Any doubts over Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s shock reunion were firmly put to bed last week when the couple were seen kissing in front of the singer’s loved ones during a dinner date.
Playing happy families, Ben bonded with Jennifer’s 13-year-old twins, Max and Emme – who she shares with ex Marc Anthony – at her sister Linda’s 50th birthday celebration at Malibu’s swanky Nobu restaurant.
The couple’s PDA came after Closer revealed the A-list power couple – famously dubbed “Bennifer” during their two-year romance – were already talking about marriage amid whispers the actor, 48, will pop the question.
Ben was previously engaged to Jen in 2002, but the pair called off their wedding two years later, citing the reason as “excessive media attention”.
But now pals say Ben wants to give long-lasting love another shot and is planning a romantic proposal on the singer’s 52nd birthday on 24 July.
He first popped the question to Jen after just two months of dating in 2002 with a £1.5million pink diamond ring, and has a track record of grand romantic gestures towards the pop star.
After the pair filmed romcom Gigli together in 2003, Ben paid for an advert in US magazine Variety, where he penned a gushing letter to Jen, who at the time was married to her first husband, choreographer Cris Judd.
In the one-page love letter, Ben 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 honour and a pleasure to work with you. I only wish I were lucky enough to be in all your movies. With love, respect and gratitude, Ben Affleck.’’ By the end of the year, they were engaged.
After 18 years apart they reconciled earlier this year, just weeks after Jennifer broke off her two-year engagement to baseball player Alex Rodriguez following a string of cheating allegations on his side.
CHECK OUT the most shocking break ups of the decade
Most shocking break ups of the decade
1 of 29Louise and Jamie Redknapp
They were the British A-list couple that we thought would last but the world was stunned in July 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they'd split after 19 years together. Months later Louise opened up about the end of her marriage and following the end of the Redknapp marriage, it was reported that celebrities were refusing to sign up to the BBC show because of the Strictly curse.
2 of 29Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
3 of 29Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin had been together for 23 years and married for 11 but in January 2018, the TV presenter confirmed he was filing for divorce following his rehab stint.However after a drink driving arrest, a second visit to rehab and liking a lot of shady tweets – the pair officially divorced nine months after splitting.
4 of 29Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
5 of 29Paul and Alex Hollywood
Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his wife Alex split after 20 years together. They'd previously split in 2013 after the GBBO star had an affair with his American co-star but they managed to patch things over and make things work. For a while.
6 of 29Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
7 of 29Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
8 of 29Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
9 of 29Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
10 of 29Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
11 of 29Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
12 of 29Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
13 of 29Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
14 of 29Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
15 of 29Liam Payne and Cheryl
We're pretty sure the world was shocked when Liam Payne and Cheryl announced they were dating. However they then went on to welcome baby Bear Grey Payne into the world and despite breakup rumours they posed together at the Brit Awards in 2018. Unfortunately a few months later – and a total of two years together - they split.
16 of 29Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
This break up is still a bit weird and we're not really sure why it happened because – spoiler alert – they're not real people. Anyways, in 2015 the puppets announced the end of their relationship in a lengthy statement.
17 of 29Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
18 of 29Cheryl and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl literally surprised the world when she announced on Instagram that she had eloped with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after three months of dating. The pair seemed totally in love until Cheryl raised concerns among fans after losing a lot of weight and slammed any split rumours by revealing her father in law had died. Unfortunately their romance wasn't to last and after 18 months of marriage they split.
19 of 29Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
20 of 29Adele and Simon Konecki
She's notoriously private with her life but in 2019 is came to light that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki had split. Awhopping £145m is the figure being talked about in relation to their divorce. In 2012 they welcomed their only child into the world – Angelo.
21 of 29Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
22 of 29Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
23 of 29Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
24 of 29Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
25 of 29Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
26 of 29Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
27 of 29Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lived a real-life story after falling in love on the set of The Last Song. However after four years together they split. They were then on/off but decided to call it quits AGAIN after eight years together. Their relationship didn't end there though because they reunited and got married but eight months after their wedding they split again.
28 of 29Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilightstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
29 of 29Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
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And our source has revealed that during their seven-week second go at romance, the pair have been “inseparable” and Jen has “never been happier .”
The couple have also spent time with their respective children – Jen’s kids Max and Emme, and Ben’s children Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, nine, who he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, from whom he split in 2018.
And now pals tell Closer that Miami-based Jen is planning to move back to LA – where she owns a £28 million mansion – to live with Ben
A source says, “They’re both adamant about avoiding a long-distance relationship and Jen’s already spoken to Marc, who’s agreed to the plan as long as it doesn’t interfere with their custody situation.
“Jen’s looking to move in to Ben’s Pacific Palisades compound as she loves the area and being so close to the beach, they can’t wait to start their lives together.
“Ben’s grown close to Max and Emme, who have been extremely welcoming to him, and he feel it’s the right time to introduce Jen to his own children – even Jennifer [Garner] has given them her blessing, after seeing how happy they are together.
“So they’re all planning a beach day where the kids can meet and they’re hoping that given they’re so close in age, they will get along and grow strong bonds as they move towards becoming one, big, blended family.”
It’s not only Jen who has fallen for Ben all over again. The Latino star’s mum, Guadalupe “Lupe” Rodriguez is said to be “thrilled” at the reconciliation and was seen visiting Ben on-set of his new film in Las Vegas.
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But some fans are more sceptical about the speed of the new relationship, with one writing, “Ben and J-Lo seem to need to go from relationship to relationship instead of taking the time to be alone to work on themselves.” Another wrote, “My goodness, the way some people can just flit from one “partner” to another so quickly is beyond my comprehension. I’d still be in mourning over the last guy.”
And Closer recently revealed that even Jen’s ex-husband Marc has urged her to tread cautiously with Ben for the sake of their children, warning her about rebounding.
But the source adds, “While they know it may seem like things are moving fast, they both agree that it feels right this time and the only way is up.”
Read more in this week's Closer magazine, out now