Ben Affleck Had This Specific Request of Jennifer Lopez Ahead of Their 2021 Reunion
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When Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck reunited on the heels of her breakup from Alex Rodriguez, it looked like she hopped from one relationship to the other. What fans didn’t realize was that the 51-year-old actor had some serious discussions with J.Lo ahead of their official renaissance as a couple.
The telegenic duo saw what happened the first time around when they dated in the early aughts — it was a media frenzy. Affleck requested more privacy out of their pairing if they were going to move forward as a couple. He shared what he asked of Lopez in her new Amazon Prime documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. “Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media,’” Affleck explained on-camera. “Then I sort of realized it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’”
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Lopez has always lived her life in the spotlight, and she doesn’t apologize for it. As an A-list star she understands what the fans demand and she gives them what they want with glamorous shots on set and behind the scenes. Affleck understood that he couldn’t make such an over-the-top request of Lopez when it was authentically a part of her brand. “We’re just two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise,” he added. Lopez knows the Affleck would rather keep his love life out of the headlines — and she’s sympathetic to his needs.
“I don’t think [Ben] is very comfortable with me doing all of this,” she revealed. “But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist, and he’s gonna support me in every way he can because he knows you can’t stop me from making the music I made… he doesn’t want to stop me. But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse.” Affleck is a little uneasy even when it comes to social media, but the superstars broke the internet when they posted an Instagram snapshot together after their reunion. (Remember, social media wasn’t a thing when they dated the first time.)
The documentary confirmed what Page Six sources were saying in 2021 when Lopez and Affleck made a romantic comeback. “Jennifer was ready to settle down and have kids, but Ben wasn’t keen on giving up his bachelor lifestyle just yet. Jennifer always saw Ben as the one that got away,” they shared. “She was crushed after they broke up, though she felt at the time that she had no other choice but to call off their engagement.” It looks like good things come to those who wait in Lopez and Affleck’s case, even though they probably get only a fraction of privacy they really desire.
Before you go, click here to see a complete timeline of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship.
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