Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez finally confirm rekindled romance in loved-up pics
‘Bennifer’ fans, rejoice! Ben Affleck and JLo have finally gone public with an affectionate display at a swanky restaurant.
After weeks of keeping pop culture aficionados guessing, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have finally confirmed their rekindled romance with a loved-up display in a West Hollywood restaurant.
The iconic pair – dubbed ‘Bennifer’ during their high-profile early 2000s romance – had their arms wrapped around one another in a public display of affection while waiting to be seated at Wolfgang Puck’s swanky new restaurant.
The 51-year-old singer was seen nuzzling into the 48-year-old Gone Girl actor’s neck as he had his arm around her, and according to onlookers, they packed on the affectionate display over their meal.
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Lopez looked effortlessly stylish in a bright pink turtleneck layered under a tan leather coat, while Affleck kept it casual in jeans and a classic leather biker jacket.
According to Page Six, they could barely keep their hands off each other during dinner.
“They were very affectionate, very cuddly,” an insider told the publication.
“He had his arm around her the whole time.”
Their big night out at the glamorous celeb-friendly haunt reportedly lasted “a couple of hours.”
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Romantic trips away
Only two weeks after Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were spotted returning to LA from their trip to Montana, the rekindled exes have once again reunited in Miami, where JLo is reportedly working.
The Let’s Get Loud singer was spotted taking in the sunshine on Sunday with the Argo star right by her side.
The pair were also pictured on the balcony on a private residence where they have been staying.
According Page Six, they didn’t leave the rental home during the day, spending most of their time in the upstairs bedroom and balcony.
Another source told People at the time that the lovebirds were seen “holding hands, hugging, kissing,” during their time together in coastal Florida city.
“They are very much into each other and being together,” the source said, adding that they “weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were together.”
During their Miami getaway, Affleck was also spotted wearing a unique watch that Jennifer gave him in 2002.
He wore the original watch while filming the Jenny From the Block music video. It features a thick silver chain and a thin face.
It’s the lil things...
— bennifer tea (@jloaffleck) May 24, 2021
Ben Affleck wearing the same watch JLo gave him while filming Jenny From The Block pic.twitter.com/Yfs7hN3xfT
When they rekindled their romance
JLo and Affleck’s reunion came as a pleasant surprise to those nostalgic for the early-noughties, given they’ve not been romantically linked since calling off their engagement in 2004.
They’ve reportedly been “taking it slowly” since getting back together, however a source recently told the Post that Lopez was always set on the Oscar-winner.
“She was always obsessed with Ben,” the insider shared.
“They have always loved each other.”
A source told People this week that the pair are continuing to “travel back and forth between Los Angeles and Miami” to spend time together.
“They are very happy,” the insider continued, adding that it’s definitely “not a casual relationship.”
“They are taking it seriously and want it to be long-lasting,” they said.
Their renewed connection appears to have begun even before Lopez broke off her engagement with fiance Alex Rodriguez in March, as the couple reportedly exchanged emails prior to the split.
Affleck was seen getting picked up in Lopez’s SUV in April and shuttled to her LA home several times, before they were photographed enjoying a getaway to Affleck’s property in Montana.
How the pair first met
The iconic couple first met 19 years ago on the set of box office flop Gigli, while JLo was still married to dancer ex-husband Cris Judd.
After splitting from her husband, the two went public with their new romance, quickly earning the media moniker “Bennifer”.
Most famously, Affleck appeared as the music megastar’s love interest in the music video for her 2002 hit Jenny from the Block.
In 2002, the very same year they met, they were engaged, scheduling their wedding for September 2003 but calling it off just the day before.
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date,” the couple shared in a joint statement, per ABC.
“When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realised that something was awry.”
They officially split in early 2004, but have remained friends ever since, often speaking highly of each other in interviews.
The end of ‘Bennifer’ round one
A source said last month that “(JLo) and Ben’s split had nothing to do with a lack of attraction for each other – he was just disillusioned with the whole fame game.
“But they’ve both mellowed so much over the past 18 years – they’re on very good terms and have chatted a lot recently.
“They don’t have much to lose by giving it another try … Ben is willing to be patient.”
Their whirlwind, media-obsessed romance and engagement came to a halt in 2003 with JLo’s rep releasing a statement People which read: “Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.”
Affleck’s rep added: “I am not going to confirm anything about his personal life. We don’t want to get dragged into quicksand. Everybody wants a war. It’s not happening from our side.”
Four years later, the Batman v Superman star was the first to share details, telling British TV show Live in 2008: “I think Jen and I made a mistake in that we fell in love, we were excited and maybe too accessible,” he explained.
“I don’t think either of us anticipated the degree to which it would take on a world of its own.”
In 2016, JLo went on to share her thoughts in an appearance on The Jess Cagle Interview: “We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” she said.
“We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It was just a lot of pressure … I think different time different thing, who knows what could’ve happened, but there was a genuine love there.”
JLo’s relationships since
Come June of 2004, the same year of their split, JLo had married singer Marc Anthony.
They went on to have two children together but divorced a decade later.
Soon after, she moved on with Casper Smart, later becoming engaged to Alex Rodriguez.
In March, Page Six reported that the pair had called off their engagement.
“We have realised we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” they told the Today show.
“We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and each other’s children.”
Ben’s post-JLo relationships
As for Ben, he split from Cuban actress Ana de Armas, 33 in January this year.
Prior to this, Affleck was married to Jennifer Garner for ten years. The exes share three children together.
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