THEY broke up just three days before they tied the knot after their relationship “fell apart under the pressure”.
Now, two decades later, history may be repeating itself for Hollywood couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who have reportedly split for the second time after not being seen together for SEVEN weeks.
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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have reportedly split for the second time after not being seen together for SEVEN weeks Credit: Getty
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Bennifer is said to have ‘couldn’t make things work’ Credit: Splash
Affectionately called “Bennifer”, they reunited in 2021 and married twice a year later — the first time at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas and the second time at Ben’s £7m Georgia mansion in the US in A- lister full blow.
Fans were delighted with the love story of the couple “second time is a charm”.
But on Wednesday a source told InTouchWeekly they “just couldn’t make it work” – and yesterday insisted: “It’s over.”
This was followed by claims that Ben had moved out of their £47m mansion in Beverly Hills – and Jennifer was photographed looking for a house without her other half.
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An insider said: “The writing is on the wall — it’s over.
“They’re headed for divorce – and for once, Ben’s not to blame.
“Now he is focused on work and his children. Ben has already moved out and will probably sell the dream house they’ve been looking for for two years.
“They will never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him and he can’t change her. There is no way it could have lasted.”
They were last seen together during a trip to New York at the end of March – and according to observers it was a frosty affair.
Despite holding hands, Ben scowled as he avoided the cameras and J-Lo looked to the ground before they grabbed meals at Sadelle’s in SoHo and Cecconi’s in Brooklyn.
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Perhaps most tellingly, Ben was absent from Jennifer’s big night at the Met Gala earlier this month, where fashion guru Anna Wintour tapped her to co-chair the event.
A source said “everyone just assumed” Ben would be there “with her at fashion’s biggest night”.
At the time, Ben’s rep said he was unable to attend due to work on the action thriller The Accountant 2.
But a source claimed he had “decided to call it quits” on the marriage.
Despite his alleged busy schedule, Ben managed to appear on the live taping of The Roast Of Tom Brady TV show just a day before the Met Gala.
He attacked the American football legend in a seven-minute speech – but instead of his comedic outbursts attracting attention, it was claims he had undergone plastic surgery.
FURTHER TENSION
This led to further tension between the couple, according to the insider, who said the actor was “furious” because he was “being forced into the fillers and Botox that Jen was forcing him to have.”
They added: “She convinced him that everyone in Hollywood was doing a little face-saving, including his good friends like Matt Damon.”
In the days leading up to the sensational claims, reports claim the couple have been struggling to work through issues that have plagued their relationship in the past.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Jennifer, whose North American tour for the album This Is Me. . . It now starts next month, but has had very little fan interest, leading to crisis talks of canceling all 30 dates.
Resale sites are reportedly selling tickets for as little as £7.90, with large blocks of seats still available.
A source said: “Promoter Live Nation doesn’t want Jen to feel embarrassed when she walks out on stage and sees empty seats.
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The pair were last seen together during a trip to New York at the end of March – and according to observers it was a frosty affair
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Footage last May showed the couple in the middle of what appeared to be a heated argument in a car at a traffic light in Beverly Hills. Credit: X17Online.com
“But she has too much pride to cancel the tour.
“I can’t convince her to change course.”
Despite claims that the couple are divorcing, many of the songs Jennifer will perform on the tour are about her and Ben reconciling.
The lovey-dovey lyrics seem to contradict the way Ben and Jennifer have been making appearances together over the past year.
PRIVATE MOMENTS
The problems for “Bennifer 2.0” became clear after the release of her Prime Video documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told in February.
Throughout the film, which gave insight into her love life and new album, Ben seemed uneasy.
In one scene, he described their private moments as “sacred” and rolled his eyes as Jennifer gushed over him with love.
He said: “I have always considered things that are private sacred and special. So this was kind of an adjustment for me.”
Jennifer admitted that Ben feels “uncomfortable” about being her muse and suggested that they want to find a middle ground to avoid revealing too much about their romance.
In the document, he said: “When we got back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a social media connection.’
“That’s when I realized it wasn’t fair to ask.
“It’s like marrying a ship captain and saying, ‘Well, I don’t want water.’
“We’re just two people with different approaches trying to learn to compromise.”
Jennifer said: “I don’t think he’s very comfortable with me doing this [but] he doesn’t want to stop me.”
The couple appeared to be at loggerheads frequently in public last year.
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Ben was embarrassed in Jen’s Prime Video documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told Credits: BackGrid
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And at last year’s Grammy Awards, Jennifer appeared to snap at her husband during a tense argument that the couple tried to play downCredit: Unknown, clear from the picture table
In a video that went viral in May, Ben was described as “stressed” and “miserable” at a coffee shop in LA and appeared to slam the car door after helping Jennifer into the passenger seat.
That same month, footage showed them in the middle of what appeared to be a violent car chase at a traffic light in Beverly Hills.
Ben pointed straight at Jennifer, who turned and looked out the window.
And at last year’s Grammy Awards, Jennifer appeared to snap at her husband during a tense argument that the couple tried to play down.
Ben told The Hollywood Reporter that they didn’t realize the “cameras were rolling” when he whispered his plan to “run away” and leave her sitting next to TV host Trevor Noah.
He recalled: “She said, ‘You better not fucking go’. It is a matter between husband and wife.”
According to insiders, the couple’s struggles revolve around Ben’s desire for privacy and Jennifer’s love of being the center of attention.
The same problem arose during their first relationship, which began shortly after Jennifer divorced her second husband, dancer Chris Judd.
‘POOR BEN’
Ben and Jen tied the knot in March 2002 and got engaged four months later.
At the time, Ben said: “I’m in love.
“I want to have a family and she’s the only person I’ve ever met that made me think about it.”
Their relationship fell apart the following September and they called off their wedding just three days before the big day.
In a statement at the time, they said: “When we seriously considered hiring three separate ‘waiting brides’, in three different locations, we realized something was wrong.
“We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives might be compromised.”
They announced their separation after 18 months together in January 2004.
Jennifer married singer Marc Anthony six months later, but split with him in 2014.
Meanwhile, Ben married actress Jennifer Garner, but their 13-year marriage ended in 2018. His penchant for keeping relationships out of the limelight was once again made clear in this year’s J-Lo documentary.
Recalling their split, he said: “The catalyst for it was the amount of scrutiny around our private lives.
“I had a very strong sense of boundaries, initially, around print.
“Though Jen wasn’t opposed to it the way I was.”
It’s fair to assume that Jennifer having a documentary and album dedicated to their romance would be far from Ben’s dream scenario.
And now the couple may have split for good, with sources claiming they couldn’t resolve their differences.
An insider said: “They waited almost two decades to get back together – but in the end it just didn’t work out.”
J-Lo and Ben’s ‘tensions’
Author: Teresa Roca
JENNIFER Lopez said love was “patient for twenty years” when she married Ben Affleck two decades after they called off their wedding in 2002, but now it seems their fairytale wasn’t worth the wait.
JLo, 54, and Ben, 51, had a whirlwind romance when they started dating in March 2002, with Ben proposing just four months later.
But in September of that year, the stars postponed their wedding just three days before, as they announced in a statement: “When we were seriously considering hiring three different ‘surrogate brides’ in three different locations, we realized something was wrong.
“We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives might be compromised.”
They finally announced their separation in January 2004 after 18 months together.
Jennifer married singer Marc Anthony six months later and gave birth to twins Emma and Max, now 16, before their divorce in 2014.
In 2005, Ben married actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children. They divorced in 2018.
After a series of relationships, they reunited in 2021 and eloped in Las Vegas at the Little White Wedding Chapel.
They then had a second wedding at Ben’s $7 million mansion in Georgia.
During their marriage, fans noticed tension between the couple.
Over coffee last year, Ben appeared “miserable” and appeared to slam the car door as he helped Jen into the passenger seat.
The singer was even caught on camera seemingly taking shots with Ben at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
And now it seems that the love story has officially ended. Ben reportedly moved out of their $47 million Beverly Hills mansion as Jennifer was seen house hunting.
The couple have not been seen together for seven weeks and appeared tense during their last public appearance.
JLo even attended the Met Gala without Ben earlier this month.
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In a video that went viral in May, Ben was described as ‘stressed out’ and ‘miserable’ over coffee in LA. Credit: BackGrid
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Ben appeared to slam the car door after helping Jennifer into the passenger seat Credit: BackGrid
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The couple back in 2002 during their first relationship Credit: Getty – Contributor
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Jennifer flew solo to the Met Gala earlier this monthCredit: Getty
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The couple held two wedding ceremonies in 2022. Credit: Na JLo
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