statement at the time, according to CBS News. “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.”
January 2004: Lopez confirms couple’s split
Lopez’s spokesperson confirmed that the couple had split.
“I am confirming the reports that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck,” a representative for Lopez told The Associated Press. “At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.”
2004 to 2021: Living separate lives
During the summer of 2004, Lopez married singer Marc Anthony, who she had previously dated in 1999. Lopez gave birth to twins, Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian David Muñiz, in 2008.
In 2011, Anthony and Lopez announced they were separating. Anthony filed for divorce from Lopez in April 2012, citing “irreconcilable differences,” reported E! News. Their divorce was finalized in June 2014.
That same year, Lopez published her memoir “True Love,” in which she wrote about her romantic relationships. She described her relationship with Affleck as her “first big heartbreak.”
In 2004, Affleck began dating actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he said he fell in love with on the set of the 2003 film “Daredevil.”
The couple got married in 2005. They had three children together: Violet Affleck in 2005, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck in 2009, and Samuel Garner Affleck in 2012.
In 2015, the couple announced that they were calling it quits.
Around 2017, Lopez began dating former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. The two got engaged in 2019. Lopez performed at the Super Bowl in 2020 and at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Their wedding was postponed for two years, until April 2021, when the two issued a statement to TODAY confirming they had broken up.
Affleck dated actress Ana de Armas in 2020. The couple broke up in 2021.
Spring 2021: Rumors of a rekindled romance
Page Six reported that Affleck was spotted at Lopez’s Las Vegas home on April 30, 2021.
In May, the couple were spotted traveling the United States together, spending time together in Montana and later in Florida, where Affleck appeared to be wearing a watch from the “Jenny from the Block” video. Fans speculated this was a sign the couple had reunited.
In June 2021, the New York Post published a photo of the two kissing.
September 2021: The couple returns to the red carpet together
Lopez appeared with Affleck to support his film “The Last Duel” at the Venice Film Festival.
The next month, they were spotted kissing on the Met Gala red carpet (while wearing masks).
April 2022: Lopez and Affleck engaged, again
In a video on her website, Lopez announced she and Affleck were engaged for a second time. She is seen wearing an engagement ring with a green stone and listening to her song, “Dear Ben,” in the video.
July 2022: The ‘Bennifer’ wedding, part 1
Lopez and Affleck finally tied the knot in a drive-thru ceremony in Las Vegas, Lopez said in a video on her website.
The couple arrived at the chapel just before midnight to wait in line with four other couples, according to Lopez’s fan newsletter, the J Lo, which blasted out the news just after the ceremony.
The pair said at the time that “it was the best possible wedding we could have imagined. One we dreamed of long ago and one made real.”
August 2022: Wedding, part 2
The couple held a larger wedding ceremony to celebrate their nuptials at Affleck’s estate in Georgia.
January 2023: Lopez and Affleck’s families blend
While talking to TODAY, Lopez said she and Affleck were working to build a home with the children of both.
“But it’s going really well so far,” Lopez said. “What I hope to cultivate with our family is that his kids have a new ally in me and my kids have a new ally in him, someone who really loves and cares about them but can have a different perspective and help me see things that I can’t see with my kids because I’m so emotionally tied up.”
February 2024: Lopez releases ‘This is Me … Now’ to mixed reception
Lopez released her album, “This is Me … Now,” accompanied by a self-funded Amazon Studios movie, “This is Me … Now: A Love Story.” She also released a documentary about her life entitled, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told.”
Lopez said the musical film is based on her love for Affleck, while the documentary chronicles their life behind-the-scenes lives.
On social media, people turned some of the content into memes and the films earned mixed reviews.
Spring 2024: Rumors that ‘Bennifer’ is dead, again
Rumors began to swirl in May 2024 that the couple was on the outs. Tabloids reported that they hadn’t been seen together in weeks and that Affleck had moved out of their home, which was then put up for sale. He then moved into his own home, according to reports.
August 2024: Lopez files for divorce
Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to court documents. A source close to Lopez said the couple did not have a prenup.
