The 'On the Floor' hitmaker, who got back together with Ben in 2021, makes it clear that she won't say too much about their rekindled relationship because they want to 'protect' it from public scrutiny.
- February 8, 2022
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Lopez has revealed why her first relationship with Ben Affleck fizzled out. The "Marry Me" leading lady, who got back together with her ex-fiance last year, got candid about what "really destroyed" their initial romance when sitting down with Rolling Stone.
In the interview, the 52-year-old singer looked back at the criticism she got when she first dated the "Justice League" star. The backlash included "South Park" referring to her as a "mean spirited b***h" and Conan O'Brien casting his show's "cleaning lady" as the actress for a sketch.
"It was brutal. It was brutal. It's one of those things that you bury very deeply so you can move on and get about your business," J.Lo said of the intense public scrutiny. "It's funny because Ben and I were together, and we were so in love. It was one of the happiest times of my life."
"But also, there was this other thing happening where we were being criticized, and it really destroyed our relationship from the inside out," the mother of two added. "Because we were just too young to understand at that time what were really the most important things in life."
Having learned her lesson, J.Lo said she "won't talk about" her rekindled romance with Ben too much now. "We've both grown. We're the same, and we're different. And that's what's nice," she told the outlet. "Having a second chance at real love … yeah. Like I said, we learned a lot. We know what's real, what's not real. So it's just - the game has changed. Again, I'm trying not to say too much."
Before ending her comments regarding her relationship with Ben, J.Lo made it clear that she doesn't see another breakup in their future. "I don't think we would have got back together if we thought that was where it was headed," she elaborated.
"We feel like what we found again is so much more important," the ex-wife of Marc Anthony continued. "And how we protect that and how we live our lives - what to share, what not to share - is the balance that we have now, the benefit of experience and the wisdom that we gained over the years."
Ben and J.Lo first dated in 2002 but called off their engagement in 2004. They sparked reconciliation rumors back in April 2021 following her split from Alex Rodriguez. She later confirmed her romance with the "Gone Girl" actor, who was previously married to Jennifer Garner, in July when they were vacationing to Europe to celebrate her 52nd birthday.
