A girl met a boy while working on a movie together.
They experienced a few bumps, which led to an 18-year breakup.
However, they reconciled twenty years later.
Several years ago, a boy and a girl fell in love and had a whirlwind romance. However, things came tumbling down after their engagement, and the two split until they reunited twenty years later.
The pair crossed paths in December 2001 while filming a movie together. Their romance only became public after they were seen locking lips on several occasions in the summer of 2002.
The news of their engagement made headlines in November of that year after being confirmed by the girl, who initially revealed they were okay with their relationship when asked about marriage prior.
During an interview that month, the girl gushed about the proposal and described it as “traditional,” adding it was “very, very beautiful.” She flaunted her engagement ring, a 6.1-carat pink diamond on a platinum band that cost $2.5 million.
But things turned sour in January 2004, when the girl reportedly broke up with the boy. According to an insider at the time, she was reportedly displeased with his partying lifestyle and wandering eye.
Another reason was that she wanted to settle and start a family after dating him for 18 months. A source reportedly said she was tired of waiting for him to come around.
Before the breakup news, the boy had spoken candidly about the couple’s romance in an interview, saying everything was going fine between them. This was despite rumors that they had grown apart.
The Girl Said She Was ‘Going to Die’ after the Breakup
The girl and boy in question are Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Lopez expressed that the split was “painful” and described it as the most significant separation of her life in an interview in September 2022. “[…] 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,” she said.
At the time of the interview, a source revealed Ben Affleck felt uncomfortable about Lopez sharing intimate details about their love life. It was not the first time they had broken up, as they had briefly split before and reconciled.
During the 2022 interview, Jennifer Lopez stated that regardless of what happened in the past, she and the Oscar Award-winning actor eventually got their happy ending.
Lopez & Affleck Rekindled Their Romance & Finally Wed
The Hollywood couple reconciled again in July 2021 and were first seen coupled up on Leah Remini’s Instagram post, as they posed with her at a party she hosted. They could be seen at the 0:32-second mark of the clip.
However, they went Instagram official a few days later while celebrating Lopez’s birthday. The month before, in June 2021, an insider revealed how the esteemed singer and actress has always felt about the renowned filmmaker, saying, “Jennifer always saw Ben as the one that got away.”
After rekindling their relationship, the showbiz stars walked their first red carpet in September 2021 and attended the Venice Film Festival by channeling old Hollywood glamour. The couple got engaged for the second time in April 2022.
They walked down the aisle in July of that year, and a few months down the line, the dancer admitted that people would still refer to her as Jennifer Lopez, “But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we’re joined together. We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that,” she said.
The pair later hosted a second wedding celebration in Georgia, surrounded by family and friends. During the event, guests wore all-white, and Lopez wore a Ralph Lauren gown with a dramatic train. Photos from the ceremony, shared in her newsletter, revealed the emotional moment when she met Affleck at the altar.
Life After the Vows
After the wedding, Lopez and Affleck enjoyed a romantic honeymoon in Italy, where they were seen dining at lakeside restaurants and shopping in Milan. Reports described them as inseparable, often holding hands and posing for pictures with fans.
In late 2022, Lopez revealed in Vogue that she had legally changed her last name to Affleck. She added that although fans would always know her as Jennifer Lopez, becoming Mrs. Affleck meant something meaningful to her.
That same year, she opened up about her heartbreak from their first breakup, calling it “the biggest heartbreak” of her life. Their reunion, she said, brought a deep sense of closure and creative inspiration for her album, “This Is Me…Now.”
Trouble Beneath the Surface
As 2023 progressed, signs of strain began to surface. Lopez and Affleck made fewer joint appearances, and Affleck’s stoic expression at the Grammy Awards sparked speculation online. Despite playful social media responses, including Lopez joking about her husband’s “happy face,” insiders hinted at growing differences in lifestyle.
The couple got matching tattoos that year, and they also teamed up on creative projects. Lopez credited Affleck for encouraging her to direct and produce her own musical film. But even as they worked together, they were reportedly living increasingly separate lives.
Their Story Ended Once More
By mid-2024, reports emerged that Affleck had moved out of their shared Los Angeles home. A few weeks later, on August 20 — the anniversary of their Georgia wedding — Lopez filed for divorce. According to sources, she was “heartbroken” but had tried her best to make the marriage work.
The singer reflected on the end of the marriage in an October 2024 interview. Though it had nearly broken her, she said she had no regrets. “That is exactly what I needed,” she said. “Thank you, God… I’m sorry it took me so long.”
Affleck remained quiet until after January 2025, when their divorce was finalized. In a March interview, he addressed the split, saying there was no scandal — only two people trying to figure out their relationship. He chose not to reveal specific details, describing them as “embarrassing” and “vulnerable.”
Their second chapter had ended, not with a dramatic fallout, but with quiet acceptance — a final curtain on a romance that had captivated the world twice over.
