Jennifer Lopez lives her life out loud. I have no doubt that she can keep things private when she wants to, it’s just that she actually enjoys it when everybody is in her business and she’s the center of attention. She loves people to know about her ups and downs and dramas and heartbreaks. And honestly, she’s good at it. She’s like a throwback to Elizabeth Taylor, who was the same way, living her life out loud, letting the public see the mess. So it is with the return of OG Bennifer in recent weeks. Jennifer has been largely orchestrating the leaks and that’s fine. I just hope Ben Affleck is fine with it too. This is their second time around, so he’s had 17 years to prepare himself for it. A “source” tells People Mag that Ben was the one who suggested that he and Jennifer go to Montana:
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s Montana getaway was the Oscar-winning actor’s idea, a source tells PEOPLE.
“They both had last week off and wanted to spend time away from L.A.,” the source says in this week’s issue, on stands Friday. “Ben suggested Montana since he has a place there.”
The trip “was a nice break for Jennifer,” adds the insider. On Monday, sources told PEOPLE they were spotted riding in a car together near a resort in Big Sky, where Affleck, 48, has a home. He was seen behind the wheel with Lopez, 51, in the passenger seat. That day, a source told PEOPLE Lopez “had a great time with Ben” in Montana, adding, “She is happy with him and enjoys spending time with him. [Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town. They have a strong connection. It’s all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy,” the source said of the pair who were later spotted arriving back in L.A. on Saturday on a private jet.
Combined with the information about Ben sending her emails full of love and longing back in February, it seems like Jennifer wants everyone to know that Ben is pursuing her, not the other way around. Which is also fine with me – I think it works better as a gossip story and summer romance if he’s pursuing her and he basically was a big reason why she ended things with A-Rod. Speaking of:
Jennifer Lopez’s reunion with Ben Affleck didn’t come until after she ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez, says a source.
“She didn’t see Ben until it was over with Alex,” a source close to Lopez, 51, tells PEOPLE. “Jennifer was in contact with Ben before she split from Alex,” adds the source, but “it was friendly conversations and they didn’t make a plan behind Alex’s back that they would date.”
Clearly, Ben and Jen have been emailing since February. Maybe there weren’t firm plans to date, but again, Ben was pursuing her while she was very much engaged to someone else (someone who is a cheating dog). Ben did this in 2002 as well – he pursued Jennifer while she was married to Cris Judd! Ben homewrecked her marriage and then dipped when he lost interest/got scared-bored. It’s his particular M.O. when it comes to Jennifer Lopez.
Also: while this is a fun story and I’m enjoying everything, I do wonder if Ben is basically love-bombing Jennifer? Like, it’s all heat and passion and Montana vacations and emails full of longing, and then he’ll lose interest in three months.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
They didn’t SEE each other.So they were having an emotional relationship not a physical or sexual relationship while she was engaged to Alex.Overlap
While Alex was dipping his wick everywhere and loose. So what?
And while Ben was chasing Raya girls! And we need some recent pictures of the happy couple.
Honestly even if she was planning her exit while with ARod who cares. I’m sure he was cheating in her the whole time.
Exactly! Who could blame her? That’s one of the best angles of this story—ARod being eclipsed.
It’s what he deserves.
I’m actually surprised that with Ben’s ego and his well-known hatred of anything Yankees, he didn’t sent Arod balloons with a card “Tell Rodriguez it was Ben”.
LOL
😆
Is it going to be underagers or middleagers, Ben? Is this his PR response for Rayagate?
I believe that Ben & Jennifer being close friends is true. I believe this “relationship” is false and nothing but a PR exercise.
I think Ben probably outed Arod on something about trying to DM girls? Maybe from Raya? He probably told jennifer in february when the $hit started with Madison Lecroy. He probably couldnt let his “friend” go though with a guy like Arod, so now Jennifer thinks Ben loves her deeply and is protecting her. and that’s why Arod’s not happy about ben – cus he’s a snitch. lol I love making up stories!
She has a great PR machine. While I feel she has been so over exposed this past year, (social media, magazines covers, beauty line, etc), she is fun to watch.
Eh, I disagree. I don’t find her fun to watch at all. Her PR team is giving a play-by-play of her desperate need for validation. She needs attention — either from cheaters or from the press, preferably both — at ALL times. It’s weird.
@FYI this 100%
There is a Blind Item about her & her PR Team to make her look more desirable, but to me this makes her look desperate. Nothing wrong with being single for a second JLo.
To each her/his own, I guess!
I feel Ben is in a messy place and needs to focus on Ben and stop hopping in and out of failed relationships.
Do not forget that she has a new movie coming out this fall!
Yea, her PR team is working overtime, but Jlo only comes across as needy, seeking attention, insecure and afraid to be alone. She has children of her own yet acts like an emotionally immature teenager. Fail.
They are equally boring people
Let’s hope Ben don’t use hookers again to get out of this relationship.
Ben and Jennifer need to spend alone time, they’re both too messy.
Jennifer Garner must be having a good laugh, by now Violet must be over her father’s tragic behavior.
I feel for his kids, he’s such an embarrassment. And I’m waiting to see how he will top throwing cardboard Ana in the trash.
I’d rather be thrown in the trash than humiliated and left raising three kids by myself.
Maybe this is just a giant build up so she can dump HIM -and then she’ll have the closure she needs.
Someone (I think lainey) said this would be such a big deal or whatever and I feel like most are like whatever. A lot of people know how Hollywood works and see this as a Pr stunt. I find it almost gross. He’s dirty, used up and never will be faithful. I also think she has no pride because part of the reason he cheated on her was because the media thought she was below him and that’s why he had kids with the white Jennifer.
I, for one, am all in on this and wish them all the best.
This is gonna be glitzy and so messy. Then don’t. Just like that.
Then done I meant.
Ben must be quite a love letter writer, lol! Jen G. used to talk about the love letters that Ben had emailed her, as well! I would bet that he sent love letters to Ana, as well! I think Jen G. quote a out Ben was on target. ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it. I think that Ben will grow bored with Jennifer Lopez & that the thrill of the chase will be gone. Right now, I think that both Jen & Ben are both trying to show the world that they are desirable. . Jen is particularly loving the fact that Ben is pursuing her & A-Rod is pining for her!
Love the velour tracksuit photos. I really hope they’re just having a bit of fun. I still think Ben has a lot to work on.
I do too! Dang, she can even make those hideous tracksuits look sexy.
I feel like this is a mutually beneficial PR stunt. Jennifer gets the attention off ARod and Ben is “dating” an A lister again.
For some reason this made me think of when Blake Lively dated Leo and she was the first girl in a long time he would be publicly photographed with, and then she dumped him for Ryan Reynolds.
Same vibe of surprise, you got played! I don’t like Leo or A-Rod, they’re garbage men, so it’s all good fun 😄
I don’t think Bennifer 2.0 will end any better, but JLo knows how to make great gossip. She is very Liz Taylor, does this make Ben her Burton??
Ben Affleck is no Richard Burton!
And she is no Liz Taylor! Not even close.
I think they will either implode and he’ll end up off the wagon yet again, OR they will elope quickly. At their age, if you’re doing the marriage thing, no point in waiting.
Bahaha as someone “their age,” fiftyish is not exactly at death’s door! When you hit this age you don’t feel any pressure to get married, or even live in the same house as your partner. Maybe she will want it because she likes a big show, but that will take a long time to put together, just like before, especially with the pandemic, and in the meantime the extravaganza of it will scare Ben off just like last time.
Jennifer is now a mother of two and her daughter was very upset about Jennifer’s breakup with Arod. She made her kids and his one big happy family and then nada. When I read she spend the weekend with Ben, my first thought was, it’s mother’s day, why isn’t she with her kids. Ben is too messy a person to bring into those children’s lifes.
I didn’t realize the mother’s day thing Unum you said it. Wow. Why isn’t she with the kids?
I think she did spend Mother’s Day with her kids and her mom? Lainey has photos.
Yeah this is what I don’t get. It was fine when she was single, no kids. But her jumping into a relationship 5 seconds after one ends just looks bad now and it isn’t cute. She dated Casper Smart for years and he was around her kids pretty consistently, I’m assuming they formed a bond with him. Then that ended and she was with A-Rod and they blended their kids together for a few years. The kids were all ready for him to become their stepfather and step-siblings and then that was taken away. It’s not their fault their mother keeps picking bad men. And now she’s back to hanging out with her ex, a relationship that exploded pretty spectacularly. I hope she doesn’t introduce Ben to her kids or make her kids hang out with Ben’s unless they get super serious. They don’t deserve to have a parade of men coming and going every few years.
I just posted almost the same thing on the other Ben article!
I too think the kids have had a lot of upheaval, and unfortunately are probably used to it. Their dad has married and divorced again since JLO too.
Ben’s kids as well, they hung out with Ana a lot it seems, and now she’s gone and his back with his old ex from before they were born.
Doesn’t change the larger point re: the kids, but there were pix of her at a mother’s day lunch with her mom and kids in LA.
I don’t know how some people find a relationship replacement so quickly. Jlo can’t be single for literally 5 minutes. What does she think is gonna happen if she had time to herself? I think it’s just away of actually avoiding dealing with heartbreak, but if you don’t deal with it then how do you heal? You just end up repeating the same pattern again and again. I know a friend who’s boyf at the time broke up with her (someone she had known since school) and she literally went straight to another guys house (someone she worked with) the same day and started a new relationship. Why?
I think she is doing this for revenge. Ben very publicly dumped her days before their wedding was supposed to take place. He is the one that got away and she will make him fall for her and leave him in the lurch looking pathetic. He deserves it.
Seems like too much a long game. She’s stayed friends with him for nearly 20 years in the hope of one day getting back together and making him look stupid?
Well, so far her plan is working, isn’t it
Yep.
Do not underestimate a scorned Leo’s petty grudges. We’re in it for the long-haul. LOL
I obviously don’t know them and the truth but I believe that she didn’t break up with Alex after the cheating allegations because she waited, planned to make a big entrance with Ben.
She’s a master of PR.
I believe 17 years ago Ben was literally overwhelmed and seduced by her charm and empire but he allowed her to make him a stupid celebrity kissing her ass in a music video and it backfired and he connected the dots of being ridiculed – that it’s because of Jen.
However now the tables are turned and she’s still the respected mega star and his chance to be big again and not just dating young women womaniser.
AND I see Jen really liking him/loving him, he was the one who got away.
So.. I could see it work for a while?
I hate how used to blame her for everything. He didn’t allow her to do anything. He wanted to be there and he loved the attention until he didn’t. It was the same with Ana de Armas. He loved being with a sexy, up and coming actress until he didn’t. He was cheesing as hard as de Armas in those pap pics. And you’re right, it is very beneficial for Ben to be seen with JLo now. She’s still gorgeous and working.
I find this whole story really depressing and I had hoped it wasn’t “real” (is it really real, tho?… still!) because … he’s just so incredibly below her. She’s backsliding so bad. This woman is bangin’ hot, mega-talented, looks INSANELY AMAZING not just “for her age” but insanely amazing, period. She’s had hit movies in the recent past and rocked the friggin’ Super Bowl just last year. She helped revamp the epic Jungle Dress for Donatella Versace on the catwalk and made everyone swoon. She’s still mega relevant, a credible star who still brings audiences in and wows a crowd, which is incredible for any star who’s been on “nickname status” for actual decades, let alone a woman in the misogynist, ageist entertainment industry. There was all that legit awards buzz for her role in Hustlers. LIke, she’s still GOT IT. She’s still a friggin’ triple threat. She’s still successful and out there and working it.
Him? Um… I guess I don’t fully realize the status of whatever backstage power player role he may potentially have in Hollywood, but when I think of this guy, I think… has-been. Messy. Divorces and breakups and staged pap-walks and embarassments aplenty and Dad-bod. What has he even done, recently, project-wise? I don’t mean the project of trying to hook up with overinflated TikTok chicks. Like, I kinda don’t actually enjoy typing that out, dragging him… But damn. Maybe he was “JLo-worthy’ in the late 90s or whatever, with the fresh Oscar win and all, but now it’s like… Really? Is this some sort of “white male A-lister” privilege thing, where no matter how lame he becomes, dude is considered bankable, socially, for life?
Guess it really is lonely at the top. Is this a pandemic-related search for comfort, too? Shoot, I’ve been tempted by the idea of exes bc of lockdown isolation and stuff, but damn… I want better for JLo than this!
Yeah, but when one is in an ACTUAL, REAL-LIFE relationship, neither party cares about how many hit movies or projects they have going. Is he/she a good person? Is he/she kind? What are his/her values? ARE THEY A GOOD PARENT?!!? [cough, cough] That’s the kind of stuff that ACTUAL relationships are made of. A child doesn’t care if her mom is wearing Versace. She cares if her mom is home on mother’s day.
If you’re talking about using each other for image management, then I don’t think it matters that much who’s up and who’s down — as long as it’s good PR. Which… gross.
Yeah, Ben is a sleaze bag and I’d trust him less than A-Rod. A-rod is transparent. He comes with the label, “I WILL cheat. Don’t worry about that!” He’s straightforward, but I genuinely believe he had feelings for Jennifer. He seemed sincerely moved by the Father’s Day pics (it was covered here last year). Ben, on the other hand, is tricky and slick. If the devil wanted to date and then humiliate a woman, he’d take the form of Ben. It would always be coming from left field, and even though you know, you don’t know, do you? In other words, Ben will cheat AND
f-ck with your head. Remember May Angelou’s quotation, “When someone teaches you who they are, believe them the first time.”
A-Rod is straightforward? LOL A-Rod is a sleeze, just like Ben, and covers his tracks everywhere. Eventually something seeps out, like a girl on a reality show who wants to milk it, but we only saw the tip of the iceberg with A-Rod. He’s probably got a roster of hookers and porn girls on speed dial, but still loves the thrill of creeping into insta-models and reality TV stars’s DMs, and then puts on his nice suit and J-Lo on his arm and presents to the outside world.
Any woman getting involved with either apparently put blinders on and believe the one side they present and believe they are the ones to change them and be their dream girl, as we all roll our eyes.
LOL there is absolutely NOTHING genuine about Alex Rodriguez. He needed JLo to overhaul his image because he was a pariah thanks to his steroid scandal and suspension. He pretended to be the perfect boyfriend and dad while being a sleezebag the entire time PER USUAL. I never understood why Jlo went along with this business arrangement with him
The mood in the last 3 photos. Either she’s hanging on for dear life or she’s trying to restrain and console him???
Ugh, it’s so pathetic. Hard to look at.
Jen…jen..jen..girl…you so needy….it looks really bad that dude cheated on you for months, then to pretend you to be seeing Ben and getting pap’d just to put out a coy…”we didn’t start seeing each other til after”…statement…..it’s 2021 not 2001 we dont be for a sec that Jen is with Ben, or that she is a strong woman….girl is weak and insecure …point blank…Jen has this insecure bone that makes her do these lame publicity stunts and it makes her look old and ugly
Honestly, the leaking of their timeline and Ben chasing her via emails that Jen is obvously having put out is becoming very, very pathetic. I am beginning to find it all very sad by Jennifer. Ben is a hot mess anyway, but you do expect better from Jen, even in a Bennifer rebound. She’s gone too far with the leaking. It feels either desperate or extremely narcissistic, or both. Jennifer Garner knows this is not going to end well and is focused on her kids. Jennifer Lopez? Posted that video still of Emme sobbing and making sure the world knows her every move with Ben.
Bennifer Part 2 is going to either go dark and coming out later saying they were only friends leaning on each other or there’s going to be a glorious dramatic crash and burn. Some possibilities: Ben dumps J-Lo and J-Lo runs back to A-Rod. Or J-Lo dumps Ben publicly when privately he turns cold and Ben runs back to Ana with an engagement ring. Although, is it really possible to humiliate Ben any more than he has been in the last few years? There’s so many scenarios to this, and none of them are a Bennifer Part 2 Happy Ending.
The winner in all of this is Jennifer Garner. The kids truly are her priority during another Ben Drama Fest, and he’s not her problem anymore.