New Delhi: Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from actor Ben Affleck. The singer-actor filed for divorce on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The news brings an end to a relationship that spanned two decades, two engagements and weddings. Popularly known as 'Bennifer', the power couple's relationship went through its highs and lows, becoming a topic of interest on many tabloid covers.
Here is a timeline of their relationship:
How they met
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first met at the 70th Academy Awards and the premiere of his sci-fi film 'Armageddon' in 1998. However, it was only until they began shooting for 'Gigli' (2003) that they started to date.
At the time, JLo was still married to her second husband, dancer Cris Judd. The two soon made their relationship public after the divorce was finalised in 2003.
Engagement & calling off the wedding
They also starred together in 'Jersey Girl'(2004). The got engaged in 2002, and were to marry in 2003. Affleck proposed to JLo with a 6.1 carat pink diamond from Harry Winston that reportedly cost him $2.5 million.
However, days before the two were to get married, JLo and Ben released a joint statement announcing the ceremony's postponement that read, "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. Whe 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 shuld have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends."
However, on January 22, 2004, the two ended their engagement.
JLo's spokesperson confirmed the news to MTV, which quoted her as saying, “I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck, At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.”
June 2004: JLo married Marc Anthony
Jennifer Lopez married singer-songwriter and longtime friend Marc Anthony in June of 2004. The two welcomed twins in 2008.
However, they separated in 2014.
2005: Ben marries Jennifer Garner
In 2005, Affleck moved on to marry Jennifer Garner. The two welcomed three children over the years. However, the two divorced in 2018.
April 2021
After JLo ended her engagement wkth Alex Roriguez and Affleck split up from Ana de Armas, the two were spotted ganging out again. Page Six had reported that Affleck was seen visiting Lopez's Los Angeles home multiple times.
Soon after, they were seen on a vacation together in Montana, and later at Global Citizen's Vax Live benefit concert.
May 2021
People reported that Lopez and Affleck were determined to keep their reunion intact and not let distance affect their relationship. Their chemistry was said to be unreal and their friendship great with reports quoting the two as saying that they had 'slowly started to talk about the future' a few months after their reunion.
Determined to make their long distance work when Lopez put up in Miami and Affleck was in LA at the time, both were seen putting much effort to make their 2.0 work.
Naturally, in August 2021, Ben was seen glancing at engagement rings at a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store at a local shopping mall with his son and his mom.
2022
In April 2022, the two got engaged. This announcement came from an exclusive video published in Jennifer Lopez' personal fan newslettter.
The two got engaged after a year of almost reunited dating, and fans were quick to congratulate Bennifer 2.0.
Soon after, Lopez and Affleck married in a surprise Las Vegas wedding at midnight on July 17, 2022. Jennifer also changed her last name to match her husband post the wedding.
In August 2022, the two tied the knot once again in a second wedding, after the paparazzi fever around the Vegas wedding died down, on Affleck's estate Riceboro in Georgia.
2023
The two made their Grammys debut in 2023 and became vocal about their relationship even talking about their first breakup almost twenty years ago. However, after a year of mairtal bliss and being an inspiration, and muse for each other, and admitting about the same in several interview telecasts, separation rumours began to circulate in 2024.
May 2024
Amid separation rumours in May of 2024, the two made a low-key appearance at a school play to support their kids, makring their first appearance together in 47 days.
Soon after People reported that the two have been living under separate roofs, separation rumours became strong. In July, 2024, the two were seen celebrating a national holiday on opposite sides of the country.
But the big blow came when Affleck was not seen at JLo's 55th birthday party which was a grand Bridgerton-themed bash at the Hamptons. However, like before, many assumed it was because of the production of Affleck's upcoming film 'The Accountant 2'.
Later, as per several reports, Affleck bought a new estate in Los Angeles, and Lopez was seen house huning for herself.
On Tuesday, with the news of their divorce finalised and out, Bennifer 2.0 came to an end leaving their countless fans disheartened.