They were one of the A-list couples in the early aughts and have been friends even though they had called off their engagement in 2004.
Jennifer Garner was not the only Jennifer in Ben Affleck's life - he was engaged to Jennifer Lopez, 51, prior to marrying Garner. They were one of the A-list couples in the early aughts and have continued to be friends even though they had called off their engagement in 2004.
Rumor has it that the couple are more than just friends now. 17 years after calling off their pending nuptials, the couple has been hanging out and holidayed in a luxury resort in Montana together. They had appeared separately at the VAX LIVE concert in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 2, before leaving together for the Yellowstone Club in Montana. They stayed there for about a week, a source tells E! News. "They were alone," says the source. "Just the two of them."
They have also been seen driving together in Montana. The news of Affleck, 48, and J.Lo hanging out together comes just a month after the pop star officially split from fiance Alex Rodriguez. The baseball star and the Waiting For Tonight singer were together for four years. A-Rod reportedly wanted to "work things out" but J.Lo had moved on.
Lopez and Affleck "have been in touch here and there throughout the years," a second source close to Lopez told E! News. "Ben reached out to her to see how she was doing and they had dinner together a few times within this last month. It's natural between them and the chemistry is unreal. They picked up where they last left off and are enjoying each other's company right now."
TMZ reports that Affleck and J.Lo were in constant contact since February as the Justice League actor had been writing her love letters. The On the Floor singer was filming in the Dominican Republic at the time. The emails from the Daredevil actor were not just friendly but also loving, a source said. Affleck, who had split from Ana De Armas earlier this year, reportedly told J.Lo that she looked beautiful in her photos from the Caribbean and that he wanted to be there with her.
However, he was busy shooting for The Tender Bar with George Clooney at the time, and the Maid in Manhattan actress was engaged to Rodriguez. The emails apparently also referenced the Gone Girl actor's writing. It included a line about the 48-year-old being able to "own her heart" with his pen. They have reportedly been writing to each other between February and April, which is why they seemed to have gotten together so soon after she wrapped up with A-Rod.
Affleck's friend, actor Matt Damon, was recently asked about this news on the Today show, to which he said, "It's a fascinating story. I hope it's true. I love them both. I hope it's true. That would be awesome."
Meanwhile, A-Rod didn't see this coming. "A-Rod is shocked that J.Lo has moved on,” a source close to Lopez told E! News. "He truly thought they would be able to make it work and reconnect. He has been reaching out to J.Lo trying to meet with her and she has been very short with him."
The source added that the former baseball player is "saddened" by his ex-fiancee vacationing with the Oscar winner. He has also reached out to her to let her know "he’s upset."
"She's not interested in rekindling anything with A-Rod and is done," the insider added.
Lopez and Affleck had worked together on the film Gigli in 2002 and 2004’s Jersey Girl. They started dating in July 2002, earning the nickname "Beniffer." They had postponed their wedding in 2003 and eventually broke up a year later. Despite going separate ways, the father-of-three has only positive things to say about his former partner.
"She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business," he told the May 2021 issue of InStyle. "She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves."
References:
https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/11/ben-affleck-jennifer-lopez-j-lo-love-letters-emails-benny-medina/
https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/jennifer-lopez/may-2021-cover
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photos by (L) Frederick M. Brown (R) Vince Bucci
