FILM FLOP WAS
TO Hollywood’s notoriously acidic film critics, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s coming together on film could not have been worse. Movie website Rotten Tomatoes gave 2003 comedy Gigli one of its lowest ratings for an all-star cast – a pathetic 6%.
Film critic Daniel Kimmel said: “If one has to find something positive to say about Gigli, it would have to be this: at least it isn’t likely to spawn a sequel.”
Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers went further, savaging the film’s lead actors, writing: “The stars display zip chemistry.”
He added Lopez and Affleck “seem to find themselves adorable… they’re so taken with each other they don’t need an audience”. And he was right.
Away from filming, the pair became besotted, and went on to form one of Hollywood’s highest-profile relationships.
During the movie’s filming, dancer Chris Judd was still married to Lopez and he grew increasingly suspicious of his wife’s leading man co-star.
Affleck even took out a glowing fullpage in a trade magazine to honour his leading lady for an award she’d received.
“You have shown kindness, dedication, diligence, humility, graciousness of spirit, beauty in courage, great empathy, astonishing talent, real poise and true grace.
“I only wish I were lucky enough to be in all your movies,” it gushed.
Such words are what Lopez has told friends left Affleck able to “own her heart” with his pen. Almost 20 years on from Gigli, rumours are swirling that a sequel of Lopez and Affleck’s once tumultuous relationship has begun again.
Yesterday, after the pair – once dubbed “Bennifer” – were pictured together in Los Angeles after a “romantic weekend” away in Montana, sources told the Mirror that Affleck, 48, was “driving the reunion”.
An insider said: “It was Ben’s idea they should get away. They have always remained friends even after they split up and throughout their own marriages.
“They share an incredibly intense connection. JLo just came out of a relationship and Ben has not had the most fulfilling time since his marriage broke down. Going to Montana to hide out together was perfect. The ski season had finished so it was easier for them to be alone.
“They spent time taking long walks, swimming and in the hot tub. They still have deep feelings for each other, they’ve never not, but it is early days.”
Dad-of-three Affleck allegedly “started flooding
Lopez with emails while she was filming in the Dominican Republic” in February – months before she split from baseball star Alex Rodriguez.
According to US gossip site TMZ, “the tone of the emails wasn’t just friendly …but more loving and longing.”
Lopez and Affleck’s romance goes back to 2002.
Shortly after Gigli finished filming and before its 2003 release, JLo filed for divorce from second husband Judd.
She immediately went public with Affleck and, to the outside world, they seemed
BEN’S EXES