Dating Jennifer Lopez left Ben Affleck 'suffocated, miserable and gross', actor revealed true feelings in 2009
It's 2021 and rumor has it that “Bennifer” is a thing again with Jennifer Lopez reuniting with her ex Ben Affleck during a weeklong vacation in Montana. But, over the years, since their controversial break-up in 2004, Ben Affleck has not had the nicest things to say about Jennifer Lopez. In 2009, Affleck went so far as to say that their relationship was bad for his movie career.
As per news reports, Lopez enjoyed her trip to Montana with her former fiancé. "She had a great time with Ben," a source told People magazine. "She is happy with him and enjoys spending time with him."The duo's trip to Montana comes over a week after the exes were pictured outside her Los Angeles home in late April.
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On Monday, May 10, they were again spotted riding in a car together near a resort in Big Sky, where Affleck owns a home. He was seen behind the wheel with Lopez in the passenger seat. "[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," another source told the magazine.
Lopez and Affleck were engaged in 2002. They postponed their 2003 wedding just days before it was scheduled to happen, and had officially split by January 2004. A few years later, in an interview, the ‘Snyder Cut’ actor was reportedly adamant about how he should never have gotten involved with Lopez in the first place.
In 2008, Affleck said that he and Lopez were "too accessible" during their high-profile relationship: "I think Jen and I made a mistake in that we fell in love, we were excited and maybe too accessible. I don't think either of us anticipated the degree to which it would take on a world of its own."
The following year, Affleck is reported to have said, "I was no longer in control of my life. I thought I wanted certain things, but I didn't. I got lost. I felt suffocated, miserable and gross. I should never have gone down that route or got sucked into all the publicity.”
"I was typecast as myself. Too many people weren't getting past what they read about me. That was damaging. I can tell from experience it's bad for you, and bad for your career. So I took a break, went away for a while, and let things calm down," he further said.
Lopez and Affleck first met in 2002 on the sets of the box-office bomb romantic comedy ‘Gigli’ while Lopez was still married to her second husband, dancer Cris Judd. The pair went public with their relationship shortly after Lopez and Judd’s marriage ended. Lopez reportedly said that when she met Affleck, "I felt like… 'Okay, this is it.'"
“We didn’t try to have a public relationship," Lopez said in 2016 of their highly-publicized relationship. "We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like 'Oh my God.' It was just a lot of pressure."
In September 2003, Lopez and Affleck postponed their wedding, citing "the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding." In a statement, they said: "When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.” adding, “We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families, and our friends.”
The following year in January, the couple officially broke up. At the time, Lopez's rep said, "Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy."