Signs Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez's Marriage May Not Last
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first fell in love in the early 2000s, becoming one of Hollywood's hottest couples at the time. The two worked together on the film "Gigli," and while the movie proved to be a disappointment in the box office, their red-hot romance was anything but. However, the timing for "Bennifer" just wasn't right. About a year after getting engaged, they ended up parting ways. "Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy," a rep for the "Waiting for Tonight" singer said at the time (via People magazine).
Lopez and Affleck would go on to find love with other people and start families of their own. But in 2021, the two found their way back to one another. Rumors that they were rekindling their romance surfaced around the same time that J.Lo ended things with Alex Rodriguez. From Lopez being spotted arriving at Affleck's home in Los Angeles to their not-so-secret getaway to Montana, they didn't waste much time launching "Bennifer 2.0." About two months later, they went Instagram official when they shared a kiss on her birthday post. In April 2022, Lopez confirmed that she and Affleck were engaged for a second time. Five months later, they exchanged vows.
While Lopez and Affleck seem to be happy about giving their love a second chance, there are definitely some signs that things might just not last.
Ben Affleck is a rebound
No matter how you slice it, Ben Affleck is a rebound for Jennifer Lopez. Lopez had been dating former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriquez, whom she first linked up with in 2017. The two got engaged in 2019 and seemed stronger than ever. However, in March 2021, just a month before J.Lo was seen with Affleck, rumors surfaced that Lopez and A-Rod were over. In a statement issued to People magazine, the then-couple said, "We are working through some things." Less than one month later, however, they officially called off their engagement. "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," they said in a joint statement given to People.
One might say that the ink on the paper wasn't even dry before the paparazzi caught Lopez and Affleck together. Though they tried to be secretive at first, sources were on the lookout, and their cover was blown. "Security picks [Affleck] up at a nearby location and drops him off after spending a few hours at her house," a source told Page Six in late April 2021 — about a week after she and A-Rod confirmed their split. Perhaps Lopez found comfort in the arms of an old flame, but being the back-up plan (also the name of a film starring J.Lo, we might add) usually doesn't pan out.
Jennifer Lopez has 'PTSD' from the first go-around with Ben Affleck
After Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez tied the knot, Lopez admitted that she was scarred from the first time that they were planning their lives together. "It kind of all fell apart back then. I absolutely did have a little PTSD," she said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Lopez was so worried about the upcoming wedding that Affleck actually suggested they just elope to Vegas — and Lopez agreed. "The wedding was so stressful, and one day Ben just says, 'F*** it, let's just go to Vegas and get married tonight.'"
Many people have said that when you're with the right person, those feelings of worry and uncertainty go away. For Lopez, however, she seemed super nervous about walking down the aisle with Affleck. We can't be sure where those nerves were coming from; if she was hesitant about making a mistake or was just worried about having the perfect wedding, for example, but Lopez seemed super stressed out to be marrying the love of her life. Could this be a red flag?
Jennifer Lopez's first husband predicted they won't last
It seems as though fans aren't the only ones who are skeptical of Jennifer Lopez's new marriage. Ojani Noa, who was married to Lopez in 1997, isn't too sure that Ben Affleck is his ex's forever person. "I wish her and Ben the best, but I'm not convinced it will last," Noa told the Daily Mail in July 2022. "Jen loves being in love but she's been engaged six times. Ben is husband number four. I was husband number one and she told me I was the love of her life. When we lay in bed on our wedding night, she said we would be together for ever," he continued.
One could argue that Lopez isn't the same person now that she was more than 20 years ago, but Noa's comment may still hold weight. He once had an intimate relationship with the triple threat star and seems to have a sense of what she's like. Perhaps he knows something that the rest of us only think we know. And, if that's the case, we wouldn't be surprised if Noa hit us with an "I told you so" if things go south for Bennifer 2.0.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have been seen arguing in public
The rumors regarding just how happy Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are together seem to be fueled by the camera lens catching them at the most inopportune times. There have been a number of instances in which the couple has been spotted having heated discussions in public. They've been tense on red carpets, for example, like while at the premiere of "The Mother," according to OK! magazine. And then there was the time that the husband and wife walked to their car, and Affleck slammed the door after Lopez got in the car. Affleck appeared less than thrilled in videos shared by various media outlets, including Page Six, which dubbed him as "miserable."
In May 2023, a tourist caught Lopez and Affleck going back and forth while sitting in a car at a red light in Beverly Hills. According to the Daily Mail, Affleck was "animated" as he waved his hands around having some kind of intense moment with his wife. It's no secret that couples fight, but we can't help but notice just how frequently Lopez and Affleck appear to be at odds in public settings.
Jennifer Lopez has made jokes about her husband appearing miserable
One thing we've learned about Ben Affleck is that he's not really a red carpet, awards show, major event kind of guy. He seems happiest when he's got an iced coffee from Dunkin' and doing his own thing. This could be why he barely smiles when he's making appearances alongside Jennifer Lopez. Like, who could forget how miserable Affleck looked when he attended the Grammys in February 2023? Photos of Affleck sitting with a scowl on his face quickly went viral, and lip readers all over the globe were giving us all insight into what words he and Lopez exchanged. But Lopez didn't let the negativity and the rumors dampen her love bubble.
The starlet took to social media a few days later to promote Affleck's new film "Air" and decided to poke some fun at his sour puss. "Cannot wait," she captioned an Instagram post. She included a still of Affleck appearing grumpy in the movie and added the caption, "My husband's happy face." Meanwhile, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter a few weeks later, Affleck explained why he looked so unhappy at the Grammys. "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 f***ing not leave,'" he said.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are busy with their blended families
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have blended their families, but it's clear that their kids have them running in different directions. Lopez is a mom to twins Max and Emme, born in 2008 (their dad is Lopez's ex-husband, Marc Anthony), while Affleck shares Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel with his ex, Jennifer Garner. During an interview with "Today" in 2023, Lopez opened up about all of them moving in together. "It's been, like, a really kind of emotional transition, but at the same time all your dreams coming true," she explained.
While coming together to make a large family can be a beautiful thing, it's sometimes not easy for everyone, which can cause problems. But, more importantly, making sure that the kids are where they need to be and are all getting the attention they deserve can absolutely be tricky and can put added stress on a marriage, especially when both parents are co-parenting with their former spouses. Lopez and Affleck seem to be making it work, but their kids are definitely keeping them busy, especially during the school year.
Jennifer Lopez is a serial dater
A call back to the part about Jennifer Lopez loving love, the "Selena" actor has certainly been around the block (probably the same one she sings about) when it comes to dating. Lopez has been engaged a total of six times, counting her two engagements with Ben Affleck. She said "yes" to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, Marc Anthony, and Alex Rodriguez. Her wedding to Affleck in 2022 marked the fourth time she's walked down the aisle. "I was very young the first two times I tried to get married. I would say try to get married," Lopez said in a tour diary posted on YouTube. "It seems like in this life, you're always surrounded by people; you're never lonely, but it's very lonely. So you always want somebody with you. Somebody. And so, I felt like if I got married, I felt like I would always have somebody, but that's not how life works," she continued.
It seems as though each time Lopez got engaged, she really felt that she found her person. She always spoke so highly of the man in her life and seemed to be overjoyed to have a ring on her finger and a special someone to come home to. Lopez has been a serial dater — but is that because she wasn't with the right person or because she gets bored easily? Affleck will either turn the tide or be the next casualty (again).
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are famous
Perhaps the easiest sign that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's marriage may not last is that they're famous. There are a number of different reasons that celebrity relationships don't last, but the statistics for a successful Hollywood marriage aren't great. Even couples that we thought would be together forever have gone and broken our hearts. Given this knowledge, it is safe to assume that Affleck and Lopez won't have staying power. Of course, they may be married for a decade or more, but ultimately? They probably aren't the end game.
"Actors are used to extremes — success and failures," Rob Shuter, the editor-in-chief of Naughty Gossip, told Glamour about why Hollywood romances don't last. Other factors include things like big egos, work demands, and spending time apart due to work schedules. And there's even more pressure on Affleck and Lopez to work out because of their shared history. "Unlike your average non-celebrity couple, celebrities are constantly watched, scrutinized, judged, and even followed. Unless very carefully hidden, there are no unnoticed secrets, bad days, or momentary breakdowns allowed without it being blown up, exposed, and consumed by the media, fans, and haters," celebrity dating and relationship expert Laurel House told Elite Daily. We can totally apply this logic to Affleck and Lopez's potentially doomed marriage. It's one of the main reasons things didn't work out the first time around for them after all.
Ben Affleck has struggled with sobriety
Another possible strain on Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's marriage is his sobriety. Affleck has struggled with alcoholism for years and has been to rehab a few times. While Affleck is determined to do his best to keep himself in check, he's fallen off the wagon here and there, which is easily something that could affect his relationship with Lopez. "Sobriety is difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction. Ben has acknowledged he's going to slip up from time to time. It was never as if this was simply behind him," a friend of Affleck's told People magazine in 2019.
Interestingly, Lopez released her very own line of alcoholic beverages despite her husband's sobriety. "I just wanted to create something better — something better tasting, better ingredients, something I would want to drink with my friends and family, and that is Delola," she captioned an Instagram post in April 2023. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lopez got a lot of heat for her decision to launch the new brand, and it wasn't just because of her husband, either. Many fans criticized Lopez for openly saying that she doesn't drink but putting her name on an alcohol label anyway. No matter how you look at it, Lopez's decision to launch Delola may not have been her best move.
Jennifer Lopez is truly career-oriented
There is one thing that has always been important to Jennifer Lopez, and that's her career. Although she may love having a guy by her side, she's constantly moving and creating, which can be exhausting for a partner who isn't used to moving at the same speed. In fact, there has been some chatter that Lopez's career will always be the biggest priority in her life, perhaps second only to her children. "She had him fooled for a while, but Ben's realizing Jennifer is as career-driven as she ever was," OK! magazine quoted a source as saying. "They're back to the grind of work and parenting. Reality has set in," the unnamed source added.
Now, Affleck knew darn well what he was getting into. "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," he told InStyle in 2021, but he wasn't married to her at the time. Will Lopez's dedication to her career cause the romance in her relationship to fizzle? Only time will tell.
Rekindled love stories are unlikely to have staying power
In an interview with People magazine, Jennifer Lopez said that she's "never been better" since rekindling with Ben Affleck. "I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him," she added. However, she also admitted that she and Affleck are "protective" of what they have — for fear of something going wrong as it did so many moons ago. To add to that, getting back together with a past lover isn't actually something that is recommended. "There's something comforting about something that can be both simultaneously new and familiar," divorce lawyer James Sexton told Time in June 2021.
But while it may seem romantic to rekindle something from the past, some therapists would actually advise against it. The idea that you may have found your person at an inopportune time is a completely normal thought, but trying to get that back can be pretty difficult. "Soulmates aren't found. Soulmates are made," psychiatrist Scott Haltzman said, cautioning folks not to jump on the Lopez-Affleck trend. So, there you have it; getting back together with an ex from your past probably isn't the greatest idea after all. Sorry, Bennifer.