<p id=”par-1_73″>Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck embarked on a storybook romance almost 20 years after ending their first engagement. Now <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/celebrity-relationships/?swcfpc=1″>married</a>, the couple have reportedly hit a rough patch again. While divorce rumors are swirling, neither Lopez nor Affleck are willing to fess up to what is going on inside their marriage. It wouldn’t be the first time they were secretive about<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/body-language-expert-predicts-long-jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-will-last.html/”> a breakup</a>. Let’s take a look back at the end of their original engagement. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-jennifer-lopez-and-ben-affleck-s-first-relationship-began-on-the-set-of-a-movie”>Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s first relationship began on the set of a movie</h2>
<p id=”par-2_53″>The first incarnation of “Bennifer” started on the set of the highly criticized movie <em>Gigli</em>. Lopez was married when they first locked eyes. Her marriage to backup dancer <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/who-are-j-los-two-ex-husbands-from-the-marriages-she-says-dont-count.html/”>Cris Judd </a>ended quickly. The couple got together in 2002 following Lopez’s divorce. As a true Hollywood power couple, they were photographed all over Los Angeles and on the red carpet. </p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1200″ height=”903″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Jen-and-Ben-2002.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at the ‘Maid in Manhattan’ after party ” class=”wp-image-3669031″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck | Jim Spellman/WireImage</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-3_64″>Their relationship progressed fast, with Affleck proposing in 2003. She appeared with a stunning 6-karat pink diamond engagement ring. According to <a href=”https://stylecaster.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/1260728/jennifer-lopez-engagement-ring/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Stylecaster</a>, the engagement ring was never returned to Affleck. It is unclear what Lopez did with the ring. When Affleck proposed again almost 20 years later, he did so with a green diamond. Lopez revealed that Affleck popped the question while she was soaking in a bubble bath. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-why-did-they-break-up-the-first-time-nbsp”>Why did they break up the first time? </h2>
<p id=”par-4_65″>Fans spotted the first signs of trouble between Affleck and Lopez in 2003. The duo appeared to have several high-profile spats, and Affleck often looked angry or downtrodden when out with Lopez. Later that year, they postponed their planned wedding, claiming there was just too much media attention around the event. They insisted they were still going to tie the knot, but that didn’t happen. </p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1200″ height=”970″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Jen-and-Ben-2003.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck dine at the Ivy Restaurant in Beverly Hills on March 28, 2003 in Beverly Hills, California.” class=”wp-image-3669032″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-5_71″>Affleck and Lopez announced the end of their romance in January 2004. They both blamed media attention for the end of their relationship. While the couple split up in 2004 and moved on by marrying other people, they still openly discussed their relationship in the press. For example, in 2014, Lopez appeared on <em><a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.today.com/popculture/jennifer-lopez-talks-heartbreak-being-unworthy-love-today-exclusive-1D80258159″ rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Today</a></em><a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.today.com/popculture/jennifer-lopez-talks-heartbreak-being-unworthy-love-today-exclusive-1D80258159″ rel=”noreferrer noopener”> </a>and called the end of her relationship with Affleck her first “big heartbreak,” despite having been married twice before. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-are-jennifer-lopez-and-ben-affleck-headed-for-divorce-nbsp”>Are Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck headed for divorce? </h2>
<p id=”par-6_62″>A lot is going on with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez recently. The duo reportedly live separately, and they’ve cycled between wearing <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jennifer-lopez-wears-simple-wedding-band-atlas-events-ben-affleck-split-rumors.html/”>their wedding rings</a> and not wearing them. Recently, Ben Affleck has taken to hiding his hand in comical ways so as not to give photographers a clear shot of his fingers. So, are the couple headed for a divorce announcement? </p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-3″><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1633″ height=”1089″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Ben-Affleck-Jennifer-Lopez-4.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Jennifer Lopez looking up at Ben Affleck and smiling at a movie premiere in February 2024″ class=”wp-image-3669018″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez | Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-7_41″>It is impossible to say. Lopez and Affleck are refusing to speak on the topic, with Lopez chastising a journalist who questioned her relationship status during a press tour. Still, the signs seem to point to strife in their young marriage. </p>