Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck—a history of their relationship in pictures

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are officially back together, so what better way to celebrate than with a look back at their relationship over the past twenty years.

For months, rumors about a reignited romance have circulated Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Many have wondered if the ex-fiances have reignited their relationship nearly twenty years after they called off their engagement. Finally after months of wondering, Ben and Jennifer have confirmed their relationship status.

To celebrate her 52nd birthday, Jennifer posted a selection of images to Instagram, including a photo of Ben and Jennifer sharing a passionate kiss. The image was hidden away as the fourth picture on Jennifer's birthday post but eagle-eyed fans spotted it and went wild for the rebirth of 'Bennifer'.

In light of the couple's reignited relationship, here's everything you need to know about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first met twenty years ago in 2001

The pair first met on the set of Gigli in 2001. At the time Jennifer was married to her second husband Chris Judd.

Jennifer began divorce proceedings with Chris and began dating Ben. 

In 2002 Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appeared together in her iconic music video

In 2002, Ben and Jennifer were then spotted kissing by paparazzi and soon afterwards Ben starred in one of JLo's most well-known hits, Jenny From the Block.

It was in this iconic music video that Ben was pictured lounging on a yacht and lovingly kissing Jennifer's bottom. 

In November 2002 the couple got engaged

The music video was filmed in October 2002 and released in November 2002. It was in this same month that Jennifer and Ben announced their engagement.

Ben proposed to Jennifer with a $2.5 million Harry Winston 6.1-carat pink diamond ring. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Jennifer was quoted saying about her ring, "It's the most magnificent thing I've ever seen."

In 2003, the couple attended the premiere for Gigli, the film that they met on

The couple attended a premiere together for the film that ignited their romance, Gigli, in 2003

In February 2003, the engaged couple attend the premiere of Daredevil

The couple attended the premiere of Daredevil together in 2003 as an engaged couple. This film starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner—who would later become Ben's wife—as love interests.

Later in 2003 they postpone their wedding

In the same year, Jen and Ben also decided to postpone their wedding due to the excessive media attention surrounding their relationship. 

The couple released a statement at the time that read, "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry." 

"We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends."

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck call off their wedding and announce their separation in 2004

In 2004, the couple called off their wedding and announced their separation. A spokesperson for Jennifer told MTV at the time, "I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy."

They each went on to marry other people shortly after

Jennifer married Marc Anthony in 2004

Later in 2004, Jennifer married Marc Anthony with whom she had two children. The couple was together from June 2004 to July 2011 when they announced their separation. 

Marc and Jennifer were divorced in 2014. 

Ben Affleck married Jennifer Garner in 2005

During this time, Ben Affleck also got married to Jennifer Garner, with whom he worked on Pearl Harbour and Daredevil. 

The couple began dating in 2004 and had three children together. They were together from 2005 to 2015 when they announced their separation. 

The couple divorced in 2018.

Since 2018 Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have both been linked to other people

Jennifer and Ben were both respectively linked to other celebrities following their divorces. Jennifer dated Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) from 2017 to 2021. Ben also dated SNL producer Lindsay Shookus and actress Ana de Armas in the years following his divorce. 

In April 2021 rumours that Bennifer were back on began circulating 

In April 2021, rumors about Ben and Jennifer began to swirl as paparazzi photographed the couple together and sources close to the couple began to leak information that they were getting back together after nearly a decade and a half apart.

For the next few months, the couple was photographed together by paparazzi. The pair were pictured in cars and leaving restaurants together but nothing was confirmed by the pair about their relationship status.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck officially confirm they are an item on July 24th 2021

It wasn't until a post on 24th July 2021, that confirmed Jennifer and Ben have officially reignited their high-profile relationship and given things another go, twenty years after they first met. 

September 2021: Bennifer 2.0 make a statement on the red carpet

In September 2021, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck packed on the PDA during their adorable first public appearance since reuniting. 

The couple was snapped at the 78th Venice Film Festival on Friday, September 10, 2021. The couple kissed on the red carpet and looked delighted to finally make their red carpet debut together since they reunited earlier in the year.

Just a few days later, on 13th September 2021, the couple then made another red carpet statement as the pair arrived arm in arm in New York at the Met Gala 2021.

Again the pair were snapped kissing and a photo of the two sharing a kiss, while still wearing masks, made the rounds on social media.

The elegant pair cemented their relationship status with their warm embraces on the red carpet and fans couldn't help but feel delighted that their favorite noughties couple was back together again.

Fans are extremely excited about this reunion and many have questioned why we are so pleased to see that the 'it' couple of the noughties have worked things out and got back together twenty years later.

Helen Sullivan said in an article for The Guardian, "It encapsulates hope. We can pretend, for a brief moment, that all the bad things that have happened since 2002—the great recession, Trump, Brexit, Covid—didn’t actually happen at all. Lopez’s body has not aged. She is with Affleck, about whom she sang...“I love you, you’re perfect / A manifestation of my dreams / … / You will always be / My lust, my love, my man, my child, my friend, and my king.”

It seems that all of us were very invested in this relationship back in the early noughties and love that these long-lost lovers finally worked it out and got back together.