Plenty of people are wondering if Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are having problems in their marriage, but one person had the nerve to ask in a public forum.
In a widely shared video from a press conference in Mexico for her new film Atlas, an unidentified reporter is heard asking Lopez about speculation the couple is on the outs.
“You know better than that,” Lopez said, before the talk quickly moved on to a different topic.
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Lopez and Affleck have stayed mum about speculation that they are experiencing issues, but that hasn’t stopped chatter in the pop cultureverse.
In addition to reports that Affleck is living in a different home than his wife, he was noticeably absent from both a recent premiere of Atlas and the Met Gala earlier this month, where Lopez served as a co-chair.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Affleck and Lopez for comment. In the meantime, here is a reminder of their more than 20-year-love-story.
December 2001
Lopez and Affleck met on the set of the rom-com Gigli, where they played criminals stuck on a job together and the pair struck up a real-life friendship.
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April 2002
Suggestions Ben and Jen were more than just friends began after Affleck took out a full-page ad in trade publications to both promote their film and praise her performance.
“It has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to work with you,” the ad read. “I only wish I were lucky enough to be in all your movies.” Signed: “With love, respect, and gratitude, Ben Affleck.”
July 2002
Lopez and Cris Judd filed for divorce during the summer of 2002, but had reportedly been split for a bit by then.
“Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd have announced they have resolved all issues arising out of their marriage,” the couple’s lawyers said in a statement at the time. “The resolution was extremely amicable … The two will remain friends.”
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August 2002
Paparazzi photos were published of Affleck and Lopez looking cosy.
November 2002
The couple got engaged after Affleck popped the question with a custom 6.1-carat pink diamond ring from Harry Winston.
He also appeared as Lopez’s love interest in the music video for her single “Jenny From the Block,” which featured a storyline centered on media attention to their relationship.
In the video, Affleck – literally – kisses her famous booty in a scene of the couple on a yacht.
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March 2003
Lopez and Affleck made a stunning pair on the red carpet at the 75th Annual Academy Awards.
July 2003
The couple attended the premiere of their film Gigli, which struggled at the box office.
September 2003
Days before the pair are set to wed, they postponed their nuptials and released the following statement:
“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.”
Sources told CNN at the time that the couple was “taking a break.”
January 2004
The duo officially called off their engagement and parted ways.
J.Lo and Ben stun at the Golden Globes
March 2004
Another film in which the two costarred together, Jersey Girl, debuted and also underperformed with audiences.
June 2004
Lopez married friend, singer Marc Anthony, with whom she shares twins – a son and a daughter.
In her 2014 book, True Love, Lopez reportedly wrote that the end of her relationship with Affleck was her first “real heartbreak” and “Marc came back into my life three days after I should have been at the altar saying ‘I do’ to another man.”
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June 2005
A year later, Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner in a private ceremony. They went on to have three children together.
July 2011
Fans are stunned when Lopez and Anthony announce they are separating. He filed for divorce in April 2012.
July 2015
There’s even more shock when Garner and Affleck announced their split. Their official divorce filing came two years later.
“They remain friends and continue to co-parent their three kids amicably,” a source close to the couple told CNN at the time. “They had always planned to divorce but just needed time. As always, their children are their first priority.”
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August 2018
Affleck entered rehab for the third time, having earlier completed treatment stays in 2001 and 2017.
In March 2017, he shared in a Facebook post why he had sought help at that time.
“I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I’ve dealt with in the past and will continue to confront,” he wrote.
“I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step.”
March 2019
Lopez and former baseball player Alex Rodriguez became engaged, two years after they started dating and 20 years after she autographed a poster for the self-avowed Lopez fan.
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February 2020
Affleck raved about Lopez to CNN while promoting his film, The Way Back.
He said he had no regrets about making Gigli because “I made a great friendship with Jennifer Lopez, who I think is a fabulous person and I’m so excited for her continued success.”
“I don’t think she always got the respect that she deserved, in part, because she was a powerful woman,” he said.
“And also because she was a Latina and she was really groundbreaking and nobody wanted to acknowledge that. They just wanted to kind of hate, so it’s nice to see her having that success.”
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March 2021
There was some confusion as Lopez and Rodriguez reportedly split, only to say days later in a statement that they were still a couple after all.
April 2021
Rodriguez and Lopez announced their engagement was called off.
They released the following statement.
“We have realised 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.”
Soon after, Affleck was photographed visiting Lopez’s Los Angeles home.
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July 2021
The summer heated up after Lopez and Affleck made their reunion and relationship Instagram official.
September 2021
Paparazzi (and fans) went wild when the pair returned to the red carpet for the premiere of his film The Last Duel at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.
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December 2021
Affleck expressed his gratitude for second chances in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, calling his rekindled romance with Lopez “beautiful.”
“My life now reflects not just the person that I want to be, but the person that I really feel like I am – which is not perfect, but somebody who tries very hard and cares very much about being honest and authentic and accountable,” he told the publication.
“It’s hard to say who benefits more, without going into gossipy detail.”
February 2022
Lopez was also seemingly thrilled about their reconciliation.
“I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him,” Lopez told People magazine about reuniting with Affleck. “It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”
April 2022
The pair became engaged once again, after Affleck surprises Lopez with a proposal while she was in the bathtub.
July 2022
Lopez and Affleck eloped by traveling to Las Vegas with their children, where they stood in line with other couples to be wed at a chapel in the desert city.
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August 2022
Getting married was so nice, the couple did it twice.
They held a lavish wedding on Affleck’s sprawling estate outside of Savannah, Georgia, complete with famous friends like Matt Damon and director Kevin Smith in attendance alongside their families.
February 2024
Lopez releases both an album and a film titled This is Me…Now: A Love Story, as well as her documentary on the project, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. In the doc, Affleck speaks to some of their challenges as a couple.
In reflecting on their earlier relationship, he said, “I had a very firm sense of boundaries initially around the press, while Jen I don’t think objected to it in the way I did. I very much did object to it.”
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“Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media,'” he continued.
“And then I sort of realised it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’ We’re just two people with kind of different approaches trying to learn to compromise.”
May 2024
Reports of tension circulate after the couple had not been photographed together in 47 days, according to People magazine.
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