Jennifer Lopez Reveals Whether She Predicted Her Reunion With Ben Affleck

Fans were both surprised and elated when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck started dating again after nearly two decades apart. Prior to rekindling her romance with Affleck, the "Hustlers" star realized she had been overcompensating professionally to cope with an unfulfilled personal life. "Well, you're not really loving yourself," she recalled thinking in a February 7 interview with Rolling Stone.

When Lopez reflected on her first relationship with Affleck, she had fond memories of their romance but struggled with the public backlash. "It was brutal. It's one of those things that you bury very deeply so you can move on and get about your business," she told Rolling Stone. The "Love Don't Cost a Thing" singer said that her and Affleck "were so in love" in the early 2000s, but the tabloids tore them apart. "It really destroyed our relationship from the inside out," Lopez said. She believed the couple were "too young" at the time to withstand the scrutiny.

Early into their second courtship, rumors circulated that the duo were fighting after Affleck was painfully open about his marriage during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" in December 2021. Fortunately, this time around the couple were able to hold strong. "This story is simply not true," Lopez affirmed to People at the time. "It is not how I feel." Weeks later, Lopez opened up about whether she previously had expectations of reuniting with Affleck after their first breakup. 

Jennifer Lopez was candid when she discussed her new romance with Ben Affleck on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on February 9. Ellen DeGeneres pressed the multi-faceted star about how it felt to date Affleck again after all those years apart. The "Out of Sight" actor admitted she had no previous plans on reconciliation. "Yeah, I don't think anybody was more surprised than us," Lopez said. The daytime host wanted to know if the movie star envisioned a second time around with the "Gone Girl" actor. "No, you never could imagine something like that could happen. It's a beautiful thing," Lopez said.

Even though the couple matured since their first fling in the early 2000s, Lopez admitted the full-blitz coverage from the press could still be overwhelming at times. "I did my interview for 'Marry Me,' and then they put 'Jennifer Lopez in Love' on the cover," she told DeGeneres. Lopez revealed that it was difficult to find time alone with Affleck, and the two would occasionally discreetly retreat to a bathroom or closet. "For private moments, to have talks, to do things," Lopez revealed.

Earlier that month, the singer confessed to being grateful for having another shot with Affleck. "It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance," she told People on February 1. This time around the couple have not taken their love for granted. "There's more of an appreciation and a celebration for it," Lopez added.