Ben Wants J. Lo Back!
Ben Affleck makes a play for his ex Jennifer Lopez — just as she’s getting serious with Alex Rodriguez
The picture was incredibly romantic. “MCM,” Jennifer Lopez captioned a May Instagram post, which showed her boyfriend of a few months, Alex Rodriguez — her official Man Crush Monday — gently kissing her forehead as the sun set behind them. “You guys are so perfect together,” one fan commented on the post, while another dubbed A-rod the man J. Lo “should have been with all along.”
Not everyone feels the same. J. Lo’s ex-fiancé Ben Affleck, 44, “hates that Jennifer is dating Alex and is totally jealous,” a source tells In Touch, explaining that the singer-actress, 47, has always been the love of Ben’s life. “Seeing Jennifer happy again with someone else has made him realize that he wants her back. Ben’s been reaching out to her in hopes that they can reconnect.” J. Lo, who split from the actor in 2003 just days before they were set to walk down the aisle, is flattered but skeptical. “Deep down, Jennifer has never stopped loving Ben, but she can’t help but be wary of his intentions. He always wants what he can’t have,” says the source. “She’s very confused right now.”
Ben’s desperate to win her heart again. “He’s been trying to convince Jennifer that Alex is trouble. Ben pointed out that Alex was caught doping,” says the source. (In 2014, the former New York Yankees player, 41, was suspended for the entire season for allegedly using performance-enhancing substances.) The die-hard Boston Red Sox fan also won’t stop mocking Alex for reportedly having a life-size photo of himself hanging above his bed at his home. “He thinks that A-rod only cares about himself and his public image. Ben’s told Jennifer she should be concerned that Alex is using her just for the publicity.”
J. Lo is trying not to listen, but it’s hard. “She genuinely cares for Alex and she’s happy,” says the source, “so it doesn’t help to have Ben in her ear giving her reasons to doubt him.” Her lingering feelings for the Oscar winner — whose divorce from Jennifer Garner, 45, has yet to be finalized — make things even more difficult. “Every time J. Lo talks to Ben, she’s reminded of how much chemistry they have. Plus, she loves that after all these years Ben wants her back and will do just about anything to grab her attention.”
But Jennifer knows she has to make a choice. “She wanted Ben to make this realization years ago, well before she had her kids [twins Max and Emme, 9, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 48],” says the source, adding that although she’ll always love Ben, “Alex has told Jennifer that he sees a future with her. She loves him and thinks she might be ready to go down that path.” ◼