Fans were thrilled when J-Lo and Ben Affleck finally headed down the aisle in August, after rekindling their flame 20 years on from their split. Now insiders say the couple are gearing up for their first Christmas as a blended family.
A source tells Closer, “This is a big Christmas for Ben and Jennifer – it’s their first as a married couple, so they want to make it really special and for it to be one to remember. They’ll be doing something with all the kids and family, and they’re determined to make it as smooth-sailing as possible with the exes.”
J-Lo, 53, first began dating Ben, 50, in mid-2002 after meeting on the set of Gigli in December 2001. They were engaged in November 2002 and set to wed in September 2003, but postponed their nuptials with just four days’ notice, blaming “excessive media attention”. Dubbed “Bennifer”, the couple ended their engagement at the start of 2004.
J-Lo moved on with singer Marc Anthony and they had twins Emme and Max, now 14, before divorcing in June 2014.Meanwhile, Ben went on to date Jennifer Garner. They wed in 2005 and share three children, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 13, and 10-year-old Samuel. They jointly filed for divorce in 2017 and it was finalised in October 2018, with Ben saying last December that they had a “marriage that didn’t work”. It’s also been reported that his alcoholism – for which he went to rehab multiple times – was a contributing factor in their separation.
J-Lo and Ben rekindled in April 2021 and have gone from strength to strength ever since. And insiders say that the pair are working carefully to map out their Christmas plans.
The source says, “Jen and Ben plan on being in LA for Christmas itself – they want to spend as much time with their kids as possible and have a blended family celebration at her place in Bel-Air. It’s all being figured out but the plan is for Ben's three kids to come over on the big day, mingle with Max and Emma and open their gifts, then all sit down for lunch. The big question is whether Jennifer [Garner] decides to come along. She's been invited – but since her own family is likely to be in town, the more realistic scenario will be for her to have the kids back in time for supper and take turns being ferried back and forth to Ben and Jen's estate.
"The good news is that everyone's getting along very well. The awkwardness that existed between Jennifer and Jen has been put to one side and it's all extremely cordial. They're never going to be best friends, but both are pleased they've found a way to share common ground. And it's good for the kids, of course."
In an interview last month, the singer revealed that Ben had the words, “Not. Going. Anywhere” engraved on her ring, which isthought to be the email sign-off he used when they reunited. And she also opened up about their first split in 2004, revealing that it sent her on a spiral for 18 years, which meant she couldn’t get her music “right”. She recalled, “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, and I honestly felt like I was going to die."
And insiders say that as they look ahead to the first Christmas as a married couple, they are keen to have a few festive moments just the two of them.
The source adds, "They're planning to sneak away for a few days, somewhere they can celebrate their first Christmas as a married couple. It'll likely be a log cabin or a hideout somewhere off the beaten track. They're so excited to be planning out the rest of their lives together and have a heap of exciting things planned for 2023."