So in love! Whether during their early aughts relationship or their 2021 reunion, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have never been shy about public displays of affection.
One of their earliest moments of shameless PDA came in 2002, when the Argo director appeared in Lopez’s music video for “Jenny From the Block.” In one clip, the Oscar winner caressed his love’s backside while they relaxed on a yacht. The moment became so iconic that when the pair reunited in 2021, some fans speculated that the duo were intentionally trying to recreate the video during their Mediterranean vacation.
The Hustlers star and Good Will Hunting screenwriter met in 2001 while filming the notorious bomb Gigli. They went public with their romance the following year, and by November 2002, they were engaged.
Their wedding date was set for September 2003, but they called it off just days before the ceremony because of “excessive media attention.” Four months later, they ended their relationship entirely.
“I think the worst, probably lowest point was the whole Gigli era,” the Enough actress told HuffPost Live in January 2015. “It was a very badly reviewed film. I was in a high-profile relationship at the time that fell apart in a really bad way, and so the kind of mix of those two things and the tabloid press had just come into existence at the time, so I was like a poster child for that moment.”
Still, the New York City native admitted that she wouldn’t have changed anything, including her romance with Affleck. “No regrets,” she explained. “I would do it all over again I think. I really would. Even the relationship part. … I just feel like everything is part of your story and your journey and is meant to be and helps you grow if you’re willing to look at it, and I’m willing to look.”
The Deep Water star, for his part, continued speaking highly of his ex years after their split, praising both her work ethic and her ability to look ageless.
“She should have been nominated. She’s the real thing,” he told The New York Times in February 2020, referring to Lopez’s Oscar snub for her work in Hustlers. “I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That’s f—king baller.”
Keep scrolling for a look back at Affleck and Lopez’s steamiest PDA moments: