Ben Affleck's Dad Made A Surprising Admission About The J-Lo Engagement

It seems the whole world has fallen in love again with the second-time-around love story between actor-director Ben Affleck and singer-dancer-actor Jennifer Lopez. When news broke in early 2021 that the pair had reunited nearly 20 years after they first became betrothed in 2002 (and called it quits in 2004), celebrities and fans alike positively lavished the pair with their congratulations for having a second shot at love. Everyone from Kim Kardashian and Affleck's ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow, to Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence gushed over the reunion, per Us Weekly.

Even J-Lo herself marveled at their unique love story, which seems almost unheard of in Hollywood, telling People in February that, "I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him. It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance."

Then, on April 8, the "Gigli" co-stars revealed the Bennifer Betrothal 2.0 was happening (this is not a drill!) with a post on Lopez's official newsletter, OntheJLo, where she flaunted her lime green engagement ring from Affleck. Once again, congratulations flowed from fans, and even Affleck's ex-wife, actor Jennifer Garner, per Hollywood Life. But it seems there was one person in Bennifer's inner circle who was unaware of the engagement until it hit the news — Affleck's own father, Timothy. 

Speaking with The U.S. Sun, Ben Affleck's father, Timothy Affleck frankly revealed that he had "no idea" his son's engagement to Jennifer Lopez had happened until he read about it in the papers. "I haven't talked to them in ages," he told the outlet, "but if everything one reads on the internet is true, they're having a good time together." When asked by the outlet how he feels about the betrothal, he exclaimed, "That's fine by me! I'm happy about it."

"I don't know anything about wedding plans or anything like that. But I don't imagine there will be a repeat of the last wedding arrangements," Timothy continued. His lack of insider info about his own son is down to a lack of constant communication, he said, noting, "I haven't been in touch [with Ben] recently, but we write periodically, so it's okay. I saw my grandkids a few months back." He also mentioned how busy his Oscar-winning son has been lately with all of his projects. "He's been working a lot, which no one seems to care about. They care about romance."

The romance in question has been low-key adorable, with the "Jenny from the Block" singer revealing in her newsletter that the "Argo" director popped the question while she was taking a bubble bath, per Mirror. "It was nothing fancy at all, but it was the most romantic thing I could've ever imagined," she wrote. Yes, Timothy, we are living for this romance!

It looks like Ben Affleck doesn't update his dad about his love life much. Back when he first rekindled his romance with Jennifer Lopez in 2021, Timothy Affleck revealed that he "had no idea" that Bennifer were back on after nearly two decades of being apart.

In an interview with The U.S. Sun, he said that he was oblivious to the reunion, but only because the circumstances had prevented him from catching up with both his sons. "Of course I've heard of her," he said. "But I'd no idea about any of this. I talk to my kids about their lives when I see them, and they share with me what they want to share. I haven't seen my kids in so long, what with their work and COVID." Lopez also didn't see her parents for a while due to the pandemic. "It became the number one thing that we, in a way, took for granted for so long," she told People in January 2021. "Not being able to see my mom and dad as much as we wanted, we didn't spend the holidays together ..."

Timothy was also asked if there was any truth to the story that Ben had been "pining" for Lopez for years before they got back together, but the dad of two quickly shot down the rumors. "I've never heard of all that nonsense," he said.

While Timothy Affleck is mostly oblivious to what's going on between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, he still maintains a positive opinion of the singer. He hasn't seen her in the past few years, but they did get the chance to meet when Bennifer first got together. "I did meet Jennifer when they first dated," he shared with The U.S. Sun. "What I like most about her is that she did it all herself. She brought herself up on so many different levels. She's obviously very talented." He also went on to praise her work ethic. "She's one of the people who really worked at it and hustled ... She's a hard worker, and I admire that. I think she deserves everything she gets."

Timothy doesn't oppose the idea of Lopez being his daughter-in-law, either. When asked if he is expecting an invite to the wedding, he said that he would love to come. "Well, it's always great to see my grandkids and my son. It'll be nice to see Jennifer. I hope it all works out well for them."

Could another grandkid be on the way for Timothy? According to Heatworld, Lopez wants to have a baby, but Ben is not quite so sure. "When they first got back together last year, Ben would talk about wanting to have a baby with Jen all the time," an insider told the magazine, "so it's been tough for her to accept that he's not as into the idea these days."