Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez's Relationship Timeline

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are two of the most recognizable names in the world. Ben is a Hollywood leading man, appearing in films like "The Justice League," "Gone Girl," "The Way Back," and "Argo." Lopez is a triple threat: A talented dancer, singer, and actress. In 2020, she even earned Oscar buzz for her role in "Hustlers."

In the early 2000s, Lopez and Affleck were a Hollywood "It" couple. Dubbed "Bennifer," fans and the media wanted to know every detail about their relationship. Now 17-years later, news has surfaced that Lopez and Affleck are hanging out again, and it may be romantic.

Since their 2004 breakup, this is one of the few times that they've both been single at the same time. If you weren't glued to the gossip columns from 2002 to 2004, you may have missed some key moments in their relationship, so here is a refresher on the Affleck and Lopez relationship timeline.

In December 2001, Lopez and Affleck began working on "Gigli." The film follows two gangsters who start to fall in love while they engage in a kidnapping plot. "Gigli" received terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. It currently has a six percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Some even claim it's a movie where the love scenes were ruined by bad acting. "Gigli" is now most known for bringing together Lopez and Affleck.

At the time, Lopez was still married to her second husband Cris Judd. In a 2003 interview with Access (via YouTube), Affleck and Lopez shared that they were friends first, which came from working together on "Gigli." According to the Chicago Tribune, around March 2002 rumors surfaced that Lopez and Affleck had become more than friends.

In June 2002, Lopez filed for divorce from Judd, and by August 2002, Lopez and Affleck's relationship had become official to the public.

In an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime," Lopez confirmed her engagement to Affleck (via ABC News). He bought her a one-of-a-kind pink diamond ring from Harry Winston and popped the question (via Town & Country). Lopez shared that Affleck took her to his family home in Boston and filled his house with flowers, candles, and had her song "I'm Glad" playing when he proposed. There were tears all around.

Lopez disclosed in her interview with Sawyer that though she had been married twice before, she never felt like she had a real marriage. She also revealed that she knew her relationship with Affleck was different because it made her afraid. Lopez further explained that in her other relationships, she felt in control but with Affleck, it felt so intense that she was afraid, in a good way. The engagement was officially announced in November 2002, less than a year after knowing each other.

In September 2003, days before their planned wedding, they postponed it, citing the media coverage as the reason. After the postponed wedding, the couple then briefly split, but reconciled soon after the breakup. The months following their reunion were filled with on-again off-again rumors about their wedding and relationship.

By January 2004, Lopez made an official statement about their breakup, but Affleck refused to comment on it at the time. People magazine and the Chicago Tribune both cite Affleck's wild and partying ways as the reason for Lopez calling it off. His trips to strip clubs, night clubs, and casinos are sourced as a major conflict in their romance.

However, in a 2016 People interview, Lopez also credited the pressure from the media and not fully seeing who Affleck was when they were in love as a reason for their breakup. Later in 2004, Lopez married Marc Anthony. A year later, Affleck married Jennifer Garner, in 2005.

Anthony and Lopez divorced in 2014 and Garner and Affleck divorced in 2018. Affleck and Lopez were both in relationships after their divorces, but remained friends. Affleck even spoke highly of Lopez in the May 2021 InStyle feature. From 2017 to 2021, Lopez was in a relationship with Alex Rodriguez, even becoming engaged in 2019. In April 2021, Lopez and Rodriguez split for good.

In 2020, Affleck began a relationship with Ana de Armas. In January 2021, it was announced that Affleck and de Armas had split. By April 30, Page Six reported that Affleck had been seen several times leaving Lopez's Los Angeles home. In May, the Daily Mail released exclusive images of the Lopez and Affleck Montana trip.

Also in May 2021, TMZ alleged that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck began rekindling their relationship in February 2021 through emails. People also reported in May that sources close to Lopez said she is "happy" with Affleck.