Ben Affleck reveals what caused his split from Jennifer Lopez in 2004
The celebrity couple began dating in 2002, and in 2004 they called off their engagement.
Ben Affleck opened up about his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, revealing the reason they broke up nearly 20 years ago and why he doubted the two could ever try to be a couple again.
The 49-year-old Tender Bar star opened up about his love life during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where he reflected on the factors that led to his breakup with Lopez in 2004.
According to Affleck, who dated Lopez from 2002 to 2004, the end of their first relationship was due in part to negative media scrutiny.
"I'd say [media attention] was almost 50 percent [of what destroyed our relationship]," the actor stated, according to Entertainment Tonight. “The idea that people hate you and they hate you if you're with someone, and that being together is poisonous and ugly and toxic and something neither of us wants to be a part of. And 'who the hell would want to invite you to dinner?' And 'what the hell are they doing together?'
The couple, who met in 2002 on the set of Gigli, revealed that they were engaged in 2003, before canceling their engagement a year later.
A day before their planned wedding date, the famous couple released a statement in which they acknowledged the "excessive media attention" surrounding their upcoming nuptials and revealed their plans to postpone the ceremony.
"Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date," they stipulated in the joint statement. "When we realized that we were seriously considering hiring three different 'decoy brides' in three different locations, we realized something was wrong."
At the time, they pointed out that "the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be at risk."
Affleck shared with Stern a reflection on their separation: "I felt very hurt and I got angry and I felt like a fool." However, last June, the couple confirmed that they rekindled their relationship almost two decades later.
According to Affleck, he had some doubts about whether to re-enter a relationship with Lopez, as he explained to Stern that he was concerned about how a union with a high-profile celebrity would affect his three children, Violet, 16, Seraphina, from 12, and Samuel, nine. The actor shares custody of the three with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.
In response to Stern's question about the attention Lopez attracts and whether there was “hesitation on your part, because now you're a dad,” Affleck said, “Sure it crossed my mind. 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, ”People reported.
“I make that clear. However, I know my life affects them, ”added the father of three.
This isn't the first time that Lopez and Affleck have acknowledged the media pressure on their relationship, as the actor spoke about some of the negative coverage during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter podcast in January: “People were very bad with her: sexist, racist. An ugly and violent shit was written about her in a way that, if you wrote it now, without exaggeration, you would be fired from her for saying those things. "
The singer also told People in 2016 that she and Affleck didn't “try to have a public relationship,” but that it was unavoidable.
“As it happens, we were together at the birth of the tabloid press, and it was like 'Oh my gosh.' It was a lot of pressure, ”she assured.
During the interview with Stern, the The Last Duel star also spoke candidly about his marriage to Garner, which ended in 2018. The actor explained, “We had a marriage that didn't work out. This happens. He is someone I love and respect, but to whom he should no longer be married. "
However, Affleck sparked a backlash from fans after he also claimed that he felt "trapped" in the relationship with Garner and that it was "part of the reason" that he started drinking.
