J-LO and Ben Affleck are getting back together
Never too late for a sequel, eh?
Their romance was the stuff of Hollywood legend: falling in love on a film set (the truly terrible Gigli) and causing worldwide frenzy with a superspeedy engagement and that $1.2million diamond ring. But, as we all know, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s romance had about the same shelf-life as a ripe avocado, and they split just days before they were due to walk down the aisle. But brace yourselves, guys, because we could be about to witness Bennifer: The sequel. And it seems as if Ben is ready for his starring role.
The actor turned heads last week after praising his ex-fiancée yet again in an Instyle magazine feature, in which he said Jen was “the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business”. He added, “Where are you keeping the fountain of youth? Why do you look the same as you did in 2003?” It wasn’t the first time that Ben, who split from actress Ana de Armas earlier this year, has publicly gushed about Jen and, according to insiders, it won’t be the last. In fact, we’re told he’s more than aware of Jen’s rocky relationship with Alex Rodriguez and he’s ready to make his move.
“It’s no coincidence that Ben’s been praising Jen to high heaven now that he’s single again,” says an insider close to the actor, who famously took out a full-page ad in the Hollywood Reporter back in 2002 – before he and Jen were officially together, and while she was still married to her ex-husband Cris Judd – to praise his co-star. “Everyone in Hollywood seems to think that her relationship with Alex isn’t going great. Her and Ben’s split had nothing to do with a lack of attraction towards each other – he was just disillusioned with the whole fame game. But they’ve both mellowed so much over the past 18 years – they’re on very good terms and have chatted a lot recently.”
At present, Jen and A-rod – who were forced to postpone their wedding twice due to COVID – are still putting on a united front and insisting that they’re “working through some
‘It’s an open secret they’re still into each other’
things”. But insiders claim that their four-year relationship is well and truly over and, as heat recently told you, the couple are putting on a brave face as a means of damage control.
Meanwhile, we’re told, Jen’s very aware that Ben’s waiting in the wings. “They’ve stopped short of hanging out in person, but it’s an open secret they’re still into each other,” says our source. “They don’t have much to lose by giving it another try – if Jen’s officially single, that is. Ben is willing to be patient.” n