Aimee Walker
Jennifer Lopez had a brutal five-word response when a reporter asked whether she was divorcing Ben Affleck.
When it was revealed J Lo, 54, and Affleck, 51, were back together in 2021, fans were left ecstatic – they had been an iconic celebrity couple in the early noughties.
The hype became even bigger the following year when the ‘Let’s Get Loud’ singer and Pearl Harbor star tied the knot.
But in recent months, everything has seemingly gone downhill for the pair – with reports emerging that the A-list couple have split.
And now, J Lo has spoken out.
‘Bennifer’ began in 2002, when the pair were on the set of their movie Gigli, which was released the following year.
Quickly, they become one of Hollywood’s biggest celebrity couples and one of the first to receive a hybrid name.
Lopez and Affleck would become engaged in the same year and as their relationship heated up, so did the paparazzi.
“We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” J Lo would later tell People magazine. “We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like ‘Oh my God’. It was just a lot of pressure.”
The couple were set to tie the knot in 2003 but just days before, it was postponed.
Lopez and Affleck said in a statement: “Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date.
“When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realised that something was awry.”
They added: “We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends.”
The couple ended up calling it quits in 2004 – it was speculated that the intense media attention was one of the reasons behind the split.
As we all know, Lopez and Affleck would reignite their relationship.
Opening up about their rekindled romance, the ‘On the Floor’ singer told People: “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him.
“It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”
During an appearance on Today, J Lo added that 2022 – the year she and Affleck tied the knot – was the ‘best year, I think, since my kids were born’.
Meanwhile, Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter: “Oh my god, she’s brilliant. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the way fashion evolves through the culture as a confluence of music, sports, entertainment and dance.”
While the A-list couple has gushed over their relationship, it hasn’t translated this way in the press – they frequently make headlines for seemingly tense red-carpet moments.
Lopez and Affleck would go viral at the 2023 Grammys as there was a seemingly tense moment between them.
In a clip from the night, the Gone Girl star can be seen whispering into J Lo’s ear and she appears to snap at him in response.
A Daily Mail transcriber interpreted what was said – J Lo apparently said ‘Stop’ and ‘Look more friendly. Look motivated’.
The transcriber believes Affleck replied: “I might.”
Months later, another awkward-looking moment happened to be caught on camera.
When the couple attended the premiere of J Lo’s movie The Mother, people took to social media and insisted things appeared ‘tense’ between the two.
Over on X, formerly Twitter, one person wrote: “He looks so annoyed with her.”
In agreement, another added: “He looks so intense.”
Someone else went as far as saying he looked like ‘the unhappiest husband in Hollywood’.
Now, reports say the couple are ‘heading for divorce’ and J Lo has been forced to comment.
People began speculating that things between Lopez and Affleck may not be smooth sailing when the singer rocked up to the Met Gala alone.
A representative told People magazine that it was simply because Affleck was filming The Accountant 2 in Los Angeles.
But then a bombshell report would drop from In Touch Weekly – it claimed the pair are ‘headed for a divorce’ and that the actor has ‘already moved’.
An insider claimed: “Ben already moved out and they’ll likely have to sell the dream house they spent two years searching for.
“They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her. There’s no way it could have lasted.”
This alone wasn’t enough to have people convinced, however, TMZ reported Lopez was house hunting and that her husband was nowhere in sight.
Meanwhile, Us Weekly sources insist it isn’t the end for ‘Bennifer’ – apparently, they’re working on their marriage and not separating.
Keen to get answers, one reporter asked Lopez herself – and she snapped back.
The This Is Me… Now actress was quizzed on her marital situation while promoting her new Netflix film Atlas.
The unidentified reporter suddenly asked the star: “Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? These rumours? What is the truth? Para le press le Mexicana, what is the truth of the situation?”
J Lo’s co-star Simu Liu jumped in and said: “We’re not doing that. Thank you so much, guys.”
Lopez appeared to laugh off the questions, however, the reporter seemed to continue his line of questioning, leading her to say: “You know better than that.”
Yikes…
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