Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez’s Relationship Timeline (2024)

The word “Bennifer” might include flashbacks to frosted lip gloss and butterfly clips, but everything comes back in style eventually. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez got back together nearly 20 years after their romance first took the world by storm.The pair first connected in 2002 on the set of the ill-fated Gigli. The movie flopped at the box office and among critics, who claimed Affleck and Lopez didn’t have much chemistry.It was a different story off-screen. Lopez filed for divorce from second husband Cris Judd in June 2002, and she went public with the Good Will Hunting star after. The “Waiting for Tonight” singer had a6-carat pink diamond ring on her finger by November.Their wedding was set for September 2003, but they canceled just days before the ceremony due to “excessive media attention” before officially splitting in January 2004.Nearly two decades after seemingly moving on (with Lopez marrying Marc Anthonyand Affleck starting to seeJennifer Garner in 2004), the exes reunited in spring 2021. Lopez and Affleck finally said "I do" in a Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022.Scroll down to see their complete relationship timeline:

The two met on the set of Gigli, which sank at the box office while their relationship sizzled. Lopez was married to her second husband, Cris Judd, but Lopez filed for divorce in June 2002 and it was finalized the following year.

Lopez and Affleck were engaged by November 2002. Affleck proposed with a 6-carat pink diamond ring.

The duo even welcomed Dateline'sPat O’Brien into their Vancouver rental home to discuss their relationship, but they wouldn’t say exactly when they fell in love. “You can’t pinpoint it,” Lopez said. “We became friends first. That is the honest to God truth.”

After weeks of paparazzi photos from the set, the "Jenny from the Block" music video premiered on TRL. Affleck costarred and engaged in some heavy PDA with J. Lo.

Lopez and Affleck filmed their second movie together, Jersey Girl. It's another box office bomb.

Just days before they were set to say "I do," Bennifer called off the wedding. They cited "excessive media attention" but remained together.

Lopez and Affleck announced their breakup.

Lopez believed tabloid attention majorly impacted the relationship. "I think different time, different thing, who knows what could've happened, but there was a genuine love there," she told Jess Cagle.

Affleck said Lopez should have received an Oscar nod for her work in Hustlers. "She should have been nominated. She's the real thing,"he told New York Times reporter Brooks Barnes. "I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That's f--king baller."

Affleck was spotted in a white SUV, supposedly to visit Lopez.

Less than two weeks after Us confirmed that the former couple had been spending time together again, the duo were spotted vacationing in Big Sky, Montana. "They looked very happy together," an insider told Us of the trip. “It was just the two of them on vacation together. Big Sky is a special place to Ben.”

After sparking romance speculation in April 2021, a source exclusively told Us in May that the exes have “always loved each other” and Lopez’s friends “won’t be surprised if they end up together.” A second source added that the duo had a “heart-to-heart” following their respective splits from Ana de Armas and Alex Rodriguez in 2021, which “reignited a spark between them.”

Days after Us confirmed that Lopez was in California to visit Affleck, the Massachusetts native and the Grammy nominee were spotted hanging out together in Miami. The director was seen walking behind Lopez as the musician smiled during their Florida outing in photos obtained by the Daily Mail in May 2021.

“Jen and Ben are both very happy with each [other] and are excited to see where the relationship goes,” an insider told Us following the duo's Miami getaway. “They are full-on dating and very happy together.”

The couple were spotted cuddling and holding hands in West Hollywood as they headed to a dinner date in photos posted by Page Six.

The lovebirds were making out in Malibu when they attended a birthday dinner for Lopez’s sister at Nobu. In photos obtained by Page Six, the two packed on the PDA as they locked lips and stayed close throughout the night.

The Gigli costars got cozy in the Hamptons while celebrating 4th of July shortly after taking their kids on a fun-filled trip to Universal Studios in Hollywood. Days later, Lopez gushed that she's "never been better" during an interview on Zane Lowe's Apple Music radio show. "It's the best time of my life," she said.

As the duo's relationship continued to heat up, a source told Us that the pair were "fully committed" to starting a future together — and planned "on moving in together very soon." The same month, a second source revealed Affleck and Lopez had been house hunting in Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

"There's been so many times in my life where I have not felt happy, just like anybody else. And I think I'm good at hiding that from the public because I don't feel like that's their burden to carry. I don't put that on them," Lopez said while promoting her single "Cambia El Paso" on Apple Music, adding that she'd felt "really, really good" in recent months. "Everything is just amazing. And I feel great. Everything is beautiful."

The pair were spotted house-hunting in the chic Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the homes they looked at was listed at $65 million and included a bowling alley, movie theater, gym and wine cellar. In video footage obtained by TMZ, the duo packed on the PDA while looking at real estate.

The "Dance Again" singer playfully dodged a question about whether she looks "happier" during an interview with Hoda Kotb. She replied she is "always happy when you see me" after the Today host commented on her appearance. When Kotb asked point-blank if she was "happier," Lopez turned the discussion back to her new song with Lin-Manuel Miranda. "The song is out, five years since we’ve done it,” she said on the Today show appearance. “And I believe that that message of loving one another and coming together and love, is never more relevant than it is right now.”

The couple made their subtle debut on Instagram in a video posted by Leah Remini. In the montage, Lopez and Affleck got cozy in a black-and-white photo booth snap.

To celebrate Lopez’s 52nd birthday, the two went to France. They arrived in Nice on a private airplane and headed straight for the sea. They spent time snuggling and kissing on a yacht off the coast of Monaco.

The singer even shared a photo of her and Affleck kissing via Instagram.

After Lopez's daughter joined the couple for dinner at Craig's in Los Angeles, Affleck was spotted supporting his girlfriend on the set of a new project.

Lopez and her teenage twins were joined by Affleck's daughters at Hollywood's Pantages Theater for a performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton.

The duo attended the Venice International Film Festival premiere of Affleck's movie The Last Duel, marking their first red carpet appearance since rekindling their romance earlier in the year. Prior to the event, their last red carpet outing together was for the August 2003 premiere of Gigli.

The duo did some family bonding when took Affleck's daughters, Seraphina and Violet, as well as Lopez's twins, Max and Emme, to an outdoor movie in Los Angeles.

Affleck gushed over his "strong" girlfriend as she was named Adweek's 2021 Brand Visionary. "I am in awe of what Jennifer's effect on the world is. At most, as an artist, I can make movies that move people. Jennifer has inspired a massive group of people to feel they have a seat at the table in this country. That is an effect few people throughout history have had, one I will never know and one I can only stand by and admire with respect," he noted at the time.

Affleck and Lopez posed on the red carpet for the New York premiere of The Last Duel at the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater.

The couple masked up as they headed to the movies with their children in Los Angeles on December 4.

The couple spent a romantic night together at a Los Angeles Lakers game, sitting courtside and sharing a few kisses between plays. When the Jumbotron broadcast a video of the happy pair engaged in some light PDA, the crowd cheered.

“This is adorable from The Tender Bar,” the “On My Way” songstress gushed while opening a PR box from the Prime Video movie via Instagram Story. “There’s a great scene in a bowling alley with Ben and the little boy. Ben plays his uncle [and] they’re both amazing in the movie if you haven’t seen it, you should. This is awesome.”

"We were just on the boat! There was no recreation!" Lopez told People. "I was lying down. ... It was a trip I like to take for my birthday, but no, we were not intentionally recreating it. I didn't know there were paparazzi out in the middle of the ocean either!"

The Marry Me star said she and Affleck are trying to keep their relationship private because they remember the publicity circus of their early '00s romance.

"I think what we learned from the last time is that love, when you are lucky enough to find it, is so sacred and special and you have to hold a little bit of that privately and that's what we've learned," Lopez said during an appearance on Today. "But we're very happy, if that's what you wondering about."

Affleck walked the red carpet alongside his girlfriend at the Los Angeles premiere of her romantic comedy Marry Me. Lopez told Entertainment Tonight that the red carpet was a night of work and fun for her.

"It's a great date night. We're super happy," the singer said. "What can I tell you? We're just having a good time."

The Last Duel star directed a special remixed music video of Lopez's “On My Way” single, which was released in conjunction with the Marry Me film.

“I am going to share something very special and personal with you that normally that I would only share with my inner circle,” Lopez wrote via her OnTheJLo newsletter on February 11. “It’s an early Valentine’s Day present from Ben. Watching it made me think about the journey of true love, it’s unexpected twists and turns, and that when it’s real, it actually can last forever. This seriously melted my heart.”

The twosome attended Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California, on February 13, where they danced in the crowd.

Affleck subtly appeared in Lopez’s “Marry Me” music video. While the actor’s face isn’t shown, eagle-eyed fans spotted his arm and neck in the final shot, cuddling Lopez in bed. In another scene, a portrait of Affleck is visible atop her piano.

Affleck and his son, Samuel, supported Lopez as she accepted the Icon Award at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards. "I want to say thank you to every one of you for believing in me when other people didn't, even when I didn't," the singer gushed during her emotional speech. "Thank you for teaching me who I really am."

Marin, who worked with Lopez on Shotgun Wedding in March 2021, recalled Affleck reaching out to his ex-fiancée when they were filming. “She was just so happy all the time,” Marin told HollywoodLife one year later. “I wish them only good things in life especially if they can make it and do this at the same time.”

They’re engaged! Lopez announced that Affleck popped the question again 18 years after their initial split via her On the JLo newsletter. In a video message sent to her fans, an emotional Lopez showed off her huge, green diamond engagement ring, saying, “You’re perfect.” She also teased the “major announcement” with a video on Twitter on April 8. “So I have a really exciting and special story to share…” the singer told her followers, adding a diamond ring emoji to her Twitter handle.

After Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan mentioned her alleged Raya exchange with Affleck during season 5 of the Netflix series, a rep for the actor told Us that the pair "never met." Hernan later clarified to E!'s Daily Pop that the dating app messages were sent in 2019, though she said on the reality show that it happened "right before" Affleck and Lopez reunited. As the scene raised eyebrows, a source told Us that the fiancés "couldn't be happier," adding, "This isn't affecting their relationship one bit."

While accepting the Generation Award at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Lopez concluded her speech with a sweet message for Affleck. "Ben and everybody at home, wait for me to have dinner. I will be home by 7!" she said.

That same month, the performer reflected on the couple's full circle connection. “It’s a beautiful moment,” Lopez told Entertainment Tonight about rekindling her romance with Affleck. "I feel like there’s a lot left for me. So, I’m very excited about it. I do think it’s just halftime."

"Happy Father’s Day to the most caring, loving, affectionate, consistent and selfless Daddy ever," Lopez captioned an Instagram video of affectionate moments between her and Affleck in honor of the holiday.

The social media post also included a voiceover from the Marry Me actress, which said, "This is the best time of my life. I love my career, but nothing is more fulfilling to me than being able to build a family with someone who I love deeply and who is just as dedicated to family and to each other as we can be. And I'm feeling incredibly blessed."

Us confirmed on July 17 that the pair had obtained a marriage license on Saturday, July 16, before their walk down the aisle in Las Vegas. They tied the knot just after midnight at The Little White Chapel, nearly 20 years after their initial engagement.

“They both thought it was a fun and casual way to tie the knot,” an insider exclusively told Us at the time.

The songstress released wedding photos hours after Us confirmed that the couple secretly got married in Las Vegas on July 17. The pair got hitched at The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas.

"We did it. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient," Lopez wrote in her "On the JLo" newsletter.

The newlyweds jetted off to Paris less than one week after tying the knot.

Affleck and Lopez tied the knot for a second time on August 20 at his Georgia residence.

The newlyweds jetted off to Lake Como, Italy, after exchanging vows in Georgia. They got cozy on a speed boat and kept their PDA to a minimum.

Following their Georgia nuptials, the Maid in Manhattan star performed a new song for her hubby at the reception, complete with backup dancers and singers. The title of the track is unknown, but Lopez crooned the lyrics “can’t get enough” various times while Affleck look on in adoration.

The Marry Me star shared details of the pair’s Georgia wedding festivities in the September edition of her “On the J.Lo” newsletter.

“It had rained at sunset every day that week. Everyone was worried about the heat, the aptly named ‘love bugs,’ the details, would the guests all arrive on time, etc. — not to mention the thunder and lightning that arrived almost on cue each day at the exact time the ceremony was supposed to start that Saturday,” Lopez wrote. “Oh, and all of us caught a stomach bug and were recuperating ‘til late in the week, that, and along with a few other unexpected setbacks, had all the makings of a doozie of a wedding weekend.

Despite the various concerns, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer revealed she “never had a doubt” the wedding would go off without a hitch. The “sun broke free” just minutes before the couple said “I do,” and Lopez referred to it as “one of the most perfect moments” of their lives.

“The sky was clear blue, and distant clouds of pure white held fast in the sky. As the sun set behind the live oaks draped in Spanish moss, a warm breeze swept over the lawn where our closest family and friends sat and, at long-last, I started my walk down the stairs that would become the aisle that would lead me toward the rest of my life. Ahhhhh … it was actually happening,” she gushed about the romantic ceremony.

The New York native also revealed the song that played during the first dance — “The Things We Handed Down” by Marc Cohn — and spoke about serenading her hubby at the reception, which took the Good Will Hunting star’s breath away.

"When he saw me appear at the top of the stairs that moment it both made absolute sense while seeming still impossibly hard to believe, like the best dream, where all you want is never to awaken,” Lopez noted. when I got close enough to see his face, it made the same wonderful sense to me. Some old wounds were healed that day and the weight of the past finally lifted off our shoulders. Full-circle — and not at all the way we planned it. Better.”

The newlyweds looked happy in love as they braved the California heat during the Malibu Chili Cook-Off on Labor Day weekend. Lopez stunned in a flowing white linen dress while Affleck, for his part, donned khaki slacks and a light blue button-down.

An insider told Us that the duo are "still in their honeymoon phase" months after their two weddings. "They are very head over heels for each other," the source said. "Becoming husband and wife hasn't changed their relationship much, except for the fact that it solidified what they had. They're looking at homes to purchase together and hoping to find one they're both happy with. It's been an ongoing process."

After their two honeymoons, the duo are focusing on work and family. "Jen is hard at work filming, and Ben has been taking over daddy duty and helping out with the kids a lot," the insider explained. "She adores the fact that he is such a great father and she can always rely on him. He's been very supportive of her and has visited her on set, which she loves."

The Shotgun Wedding star and Affleck wore coordinating black outfits at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience, their first joint appearance since their wedding.

The Grammy nominee announced her ninth album, This Is Me ... Now, exactly 20 years after the release of 2002's This Is Me ... Then, which featured a tribute to Affleck titled "Dear Ben." When Lopez revealed the new track list via Instagram on November 25, fans noticed another song dedicated to Affleck titled "Dear Ben pt. II."

Lopez revealed during an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe that her now-husband inscribed a secret message on her second engagement ring. "Not. Going. Anywhere," she said. "Because that's how he would sign his emails when we started talking again. Like, 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.'"

The songwriter also reflected on losing the "love of my life" after their early 2000s split. "It was so painful after we broke up," she confessed. "Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life. I honestly felt like I was going to die. It sent me on a spiral for the next 18 years where I just couldn't get it right. ... Now, we know. And there [are] no questions and there is no kind of like, 'Well, let's see how this goes.' Like, 'Nope, it's me and you. That's it. All the way, till the end. That's it. It's going to be us.'"

In her "On the JLo" newsletter, Lopez gave fans a glimpse of how she and her husband celebrated their first Christmas as a "blended family" with their children. "I've been hunkering down at home (and loving it) since I wrapped my last movie, just getting ready for the holidays!" she wrote, explaining that her festive season was inspired by her new song "Hummingbird" from her album This Is Me ... Now. "I decided this year that the hummingbird would be a perfect theme. We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!!"

She went on to describe a new tradition she and Affleck began for their littles ones: a Christmas Taco Tuesday. "This was the first time in a long time we were able to get together with people that we haven't seen in forever," Lopez added. "The party was filled with family, friends, colleagues, and people we've known from over the years. We sang and danced and had the most amazing time!"

The twosome packed on the PDA at the premiere of Lopez’s Shotgun Wedding. While promoting the movie on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actress got candid about their Sin City wedding.

“We were planning to get married in August in Savannah, the family was going to be there, everyone’s going to be there, and it was so stressful. … And it kind of all fell apart [when we were supposed to wed in 2004] and this time, I absolutely had a little PTSD and I was like, ‘Is this happening?’” she said. “We were so happy, but I just felt the wedding was so stressful. And one day Ben just said, ‘F—k it, let’s just go to Vegas and get married tonight.’”

After admitting that she’s “learned to embrace” the Bennifer nickname, Lopez explained how her second-round at romance with Affleck inspired her upcoming album.

“I did an album 20 years ago that, obviously, had a song called ‘Dear Ben’ on it that was about the time that me and Ben were together then. I got very inspired when we got back together,” she said of This Is Me Now. “It was kind of like a miracle and something that neither one of us really ever thought would happen and I went into the studio, and I wrote an album in two months.”

The duo starred in a Dunkin' commercial directed by Affleck. The ad premiered during Super Bowl LVII.

Lopez showed off her new infinity tattoo — dedicated to beau — for Valentine’s Day. “Commitment ♾️,” the Marry Me star captioned a series of images via Instagram that included her new ink along with a second piece of body art that seemingly belonged to Affleck. The design included two arrows crossing over each other with the letters “J” and “B.”

In addition to their new tattoos, Lopez shared a few images of the happy couple over the years, including some stills from a boat outing that featured the Argo director grabbing the Shotgun Wedding actress' posterior.

Affleck revealed that Lopez had been encouraging him to be more open amid speculation about his unapproachability. "She thinks that because of experiences that I’ve had, I’ve become very guarded. And she’s right," the Air star told The Hollywood Reporter. "I view these things as land mines, where if you say one wrong thing, your career might be over. She tells me today, 'Relax, be yourself. Have fun. You’re a fun guy who is real and genuine and you just seem so serious.' Do I seem serious? But as in many things, she’s right. And she loves me. She’s looking out for me. She’s trying to help me. So, it’s like, maybe I ought to f–king listen to her."

The happy couple shared a sweet smooch while walking the red carpet for the premiere of Affleck's new film, Air.

Lopez posted a video of her and Affleck singing along to Sam Cooke's "(What a) Wonderful World" to celebrate her husband's 51st birthday. "Dear Ben … Happy Birthday. I love you!" she wrote via Instagram.

Lopez dropped her “cinematic odyssey” alongside her ninth studio album, This Is Me … Now. The record served as a sequel to 2002’s This Is Me … Then, which was released during her first go at romance with Affleck. A documentary about the making of the film was also released, titled The Greatest Love Story Never Told.

Affleck made cameos in both movies. While he was overall supportive of the project, also expressed his discomfort in being featured.

“I did really find the beauty and the poetry and the irony in the fact that it’s the greatest love story never told,” he told the camera during the documentary. “If you’re making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it.”

An insider exclusively told Us that the pair were “having issues in their marriage,” which began when Lopez ramped up "work commitments” in preparation for her tour.

“Jen is very focused on work,” the source explained. “They are on two completely different pages most of the time.”

While the insider noted that Lopez also looked at a home in Los Angeles that she’s saying is intended as an investment property, a second told Us that Affleck started staying at a place in L.A. that is separate from the couple’s usual home.

The second insider also confirmed that despite any issues, the couple had no plans to separate and are working on their relationship.