In case you missed it, we’ve traveled back in time to 2002, an iconic era when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were together and starring in the critically-never-acclaimed-not-even-once film Gigli together. And by that I mean: Bennifer has staged a zombielike return from the ashes of their relationship, gotten MARRIED, and can’t stop making out on yachts and random street corners.
It’s all just frankly HAPPENING, and obviously no one is okay, not even close, but in order to fully understand how meaningful this reunion is, we have to go back. Back to the beginning. Because lest you forget, these two have a lot of history! Behold, a hefty timeline of Bennifer’s relationship—plus the relationships they’ve had in between—in reverse chronological order (so all the juiciest updates are at the top)!
July 2023
Jennifer celebrates her 54th birthday and writes allll about it via her newsletter On the Jlo, saying "Ben hosted it at our new house with our closest family and friends."
Pics incoming!
June 2023
J.Lo blesses the timeline with a “daddy appreciation post” featuring a partial nude of Ben for Father’s Day.
And just a few weeks later, an anonymous source dishes to the Daily Mail that the couple will be renewing their vows near the end of July or early August, proving that their bond is stronger than ever. “All their kids are doing great, the families are all in sync,” the insider revealed. “And to celebrate all that, as they get closer to their first wedding anniversary, they both want to renew their vows and show how much in love they are with each other. They are not taking this second chance for granted.” S'cute!
May 2023
Jen opens up about what a great stepdad Ben is to her kids during an interview with the Today show, saying, “They love Ben. He’s a wonderful, wonderful father and father figure to them as well, ’cause he has his own three beautiful children and then there’s us. He’s fantastic. He really steps up to the challenge of what [being a stepfather] is and what that means, and they love him.”
But then things take a turn for the dramatic when the couple are *allegedly* seen arguing on the Mother red carpet. Except, like, a lip-reader confirms they were actually just chatting about where to take pics?
March 2023
The couple attend the premiere of Ben’s new movie Air:
And meanwhile, Ben opens up *a lot* during a Hollywood Reporter interview tied to his new movie Air, so we’ve gone ahead and taken the liberty to sift through it and highlight all the times he speaks about Jen—yw!
Apparently, she had tons of input in the Air script: Namely, when it came to providing significant context to the influence of Michael Jordan and his shoes at the time. “She is incredibly knowledgeable about the way fashion evolves through the culture as a confluence of music, sports, entertainment, and dance,” the actor begins. “She helped me in talking about the way in which a part of the reason why Jordans [the shoes] were so meaningful is because culture and style in America is 90 percent driven by Black culture. Black culture has historically pioneered music, dance, fashion, and it’s then been stolen, appropriated, remarketed as Elvis or whatever. And in this case, [Nike], a white-run corporate entity, was starting to do business with African American athletes in an identity affiliation sales thing. They were really taking value from what Michael Jordan represents and who he is. I don’t think the meaning can be overstated. They’re going to switch from ‘Hey, guys, we are a nice shoe’ to ‘If Mike has it, you want it.’”
And he thinks Jen is v savvy when it comes to social media: “My wife’s a genius at that. I don’t know if there’s anybody who understands Instagram better than her. In fact, she gave me a talk this morning before this interview. She thinks that because of experiences that I’ve had, I’ve become very guarded. And she’s right. I view these things as land mines, where if you say one wrong thing, your career might be over.”
She helped Ben after an incident where he was misquoted as saying that he blamed ex Jennifer Garner for his drinking: “It didn’t matter how many times I said, ‘I do not feel this way. I’m telling you, I don’t blame my ex-wife for my alcoholism.’ So, yeah. It’s hard. But anyway, so [Jennifer] tells me today, ‘Relax, be yourself. Have fun. You’re actually 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 really 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 fucking listen to her.”
And, yes, he talks about *that* Grammys moment: “I had a good time at the Grammys. My wife was going, and I thought, Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun. At movie awards shows, it’s speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun. I saw [Grammy host Trevor Noah approach] and I was like, Oh god. They were framing us in this shot, but I didn’t know they were rolling. I leaned into her and I was like, ‘As soon they start rolling, I’m going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor.’ She goes, ‘You better fucking not leave.’ That’s a husband-and-wife thing. I mean, some of it is, I’m like, ‘Alright, who is this act?’ Like, I don’t keep up. My wife does, obviously.” So there you have it, folks! Problem = solved.
January 2023
These two attend the 2023 Grammys and send the internet spiraling over a seemingly tense convo. Lip-readers simply are not okay!
Aside from that, they star in—what else?—a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial that airs during the Super Bowl:
And get some cute tattoos on Valentine’s Day:
Also in January 2023
Bennifer kicks off the year with a highlights reel we never knew we needed. Come for BTS pics from their wedding, stay for all the make-out sessions:
J.Lo also chats about blending her and Ben’s families during an appearance on the Today show, saying, “We moved in together. The kids moved in together. It’s been, like, a really kind of emotional transition but at the same time all your dreams coming true. And it’s just been a phenomenal year. Like, my best year, I think, since my kids were born.”
December 2022
A cozy month for Ben and Jen that basically revolves around wearing comfy sweaters and spoiling each other for the holidays. As a source tells Entertainment Tonight, “Ben is planning on giving Jen a couple of things that are special and sentimental that have taken him a long time to find. He is also planning on giving her beautiful jewelry and a couple of big things that are surprises.”
Most importantly though? The pair hold their first Christmas party as a married couple, and Ben sings!
And they make out!
November 2022
J.Lo opens up about her 2004 split from Ben during a lengthy interview on Apple Music 1’s The Zane Lowe Show. “It was so painful after we broke up,” she said, via ET. “Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life, and I honestly felt like I was going to die.”
Oh, also, Ben and Jen have a cozy Thanksgiving with their families!
October 2022
After a couple of months of wedded bliss, Ben and Jen make their first red carpet appearance since getting married, showing up (in matching ’fits!) at Ralph Lauren’s show in California. Cute pics incoming:
August 2022
Ben and Jen are married! Again! The couple say “I do” for round two in front of friends and family at Ben’s Georgia home, and Jen dishes all the details in On the JLo.
“Nothing ever felt more right to me, and I knew we were finally ‘settling down’ in a way you can only do when you understand loss and joy and you are battle tested enough to never take the important things for granted or let the silly insignificant nuisances of the day get in the way of embracing every precious moment,” she writes. “We find ourselves in that long-desired time of life: having gratitude for all that life has shown us, even its trials and tribulations. That night really was heaven….”
July 2022
Jen and Ben start the month holding hands and looking in love and whatnot while shopping for luxury cars, as ya do.
And then, surprise! They get married in Vegas.
J.Lo also changes her name, officially becoming “Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck,” and two seconds later, the couple goes on honeymoon in Paris, where they’re photographed looking all kinds of in love:
June 2022
J.Lo gets a super-cute manicure in honor of her and Ben’s ’ship. Celebrity manicurist Tom Bachik completed the set and posted it to his Instagram with the caption, “If you know…then you know. 🏹 Jen and Ben forever #couplesgoals for the boss @jlo #nailsbytombachik. 💅🏼🔥”
Ben also makes a cameo appearance in Jen’s doc Halftime. The film took us back to the early 2000s, when beyond cringeworthy and oftentimes racist media coverage of the singer was standard throughout the entirety of her relationship with Ben. As Ben puts it in the doc, “I said to her once, ‘Doesn’t this bother you?’ And she said, ‘I’m Latina. I’m a woman. I expected this. You just don’t expect it. You expect to be treated fairly.’”
Shout-out to Ben, who has been J.Lo’s supporter since day one! And clearly she appreciates him because she posts this cute video in his honor on Father’s Day (it’s full of BTS moments):
May 2022
An insider tells Us Weekly that J.Lo “wants the formalities out of the way so they can start their journey as man and wife sooner rather than later.” The source said she also wants to have a “spectacular celebration” and mentioned she and Ben are “committed to making this work and taking all the steps necessary to respect each other’s boundaries and learn from their mistakes the last time around.”
Another source shared similar sentiments to Entertainment Tonight. “Ben and Jen want to get married soon,” said the insider. “They are talking about having a destination or tropical wedding. They can’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together forever, happily in love.”
April 2022
Bennifer get engaged—again!!!!!!! Jen breaks the news in her newsletter that we’re all now subscribed to, On the JLo:
And then Jen’s sister Lynda shares a glimpse at the ring on her Instagram Story:
So, what does J.Lo have to say about the proposal? Ahem: “Did you ever imagine your biggest dream could come true?” she writes (per CNN). “Saturday night while at my favorite place on earth (in the bubble bath), my beautiful love got on one knee and proposed. I was taken totally off guard and just looked in his eyes smiling and crying at the same time trying hard to get my head around the fact that after 20 years, this was happening all over again. I was quite literally speechless and he said, ‘Is that a yes?’ I said, ‘YES, of course that’s a YES.’”
In non-relationship news, Bennifer’s $50 million house falls out of escrow, so they once again start touring mansions in Los Angeles, as one does.
March 2022
Ben and Jen buy a house together! And by “house,” we mean enormous $50 million mansion estate with four (!!) kitchens. The home is nestled in a quaint little area called Bel-Air (lol), and they will be blending their families in it since “the entire brood from both sides will be living there.”
December 2021
Bennifer are spotted being cute at a Lakers game:
And they attend another movie premiere together!
Later in the month, J.Lo comes to Ben’s defense amid backlash for his interview about his ex Jennifer Garner. Shutting down reports that she was “pissed” about his comments, J.Lo told People, “This story is simply not true. It is not how I feel. I couldn’t have more respect for Ben as a father, a co-parent, and a person.”
October 2021
Ben and Jen hit up the premiere of Ben’s new movie The Last Duel.
And later that month, they’re spotted trick-or-treating with Jennifer Garner.
September 2021
Ben and Jen step out on their first official red carpet as a “new” couple, attending the 78th Venice International Film Festival!
A few days later, they make their Met Gala debut and this iconic/haunting photo happens:
Honestly, this month was a big one for their PDA:
July 2021
Fresh off the glow of Bennifer’s Universal Studios trip with their kids and their Fourth of July Hamptons getaway, Jennifer is spilling the deets on just how great she’s doing at the moment! In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, J.Lo says:
“I’m super happy…I know people are always wondering, How are you? What’s going on? Are you okay? This is it. I’ve never been better. And I want my people who care about me, because I care about them so much, to know that I’ve really gotten to a place in my life where I’m great on my own. And I think once you get to that place, then amazing things happen to you that you never imagine in your life happening again. And so that is where I’m at. And I love all the love that’s coming my way right now and all of the good wishes. And I just want everybody to know that it’s the best time. It’s the best time of my life.”
Meanwhile, Us Weekly reports that “Ben and Jen are spending almost every night together when they’re not working…they plan on moving in together very soon.” The source adds, “As far as Jen sees it, she and Ben have their whole lives now to set things up in a comfortable way. She intends to be an involved stepmom who’s there for Ben in that area, plus she’ll want him to make the same effort with her and Marc’s kids.”
But that’s not all—Jennifer and Ben go Instagram official on Leah Remini’s account:
And THEN they go official on J.Lo’s account for her 52nd—with a kiss!
June 2021
Bennifer is still going strong, and Page Six publishes pics of them making out at dinner, which you can see right this way. Meanwhile, a source tells E! News that J.Lo “is packing up her Miami rental” and gearing up to head to L.A. with her twins to be near Ben.
May 2021
Jen and Alex Rodriguez split and end their engagement! They announce their decision in a joint statement to the Today show amid (false!) cheating rumors:
“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another’s children. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support.”
This same month, Ben compliments J.Lo for her May 2021 InStyle cover story, saying, “She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business. 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.”
And then? Then things start HAPPENING. The exes are spotted out and about together, they take a trip to Montana, *and* TMZ reports that their ’ship has “been building since February” when Ben “started flooding her with emails” full of “loving and longing.” Emails! Like…okay!
Meanwhile, Page Six reports that Bennifer’s “public comeback romance” was supposed to happen in a “tightly controlled” way, but the paps ruined it. According to a source:
“He stayed at her house [in April], and she was planning to make an announcement that they are back together on Instagram. It’s all about timing with her. These are people who don’t like to be alone, and she really likes him. They have a long history there.”
January 2021
Ana de Armas and Ben are done. “They have had numerous discussions about their future and they decided together to break up,” a source tells People, with another sourcing adding that the breakup is “mutual and something that is completely amicable. They are in different points in their lives; there is deep love and respect there.”
We’ll always have the memz!
March 2020
Ben and Ana de Armas start dating after meeting on the set of Deep Water. They’re spotted vacationing in Cuba, and it’s clear they’re a couple when Ben slides into Ana’s comments asking for photo cred.
February 2020
Ben tells the New York Times that J.Lo should have been nominated for her role in Hustlers, saying, “She should have been nominated. She’s the real thing. 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 fucking baller.”
That same month, he tells tells Diane Sawyer that in five years, “I would love to have a relationship that is deeply meaningful and one to which I could be deeply committed.…Five years from now, Ben Affleck is sober and happy and sees his kids three and a half days a week and has made three or four movies that are interesting to him. I directed two [movies] that he is hopefully proud of and is in a healthy, stable, loving, committed relationship.”
March 2019
J.Lo and A-Rod get engaged with a truly enormous ring!
October 2018
Ben and Jen Garner’s divorce is finalized, although they’d separated years earlier in June 2015. Around this time, Ben also splits from his girlfriend of a year, Lindsay Shookus (who was recently seen partying with A-Rod, just FYI!).
March 2017
A-Rod and J.Lo start dating! A source tells People, “She seems excited. He has been around her family, and she really likes that he is a dad. She is aware, though, that he is a ladies’ man too and is being cautious. For now, it’s just fun. She is single and enjoys dating.”
Here’s him gushing:
August 2016
J.Lo and Casper Smart part ways, with a source telling People, “The relationship had just run its course” and that they’d “hit a rough patch.”
January 2015
J.Lo tells HuffPost Live she has “no regrets” about Ben Affleck, saying, “I would do it all over again, I think. I really would. Even the relationship part. I just feel like everything is part of your story and your journey and is meant to be and helps you grow if you’re willing to look at it, and I’m willing to look.”
However, she also says, “[Gigli] was a very badly reviewed film. I was in a high-profile relationship at the time that fell apart in a really bad way, and so the kind of mix of those two things and the tabloid press had just come into existence at the time, so I was like a poster child for that moment. I was in the tabloids every other week about how my life was falling apart. It was a tough time.”
October 2011
J.Lo starts dating her backup dancer Casper Smart!
July 2011
J.Lo and Marc Anthony announce their separation, and their divorce is eventually finalized a couple of years later in June 2014.
June 2005
Ben and Jen Garner get married during a private ceremony in Turks and Caicos and go on to have three kids!
June 2004
J.Lo starts up a relationship with her ex Marc Anthony and they get married in June—five months after her split from Ben. She later says in her book True Love that he “came back into my life three days after I should have been at the altar saying ‘I do’ to another man.” They go on to have two cute kids together.
Meanwhile, Ben Affleck starts dating Jennifer Garner (his costar in Daredevil!). Here they are flirting up a storm when Jen was married to Scott Foley and Ben was engaged to J.Lo.
January 2004
Jen and Ben confirm their split with a simple statement from J.Lo’s rep that reads, “I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.”
September 2003
Just days before their wedding, Bennifer calls it off in a joint statement—citing the media frenzy surrounding them as the reason.
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry. We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families, and our friends.”
July 2003
The couple arrives at the premiere for Gigli. The vibes? Slightly awkward.
![ben affleck and jennifer lopez photo by l cohenwireimage](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-85815860-1620668567.jpg?resize=980:* ""Gigli" - Premiere - Red Carpet")
November 2002
Ben proposes to Jennifer (for the first time!) with a ring that has been haunting me for more than a decade: a 6.1-carat pink solitaire. At the time, J.Lo tells Diane Sawyer that the proposal was “traditional but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it…it was very, very beautiful.”
![no us sales for 90 days, no tabloids jennifer lopez during gigli press conference with jennifer lopez, ben affleck and justin bartha in beverly hills, california photo by vera andersonwireimage](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-74678753-1620668500.jpg?resize=980:* ""Gigli" Press Conference with Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and Justin Bartha")
That same month, Ben stars in J.Lo’s iconic “Jenny From the Block” video:
September 2002
Jennifer and Ben inexplicably decide to film another movie together called Jersey Girl. Okay!!!!!
December 2001
Jennifer and Ben fall for each other on the set of Gigli, which would go on to absolutely bomb at the box office. It was truly the best of times and the worst of times.
^Watch at your own risk.
Welp, that’s it for now! We’ll keep you updated, lol!
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
