Ben Affleck recently got candid about his relationship with Jennifer Lopez while on The Howard Stern Show. The Oscar-winner stated it wasn’t easy to start dating Jennifer Lopez again because he wasn’t sure of how his children would handle all the media attention. Affleck told Stern, “It crossed my mind for sure. My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don’t want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it.”
While Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez seem to be enjoying themselves since rekindling their romance, the stars admitted that they were a little afraid of doing it again, given the fanfare that surrounded them the first time.
Lopez’s latest confession comes just weeks after Ben Affleck said he was ‘hesitant’ about rekindling their romance, given all the upheaval that would ensue.
Lopez said, “Before we kind of put [our relationship] out there, we were naive, and it got a little trample. We both were like, ‘Wow, we’re so happy, and we don’t want any of that to come into play again.’”
Bennifer 2.0 is approaching the one-year mark
But Lopez expressed confidence in their ability to move forward as a pair now that they have gained more insight as individuals as they have grown older.
“We’re older now, we’re smarter, we have more experience, we’re at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things. We’re so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us,” she explained.
Ben Affleck shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 16; Seraphina, 12; and Samuel, 9. He went on to say that any famous child is a “cross to bear,” especially if both parents are prominent figures, as in the case of Affleck and Garner.
Positive reactions from fans
Lopez went on to say that she and Affleck are both ‘glad’ to see all of the nice reactions they’ve received from fans since their reunion. “I think people know that we’re artists who are going to be around for a long time, and that’s nice, and they appreciate that and respect that. I feel that, and I appreciate that too,” she said.
In late 2001, Affleck and Lopez met on the set of Gili and began dating in mid-2002, quickly becoming Hollywood’s ‘It’ couple. They were engaged in November 2002, but their wedding preparations were leaked just days before their wedding on September 14, 2003. After ending their engagement in January 2004, they decided to call it quits.
When they were seen together in April 2021, they were rumored to be dating again. In July, Lopez openly acknowledged their revived romance.