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'I'll take it': Jennifer Lopez intended to take husband Ben Affleck's last name for years, reveals old clip

A resurfaced clip from 'Ben & Jen: A Dateline Special' in 2003 shows that the pop diva planned to take her husband Ben Affleck's last name

Jennifer Lopez has officially fulfilled her dream after almost two decades in making. The 'Marry Me' star tied the knot with her fiancé Ben Affleck in a surprise wedding ceremony at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16. Apart from saying "I do," the 'Waiting For Tonight' singer has also changed her legal name to Jennifer Lynn Affleck, as per the couple's marriage license. Fans of the celebrity couple were shocked to learn on Sunday that the couple had gotten married and now it appears that the new bride had intended to take her new husband's last for about two decades. 

The bride revealed her new legal name as she signed her On the signing the JLo newsletter as "Mrs Jennifer Lynn Affleck." The 'Ain't Your Mama' singer revealed that she had originally planned on taking Ben's last name while chatting with Pat O'Brien as part of 'Ben & Jen: A Dateline Special' released during the couple's first engagement back in 2003. The clip features Jennifer giving O'Brien a tour of her home and showing off her cooking skills while they chat. Jennifer, who wore a casual royal blue tracksuit and gold hoop earrings while styling her hair in a casual ponytail, explained that she would keep her maiden name as her stage name but take Affleck's last name as her legal name.

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In the clip, Lopez can be seen moving around the kitchen when Pat asked her, "A week after you're married, what will your name be?" The 'Let's Get Loud' singer replied, "I think I'm going to stay with Jennifer Lopez, but my name will be Jennifer Affleck, obviously." The pair end up sharing a laugh when they discover that if you smush her new full name together, it becomes "Jaff." The singer joked, "It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but you've gotta make sacrifices!". "Actually," Pat shared, "Jennifer Affleck's a good name". "It's not bad!" Jennifer replied. Then, while rolling up her sleeves, she cheekily added, "I'll take it."  A Twitter user @wyntermitchell posted the video with the caption, "She told you 20 years ago."

The clip appears to have been filmed sometime after Ben Affleck first popped the question to Jennifer in November 2002. After meeting on the set of the film 'Gigli', the 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' actor proposed to the singer in 2002 but the couple called off their engagement in 2004. After going their separate ways, the couple didn't spark romance rumors again until May 2021 when they were spotted holding hands while on vacation in Montana.  

On Sunday, Jennifer shared a clip of herself looking gorgeous in her white sleeveless wedding gown. The textured dress was accessorized with a large cream-colored handbag, and she contrasted it with her thick caramel-colored hair, which hung down over it in wavy strands. Ben Affleck matched her in a white tuxedo jacket and black pants, along with a classic slim bow tie. He poked fun at the casual nature of their nuptials by taking a video of himself in what appeared to be the chapel's restroom, which had graffiti carved into the mirror. 

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ET Online reported the couple exchanged vows in Las Vegas over the weekend. "Jen and Ben got married in Vegas. They have so much fun together and thought this would be a fun idea too. Ben is absolutely in love with Jen and feels loved by her too. They both feel so comfortable with each other and like they share a history and know each other so well," an insider told the site. The wedding news comes exactly one week until the Bronx-born pop diva celebrates her 53rd birthday and less than a month before the Berkeley-born, Cambridge-raised actor will turn the big 5-0.