A complete timeline of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s relationship

Affleck wrote: “You have shown kindness, dedication, diligence, humility, graciousness of spirit, beauty in courage, great empathy, astonishing talent, real poise and true grace…It has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to work with you. I only wish I were lucky enough to be in all your movies.” 

He also signed the ad: ”With love, respect and gratitude, Ben Affleck.”

Of the big gesture, Affleck later told Vanity Fair that Lopez “had developed this reputation as a diva and a pain in the ass,” and he wanted to publicly voice his support of her and “counteract” that narrative. 

“She works harder than anybody I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I thought I was busy with movies and television and writing; I felt pretty maxed out until I met her. She was doing all that and recording albums on weekends!”

The music video drew inspiration from the couple’s real-life experience of being scrutinized by the public and being hounded by paparazzi.

It showed them making out on a yacht and holding up a tabloid that included chatter about them. 

The couple spilled all the details on Affleck’s “traditional” proposal and the custom-made, six-carat pink diamond engagement ring from Harry Winston. 

“It’s just a blanket, a quilt of rose petals, all over the whole entire house,” Lopez said of the unexpected proposal that took place in Boston. “So many candles, and vases, bouquets. And my song ‘Glad’ was playing … I walk in and I was just overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting it, and I was just like ‘Oh my God.'”

Lopez said that she began “sobbing” as he read a handwritten letter listing the reasons he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She got even more emotional when she saw the pink diamond, which was her favorite stone.

“I had cried a lot over sadness over the years,” she said during the interview. “And for the first time in my life, I cried incredible purging tears of happiness. It was the most cleansing feeling and the most wonderful feeling I had ever had.”

The “On the Floor” singer also described Affleck as “brilliantly smart…. Loving. Charming. Affectionate. And I just admire him in every way. I respect him. I feel like he teaches me things.” crazy life and needing a sense of security.”

The event took place at the Village Theatre in Los Angeles and the film was released on February 14.

Affleck also posed on the red carpet with costars Colin Farrell, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Jennifer Garner — who he’d go on to marry.

At the time, Garner was married to “Felicity” costar Scott Foley. Their nuptials took place in October 2000 and Garner filed for divorce in May 2003. Foley later told TV Guide that there was no infidelity involved. 

During the hourlong “Dateline” NBC special hosted by Pat O’Brien of “Access Hollywood,” the couple recalled not really knowing each other prior to working together on “Gigli.”

“We met at a couple of the parties,” Lopez said. “You know, we barely paid any attention to each other at all.”

Lopez insisted that they were “really good friends” on the set of “Gigli.”

“We talked a lot and that’s the thing,” she said. “There was no kind of idea that we would be together in the future, so it was one of those things where you kind of like say too much.”

She added: “It felt like we had good chemistry. He likes to improv. I could improv back. He’s the best person to improv in the whole entire business, he’s so funny.”

Lopez also said that there wasn’t an exact moment when they fell in love.

“You can’t pinpoint it. It was like we became friends first, that is the honest-to-god truth,” she said. 

Elsewhere in the interview, the singer said that she’d maintain her surname professionally, but would technically take Affleck’s last name.

Affleck, a Boston native and vocal Red Sox fan, also said that he was opposed to their family being supporters of the New York Yankees — the team that originates in Lopez’s hometown. 

“The Mets is fine. I could put up with the Mets. The Mets I could live with,” he said. “Pinstripes can’t be in the house.”

According to People, the couple was supposed to marry in Santa Barbara but pushed it back shortly before the planned date. 

“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date,” they said in a statement. “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.”

They continued: “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.”

While it wasn’t as despised by critics as “Gigli,” the film still received poor reviews. 

A few months later, in December 2005, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Violet.

Garner gave birth to two more children: daughter Seraphina in January 2009 and son Samuel in February 2012.

In June 2015, the couple revealed their breakup after being married for a decade.

“After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” their statement to People read. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.”

Appearing on Katie Couric’s talk show, “Katie,” the singer said that it wasn’t awkward running into exes Diddy and Affleck at the Golden Globes that year. 

“We run in the same circles,” she said. “I do see them. The world doesn’t know that I see them. I don’t go, ‘Hey, I ran into Diddy today.’ I don’t tweet that kind of stuff. But I do run into them.”

“We talk and we email, more email than anything,” Lopez added of keeping in touch with Affleck.

Lopez said that she was “happy” for Affleck after his film “Argo,” which he directed, produced, and starred in, won two awards at the event: best drama motion picture and best director. 

The singer called the film “one of the best pictures of the year” and said that she gave him a standing ovation when he won.

“We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” she said in an interview with Jess Cagle, the editorial director at People and Entertainment Weekly. “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.”

She added: “I think different time different thing, who knows what could’ve happened, but there was a genuine love there.” 

He praised his ex during an interview with The New York Times, but the quotes never made it into the feature. The reporter, Brooks Barnes, shared the comment in a thread on X (formerly known as Twitter) with other quotes that didn’t make the cut. 

“She should have been nominated,” Affleck said. “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.”  

People and E! News were among the publications that reported the breakup in January 2021. According to a source who spoke to People, de Armas ended the relationship.

The two stars met while filming the upcoming psychological thriller “Deep Water” in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2019. 

Throughout the pandemic, they were frequently photographed while going on walks together in LA. The “Blonde” star also spent time with Affleck’s kids whom he shares with Garner.

De Armas made their relationship Instagram official in April 2020 when she posted a photo of the “Justice League” star with his arms around her waist, celebrating her 32nd birthday. 

After their breakup was revealed, paparazzi saw a life-size cutout of de Armas being thrown in Affleck’s trash bin. The same one was previously seen on Affleck’s lawn in June 2020, seemingly as part of a prank that his kids pulled on him. 

Page Six was the first to report their breakup in March, citing an anonymous source.

The breakup was also confirmed by TMZ, E! News, and People. A source told People that the split “has been a long time coming” for the two stars.

The following day, the couple shared a joint statement with People, saying: “We are working through some things.”

In April, they announced the end of their relationship and two-year engagement via a joint statement to the “Today” show.

“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” they said. “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.”

“They have a strong connection. It’s all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy,” an anonymous source told People.

Daily Mail published photographs of Lopez and Affleck in a car together in Montana, with the “Good Will Hunting” actor driving. The publication reported that Affleck owns a home in Big Sky. 

According to a source that spoke to E! News, Lopez and Affleck spent about a week in Yellowstone Club in Montana, “just the two of them.”

Another source also told the publication that Affleck reached out to Lopez “to see how she was doing and they had dinner together a few times within this last month.”

“They picked up where they last left off and are enjoying each other’s company right now,” the source said. 

People went on to report that Lopez was in contact with the actor prior to her breakup with Rodriguez, but “it was friendly conversations” and she didn’t meet up with Affleck until her relationship ended. 

The publication also said that it was Affleck’s idea for them to go on a trip outside LA. 

Amid dating speculation, Matt Damon, Affleck’s longtime best friend and collaborator, weighed in and told the “Today” show: “I hope it’s true. I love them both. I hope it’s true. That would be awesome.”

Photos obtained by Page Six showed the stars walking close together as they headed to chef Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant at the Pendry Hotel located in West Hollywood.

Days later, Affleck was photographed smiling at the paparazzi as he left Lopez’s home in a vehicle.  

E! News and other publications reported that Lopez was looking into moving from Miami to LA and considering schools there for her twins to attend in the fall. 

In early June, Affleck was also seen spending time at a casino in Nevada with Lopez’s mom, Guadalupe Rodríguez. 

“They enjoy gambling together and have done it in the past,” a source told E! News. “Ben had the opportunity to work in Vegas this week and she came out.”

In photos published by Page Six, they were seen at Universal Studios Hollywood on July 2 with their kids from previous relationships.

The following day, Lopez and Affleck were photographed with their arms wrapped around each other while walking in the Hamptons. They were later seen shopping with Lopez’s kids in the Hamptons.

Not long after, Lopez liked a photo posted by a fan account on Instagram called @lopezaffleck, which showed Affleck on the set of the 2010 movie “The Town.”

The “Argo” star was also photographed spending time at Universal CityWalk in Universal City, California with his kids and Lopez’s daughter named Emme. 

The singer posted a series of photos of herself in a swimsuit on her X and Instagram. 

“5 2 … what it do …💗 📸: @lacarba,” she captioned the post. The final photo in Lopez’s Instagram post showed her and Affleck kissing. 

Fans also noticed that the framed black-and-white image in the background of one of her birthday photos is the same snap of her and Affleck that was taken for his 2003 Vanity Fair feature. 

In addition, the couple celebrated Lopez’s birthday with a party at L’Opera in St. Tropez, France. A video from the festivities showed Lopez singing along to her track “Jenny From the Block,” whose music video starred Affleck, as waiters danced on the tables.

They were also seen seemingly recreating a famous moment from the “Jenny From the Block” music video, in which Affleck put his hand on Lopez’s butt while on a yacht. Some fans have even speculated that the stars are recreating scenes for the music video’s upcoming 20th anniversary next year.

Beth Bugdaycay, the creative director and cofounder of Foundrae, told E! News that Affleck designed custom jewelry to gift Lopez for her birthday.

Paparazzi photos taken of Lopez shortly after her birthday showed the singer wearing a gold necklace that spelled “BEN.”

After spending time in St. Tropez, the stars were seen dining at a restaurant in Capri, Italy and walking hand-in-hand. 

Lopez accompanied Affleck to the premiere of his upcoming film “The Last Duel” at the Venice Film Festival. The stars laughed, smiled, held hands, and kissed during their first red carpet appearance in 18 years.

The singer posted a video on social media, recapping her trip to Venice with Affleck.

Lopez wrote: “I had such a beautiful time!! And I’m so excited for you guys to see this movie!! It’s the first script Matt and Ben have written together along with Nicole Holofcener since Good Will Hunting!! And it’s amazing!! The acting by the whole cast is fantastic. Jodie Comer plays the lead and she is awesome!!! It was a magical trip and I hope you enjoy the pics!!”

They were seen holding hands at the event, where Lopez sang her hits like “Jenny From the Block” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.” 

“Ben wanted to be by her side and attended the event. He watched her perform,” a source told People. 

“She’s been working hard, and it meant a lot to her to have him there,” an anonymous Insider told E! News. “She was excited to spend the weekend with him. They went to dinner after the show and had some fun.”

The following day, paparazzi photographed them smiling while walking hand-in-hand through Madison Square Park in NYC. Additional photos posted by Entertainment Tonight and People showed the couple kissing while standing on a sidewalk. 

An anonymous source told People that Lopez traveled from Vancouver, where she was filming a Netflix movie “The Mother,” to LA to spend the holiday with Affleck and her children. 

“The last few weeks have been intense for her,” the source said, adding that it was difficult for Lopez to be away from her loved ones while filming in Canada. 

Affleck also reportedly spent time with ex-wife Garner and their three kids.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, paparazzi also took photos of Affleck and Lopez hosting a food drive for Rise Against Hunger with the help of their daughters. 

Affleck stars in the movie, which is directed by George Clooney. 

Lopez spoke in depth about her relationship with Affleck in an interview with People, saying: “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him.”

She called their relationship a “healthy” one and said that she’s “so proud of the man he’s become that I’ve watched from afar.”

“To see the person, the human being, the man that he is today, the father that he is today, the partner that he is — he is so everything I always knew he was and wanted to be,” she said.

“It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance,” the “Marry Me” star continued, explaining that the two stars were “naïve” when they dated in the early 2000s. 

Comparing their current relationship to their former one, the entertainer said that now, “there’s more of an appreciation and a celebration for it.”

“When you find somebody and you really, really love them and you get a second chance at that? That is a really rare, precious, beautiful thing and we don’t take it for granted,” she said. 

The red carpet was held in Los Angeles and Affleck kissed the side of Lopez’s head as they posed for photos. 

Lopez also told Entertainment Tonight that Affleck had already seen the movie, so the premiere was “a great date night” for the couple. 

Lopez shared the news with fans in her newsletter, On the JLo. Affleck directed the video, which included footage of the couple set to her new song “On My Way.”

“I am going to share something very special and personal with you that normally that I would only share with my inner circle,” Lopez said. “It’s an early Valentine’s Day present from Ben. Watching it made me think about the journey of true love, its unexpected twists and turns, and that when it’s real, it actually can last forever.”

“This seriously melted my heart,” she added.  

Affleck’s face was never shown in the music video for Lopez and Maluma’s ballad, but he was visible in brief scenes. 

The official engagement news came a day after TMZ published photos that showed Lopez wearing a diamond ring on her left hand while furniture shopping that week with her daughter Emme. 

According to the publication, the musician appeared to try to conceal the ring once she became aware of the paparazzi. 

Lopez posted a short video on her Instagram and Twitter accounts with the caption: “Major announcement!!!!”

In her newsletter, she wrote: “True love exists and forever is real…”

In the video shared as part of her newsletter, Lopez was seen looking at her engagement ring, which consists of a green stone set in a silver band. 

In another newsletter, Lopez revealed that Affleck proposed while she was taking a bubble bath (which she called “my favorite place on earth”).

“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,” Lopez recalled. 

She continued: “I was smiling so big and tears were coming down my face, feeling so incredibly happy and whole. It was nothing fancy at all, but it was the most romantic thing I could’ve ever imagined…just a quiet Saturday night at home, two people promising to always be there for each other. Two very lucky people. Who got a second chance at true love.”

Regarding the color of the gem, Lopez said “green has always been my lucky color and now, for sure, it always will be.”

In a video posted on X and Instagram, the singer shared a montage of photos and videos of the couple.

Lopez elaborated on her feelings for Affleck in her newsletter, On the JLo, writing: “I have had a front-row seat to watching how you father for over a year now and I have never seen more consistent, loving and selfless father.”

She continued: “And it’s not just to your own kids but also without obligation to mine as well. You show up and put them first always. You are affectionate and engaged in every moment they are with you and it’s honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.”

“Thank you for all you do for all of us. We appreciate and love you beyond measure,” Lopez concluded.

They were seen holding hands while walking near the Louvre Museum and took a two-hour private tour of the river Seine, according to People magazine. They also celebrated Lopez’s birthday with dinner near the Eiffel Tower, People reported. 

In response to the backlash Lopez received for taking Affleck’s last name, the “Hustlers” star said that she viewed it as a “power move.”

“I’m very much in control of my own life and destiny and feel empowered as a woman and as a person,” she said. “I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that’s OK, too. But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it’s romantic. It still carries tradition and romance to me, and maybe I’m just that kind of girl.”

Lopez also reflected on her and Affleck being “carefree” and “so young and so in love” when they dated in the early 2000s.

“It didn’t feel like we needed to hide from anybody or be real discreet,” she said. “We were just living out loud, and it turned out to really bite us.”

Lopez said that she and Affleck reconnected after he reached out via email letting her know that he spoke highly of her when asked to provide a comment for a cover story for InStyle on her.

“I never shied away from the fact that for me, I always felt like there was a real love there, a true love there,” she said. “People in my life know that he was a very, very special person in my life. When we reconnected, those feelings for me were still very real.”

Lopez said that she wouldn’t recommend her and Affleck’s path to everyone. 

“Sometimes you outgrow each other, or you just grow differently,” she said. “The two of us, we lost each other and found each other.”

Affleck also shared heartfelt words about Lopez, saying that “there is something innately, magically kind and good and full of love at the heart of who Jennifer is.”

“That’s exactly the person I remember from 20 years ago,” he continued. “Maybe she sees all the changes she’s made, whereas when I see her, mostly I just see someone who has retained, against the odds, the thing about her that always made her the most incredible to me: a heart that seems boundless with love. She is my idea of the kind of person I want to be.”

According to Entertainment Tonight, their celebration was attended by stars like Kim Kardashian, Doja Cat, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jane Fonda. 

Photos and videos posted online by attendees revealed that the home was decked out with lights and food stations, and guests were entertained by Lopez and Affleck singing John Legend’s “By Christmas Eve” together. 

“We moved in together, the kids moved in together,” she said during an appearance on the “Today” show. “So it’s been a really kind of emotional transition. But at the same time, all your dreams coming true, and it’s just been a phenomenal year.”

Lopez went on to call it “my best year I think since my kids were born.”

Affleck, a big fan of the company, finally collaborated with Dunkin’ for a commercial in which he dressed as an employee and took customer orders at a drive-thru location in his home state of Massachusetts. 

Then, Lopez pulls up to the window and says, “What are you doing? Is that what you do when you say you’re going to work all day?” 

Affleck directed and starred in the film, which centered on  Michael Jordan’s legendary shoe deal with Nike. 

Affleck and Lopez were affectionate at the premiere, which was held at the Regency Village Theatre in LA. The singer also documented the event on Instagram, sharing a video compilation of highlights from the premiere. 

Before the film was screened, Affleck gave shout-outs to his longtime friend and collaborator Matt Damon as well as Lopez.

“None of it would be possible — this company, this movie, this joy tonight — without the love and support of my wife, who means more to me than anything in the world,” Affleck said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to say thank you. I love you. You mean the world to me. You’re fabulous, you’re amazing, you’re wonderful, good, kind, magnificent, and I love you.”

Lopez starred as a mom trying to protect her daughter whom she gave up for adoption in the Netflix action movie. The premiere took place in LA at the Westwood Regency Village Theater.

Lopez shared a shirtless photo of Affleck, selfies of the couple, and videos of them together.

“Daddy Appreciation Post,” she captioned her posts on X and Instagram. “Happy Father’s Day Papa. And Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing Papas out there!! We love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know.”

“Thank you all for the birthday love,” Lopez wrote in her newsletter. “Here’s a lil peek into my party. Ben hosted it at our new house with our closest family and friends. All the kids were there, it was a gorgeous day full of sunshine and perfect for a pool party!!”

“I felt so appreciated and acknowledged by my loved ones, and I’m extremely grateful to be where I am today at this point in my life’s journey with so many beautiful, caring people to share it all with,” she added, attaching videos and photos of her birthday celebration. 

One candid photo showed Lopez and Affleck smiling while wearing all-white attire on their wedding day. In the other image, the couple kissed with fireworks going off in the background. 

In her caption, Lopez shared lyrics from “Dear Ben Part II,” which will be part of her forthcoming album titled “This Is Me… Now.”

“Dear Ben, Sitting here alone, Looking at my ring ring, Feeling overwhelmed. It makes me wanna sing sing. How did we end up here, Without a rewind. Oh my, This is my life…,” Lopez wrote.

Her ninth studio album included songs like “Dear Ben Pt. II,” a followup to a track from her album “This Is Me… Then” about her relationship with Affleck. 

Lopez also released a semi-autobiographical film on Prime Video called “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story.” The movie, which Lopez cowrote, included a cameo from Affleck looking unrecognizable as a fictional news anchor named Rex Stone.

Then, on February 27, she released a documentary on Prime Video called “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” which gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at how her album and film came together. The title was also named after a scrapbook that Affleck gifted Lopez for Christmas in 2021, which included every letter and email they wrote to each other.  

“Things that are private I always felt are sacred and special because, in part, they’re private,” Affleck said in the documentary. “So this was something of an adjustment for me.”

“I did really find the beauty and the poetry and the irony in the fact that it’s the greatest love story never told,” Affleck said. “If you’re making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it.”

Despite being a “reluctant” participant in the documentary, Affleck supported Lopez at the LA premiere at the Dolby Theatre on February 13. 

The album, film, and documentary were all self-financed by Lopez at $20 million, Variety reported.

Lopez also told Variety that she and Affleck’s previous breakup was necessary. 

“Our relationship crumbled under the weight of the pressure,” Lopez said. “We lost a sense of ourselves, and we needed to separate because we didn’t know how to survive it. I had to figure myself out, and he had to figure himself out.” 

Live Nation announced that Lopez’s US summer 2024 tour was canceled. “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends,'” read an announcement in Lopez’s newsletter.

“I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down,” Lopez said in her message to fans. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time…”

Prior to the cancellation, the tour was quietly rebranded from “This Is Me… Now” to “This Is Me… Live | The Greatest Hits.” According to Variety, some of the previous shows on the tour were canceled due to poor ticket sales. Billboard reported that dates were canceled because of routing issues. 

After months of speculation that they had split, multiple outlets reported that Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck, with TMZ breaking the news.

Citing court documents, TMZ reported that Lopez filed to represent herself in court without a lawyer, waived her claim to spousal support, and requested the judge do the same for Affleck.

TMZ also reported, citing the document, that Lopez listed the separation as April 26, before rumors about their split began to circulate.

Paparazzi snapped photos of the two stars meeting for lunch in Beverly Hills with Affleck’s kids, Seraphina and Samuel, and Lopez’s twins, Max and Emme. This marked Lopez and Affleck’s first appearance together since she filed for divorce. 

According to a source who spoke to Page Six and claimed to be present during the reunion, Lopez and Affleck were “holding hands and kissing” at the Polo Lounge. The source added that the kids were “at a separate table.”

However, a source told People that the meet-up was just friendly.

“They all came together for a fun lunch so the kids could hang out,” the source said, adding that the stars are continuing divorce proceedings and “working out financial details amicably.” 

“A divorce is never easy, but Jennifer doesn’t want to be selfish about it,” the source added. “The kids always got along and have fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority.”