Jennifer Lopez Didn't Think Ben Affleck Split Was Possible When They Reconciled 3 Years Before Divorce Rumors
Jennifer Lopez was confident her second chance at love with Ben Affleck would have a happy ever after, but that was three years before they were plagued with divorce rumors.
Lopez, 54, and Affleck, 51, reunited in 2021, nearly 20 years after they called off their engagement and canceled their wedding in 2003. Lopez got back with the "Gone Girl" actor just weeks after she broke up with her ex-fiancé, Alex Rodriguez. They eloped in Las Vegas in July 2022 and exchanged vows again in front of their family and friends a month later.
Months before they married, the "Let's Get Loud" singer graced the March 2022 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. During the interview, Lopez was asked about the possibility of her and Affleck going separate ways, and she said she didn't see them ever breaking up again, otherwise they would not rekindle their romance.
Read also: Jane Fonda's Warning To Jennifer Lopez About Ben Affleck Romance Resurfaces: 'It Feels Too Much'
"I don't think we would have got back together if we thought that was where it was headed," Lopez told the magazine. "We feel like what we found again is so much more important, and how we protect that and how we live our lives -- what to share, what not to share -- is the balance that we have now, the benefit of experience and the wisdom that we gained over the years."
She also seemingly echoed the same sentiment when she spoke about how much they changed and were ready to take on their second chance at "real love" after being apart for nearly two decades.
"What I can teach my children is that real love exists," the "Mary Me" actress told People. "Some things can be forever, but it doesn't mean they just have a straight line."
She acknowledged that putting their love out made it easy for the media to trample it. However, they have grown and are more protective of their romance.
"We both were like, 'Wow, we're so happy and we don't want any of that to come into play again.' We're older now, we're smarter, we have more experience, we're at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things. We're so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us," Lopez added.
However, Lopez might have changed her mind about keeping her relationship with Affleck private. Earlier this year, she released "The Greatest Love Story Never Told," documenting her and Affleck's romantic life.
Lopez's close pals warned her against it. Her friend Jane Fonda, who she co-starred with in "Monster-In-Law," said she was rooting for them, but the documentary "feels like too much" as if Lopez was "trying to prove something instead of just living it."
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas also shared the same concern when Lopez decided to put $20 million of her own money into the project after a potential partner decided to pull out.
"'What are you doing?' I was worried. 'Why are you sharing your story? It's too personal. Stop it.' It made me uncomfortable for her," Goldsmith-Thomas said.
Affleck himself was also seemingly reluctant with her decision. He even appeared taken aback when he saw Lopez sharing his love letters for her with other people.
"I did really find the beauty and the poetry and the irony in the fact that it's the greatest love story never told. If you're making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it," Affleck told the cameras in the documentary.
For months, Lopez and Affleck have been plagued with divorce rumors. They fueled the speculations about their marriage by putting their $60 million marital home for sale and living in separate houses. However, they are still seen together from time to time and haven't directly addressed the status of their marriage.
