They finally tied the knot in July – 18 years after calling off their first engagement. And Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have seemed blissfully happy ever since, regularly gushing about each other in interviews and enjoying lavish, loved-up holidays together.
But last week, Jennifer, 53, raised eyebrows after giving a heartfelt interview, where she shared intimate details about her and Ben’s relationship. Speaking to Apple Music about the emotional turmoil that she experienced after
their split, J-Lo said, “It was so painful after we broke up. Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life. I honestly felt like I was going to die. It sent me on a spiral for the next 18 years where I just couldn’t get it right.”
And now insiders say that J-Lo offloading the deep and private details of their relationship has left Ben, 50, feeling uneasy.
A source tells Closer, “Ben isn’t going to censor what J-Lo’s allowed to say when she wants to give interviews, but it does make him feel a little uncomfortable that she’s gone into such graphic detail about their highs and lows. Going over old ground and recounting deeply personal experiences they had in the past isn’t his style at all.
“He gets that she finds it cathartic to share details of their love story and how they got their happily-ever-after fairy-tale, but it’s still awkward and over the top as far as he’s concerned. He knew what he was signing up for in that J-Lo wants to shout about their love from the roof tops, but talking about how she felt she was going to die when they broke up the first time? That’s on another level entirely.”
Ben and Jennifer first met when they filmed Gigli together in 2001, while Jennifer was still married to first husband Cris Judd. But by 2002, they were the Hollywood “It” couple and later that year – after he featured in J-Lo’s music video for Jenny From The Block – Ben proposed with a £2 million diamond ring.
But things turned sour over the next two years and the couple called off their engagement in 2004, reportedly due to Ben’s partying lifestyle and Jen’s desire to settle down and start a family.
While apart, Ben – who has struggled with alcoholism throughout his life, attending rehab on three separate occasions in 2001, 2017 and 2019 – tied the knot with actress Jennifer Garner in 2005, and later welcomed daughters Violet, 16, and Seraphina, 13, and 10-year-old son Sam.
Meanwhile, Jen wed singer Marc Anthony in 2004 and the couple were married for a decade, during which they had twins Emme and Max, now 14.
In 2019, Jen got engaged to baseball player Alex Rodriguez – but after cheating rumours swirled, the pair called it off in 2021.
Then, this September – after they rekindled their love last year – she finally headed down the aisle with Ben in a ceremony at his £6m Georgia home. And in her interview last month, J-Lo also revealed that she had “Not going anywhere” engraved on her second engagement ring from Ben.
Now insiders say that Jennifer’s turbulent past romances – as well as her first failed engagement to Ben
– has meant that she’s keen for reassurance, which he sometimes finds difficult.
Our source explains, “J-Lo makes no secret of her neediness, she’s totally dependent on Ben and doesn’t cope well if he’s away from her for any length of time whatsoever. This has always been her way in past relationships, but there’s a sense that with Ben she’s still got that insecurity that lingers from when he jilted her in the past and no matter how solid they are even all these years later, it’s a scar that’s unlikely to ever fully heal. It’s a lot of pressure on Ben and he’s well aware that the onus is on for him to stick around and make this last. It’s up to him to make it work.”
