Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are now super-for real married. Honestly, given the way the first engagement imploded, I probably would’ve double-knotted this time as well, just to make sure. Their wedding was notable in that 1) it happened 2) there was the binding one and the for show one and 3) by who didn’t attend. While several of Bennifer’s famous and long-time friends made the trek to the humid depths of Savannah, Georgia to sweat through their best all-white ensembles, people like Jen Garner opted out. As did Ben’s brother Casey. Also missing: JLo’s longtime BFF Leah Remini. Leah is probably closer to the couple than Casey, to be honest. She was the reason we got Bennifer 2.0 Instagram Official in 2021. Leah has been a ride or die JLo supporter for decades. Leah has survived all the JLo romances. JLo supported Leah as she disengaged fromScientology. So why would Leah miss the second wedding of the second engagement of Bennifer? Because Leah’s only child is leaving for college and that took priority.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s wedding wasn’t short on celebrities, but one person who wasn’t in attendance? Jennifer’s close friend Leah Remini, whose absence from the wedding has pretty much everyone spiraling / worrying they may not be as close anymore.
However! TMZ reports that Leah skipping the wedding was not a snub. She simply was spending time with her daughter, Sofia, who’s about to leave for college. TMZ reports that Leah was invited to the wedding and that she and J.Lo are “very close” like “sisters.” They also note that the pair still follow each other on Instagram, so everything seems good—at least from a social media stand point.
Jen shared a throwback of Leah trolling her by the pool just a few months ago in March
We just talked about parents saying goodbye to their kids with Heidi Klum saying goodbye to Leni. I joke that I’m already redecorating my kids’ room and they aren’t even gone yet but the truth is, I will absolutely squeeze those last few moments with them before they move out. I don’t think this is a slight from Leah, although the wording in these articles are certainly trying to get us to think it is. My guess is Sofia’s registration was very close to the wedding and it was too much to pack in both trips. It’s not like Leah and Sofia were just sitting on the couch sipping sodas during the wedding. Some think there’s an issue because Leah didn’t post a message like Casey did wishing the couple well. Leah gives her blessing with actions. I’m sure she said what she needed to to the couple. She’s not about the fluff, her words land with meaning.
I also think the public might be putting more emphasis on this Georgia ceremony than Bennifer. This was their do-over and as important as it was for the couple to have a big splashy affair to commemorate their rather elaborate love-story, they probably understand other people’s investment in a ceremonial wedding. It’s not their first wedding – hell, it’s not even *their* first weeding – and if someone couldn’t make it, eh. It was a party, a celebration. But their friends are in a different phase of their lives, with many more obligations so I don’t believe attendance was mandatory. I think they only one told to show up under pain of death was Ben and he did. Readily too, because he was smart enough not to let Jen get away twice.
BTW, the excerpt mentioned an instagram that Jen posted in March of Leah. Leah also posted this of her interrupting Jen during her Marry Me promotional interviews. Jen and Ben were all but sealed at that point and look at these two – they’re solid. Yeah, no – there’s nothing to worry about here.
Photo credit: Leah Remini’s Instagram, Backgrid, Avalon Red and Getty Images
She`s probably been to at least one her J Los weddings before, so….lol
Lol I thought the same thing!
They are longtime, close friends, I’m sure Jen understood, and that’s a risk you take having a wedding at the end of August, people are taking their kids to college, School is starting in some areas, etc.
Seeing Leah reminded me… did anyone ever find out what happened to Shelly Miscavige?
No. Still hasn’t been seen. Leah filed a missing person report that went nowhere. Followed this for a while, and it was reported she is not missing.
She’s probably locked up in the Co$ high security compound (Church of Spiritual Technology), a heavily-fortified complex near Lake Arrowhead, California, comprised of vaults housing L. Ron Hubbard’s collected works on gold compact discs, and nuclear shelters. It’s where Scientologists are preparing for Armageddon. Apparently she *disobeyed* David’s orders not to shuffle around some staff while he was out of town and he banished her for good.
Those two are very cute together.
Maybe Leah decided she might as well spend time with her daughter now and catch JLO’s next wedding? I kid I kid..
They met through Marc Anthony, he and her husband are close.
JLo made a video in June to wish Leah luck on SYTYCD so I don’t think there’s bigger drama here. Casey on the other hand was doing solo coffee runs and getting ice cream with his girlfriend on the day he was supposedly parenting
Lol yup Casey wasn’t on parental duties 😅 except if you count his girlfriend as his daughter.
Leah on the other hand is in battle against the Scientology and Jlo’s father is a Scientologist and maybe she made a choice between her father and Leah🤷♀️
First time moving into college life outweighs a #4 wedding which has been celebrated in Europe and this is more for fun and show. I would have done same. And hopefully her good friend understands. I’m sure she does.
I love a good story about solid friendship and I totally get why Leah would skip this wedding/party under the circumstances.
Agreed on both counts. I also love stories about long-term, solid female friendships. They have been friends for a LONG time, they understand each other and respect each other. There is no reason to believe that JLo is upset with Leah over this choice (and probably told her as much, privately, when Leah called to say “can’t make it, taking Sophia to school that weekend”).
This 2nd wedding was supposed to be in the works for 4 mos. I am sure JL & Ben sent out Save The Dates. Leah would have known that she couldn’t attend & obviously told her then. I think it is great that she spent that special day with her daughter.
I still think they will have another party in CA, but probably not another vow renewal, for those that couldn’t make it Georgia.
Now, they were spotted in Italy for their honeymoon….
Love seeing female friendships celebrated.
👍👍
Me too. It makes my heart happy.
When I see celebrities sending their kids to college, I always think better of them.
Sure, school is not for everyone, but it can be fun and interesting, broaden horizons, etc., and if you are able to pay for college, it seems like a waste not to give your kids that experience. Good for Leah Remini.
I read her memoir and she regrets leaving school/not finishing her education due to her complicated family situation and her family’s plunge into the sci-cult. I’m pleased but not surprised that she emphasized education for her daughter and raised her with the expectation that she’d attend college.
I’ve got a HS freshman this year so college is right around the corner and more “real” to me. I would 100% choose to take my kiddo to college over a friend’s wedding, and a good friend (which I am sure J-Lo is) would understand.
An only child leaving for college shouldn’t mean more than any other, but yeah, it does 🤷♀️ My heart is with her! And all the other moms this month whether they are their first, third or Onlies. And I don’t remember that clip JLo posted about Leah ragging on her. I agree Leah it’s nuts when you see people with a ton of gold jewelry on at the pool.
I really love Leah’s podcast and for basically the last year any time the topic came up about Sofia leaving to go to college Leah would get choked up and nearly cry. So yeah, I’m sure there is nothing wrong between her and J.Lo. She is most likely bawling like a baby about her little one going away to uni.
I’m not even a JLo fan and I hope there’s no drama because if you marry Ben Affleck, you probably need a good female friend to have your back when he does something stupid.
All my friends have been making a huge deal about taking their kids to college for months. I’m sure they discussed it beforehand and there’s no drama.
I think there’s some of both in here. Her kid is going to college and she wanted to be there to support her AND she thinks Ben is an alcoholic chucklehead who her friend shouldn’t be marrying. I imagine she’s worried about what happens when Ben, like he always does, falls off the wagon and starts cheating and drinking even more than it looks like he’s doing right now.
Given that Leah has said they all have game nights and that she and Ben like the same board games, that’s unlikely
I didn’t know they were such close friends. That’s nice to hear. Cheers to solid long-term female friendships.
I can understand why Leah skipped the wedding to take her kid to college. That is a big deal to a lot of parents, and to a lot of kids.
I was not one of those parents who cried when they dropped off their children at college. Full disclosure, I didn’t even accompany my son when he first went! My husband did. Getting him there, settled in and then returning was a two-day trip and I didn’t want to leave my then 15-year-old daughter alone. She was going through a bit of a rebellious phase then. Nothing unusual or overly alarming, but I wasn’t going to risk her having a bunch of kids over to drink while we were gone.
I don’t know if it’s pandemic back logs or short staffing issues but I am still trying to wrap my mind around why Jen wanted to get married right at the end of August. Kids going back to school, including her own & Ben’s. Kids going off to college. If you have kids it is one of the worst times to schedule a wedding. I keep wondering if this was the only time they could make it happen the way they wanted too. You can be as rich as you want but if things are short staffed and pandemic backlog you have to slot in your dates like the rest of the world.
My heart goes out to Jen Garner over this. I don’t know when school starts in California. Her kids are on a wedding high right now and the last thing they are thinking about is school. I am sure she has said a few cuss words about this, lol.
Off topic but I’ve been watching king of queens lately that show is so underrated! It’s so funny!
I love King of Queens. One of my all time favorite shows.