Ben Affleck Regrets This One Thing About His Early '00s Film With Ex-Wife Jennifer Lopez

When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's buzzy, whirlwind romance began on a film set, no one knew it would lead to a film regarded as one of the worst of all time. In 2002, Affleck and Lopez were cast as lovers in "Gigli," a high-profile crime rom-com directed by Oscar-nominated director Martin Brest. But at some point after Lopez divorced her husband, Cris Judd, she fell in love with Affleck, leading to a whirlwind romance on and off-screen.

The couple got engaged the same year, and Affleck and Lopez became "Bennifer", but the relationship was negatively affected by the constant press. And then, it all fell apart. "Gigli" bombed so hard it ended Brest's three-decade career. Bennifer delayed the wedding, and by 2004 they had split before walking down the aisle. Affleck has since said he hated the role in "Gigli", but at the time, he defended the film.

He told the BBC in 2003 that the publicity about his romance with Lopez was the problem. "I regret it ... Because of choices I made in my personal life subsequent to filming this movie, you know, this is one of the prices I pay," he said. "People are going to miss the chance to enjoy it, because they'll go to see the movie and still be carrying all this baggage from the tabloids." But considering the negative critic reviews, it's possible the movie would not have been saved if Affleck and Lopez never dated. In fact, the film had to be reshot several times, so there were other teething problems.

"Gigli" may have ruined a career, ended a relationship, and lost a ton of money, but there is a bright side to the story. Reflecting on the disaster in 2022, Affleck told Entertainment Weekly, "But if the reaction to Gigli hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't have ultimately decided, 'I don't really have any other avenue but to direct movies,' which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life." Since 2007, Affleck has directed five films, including "Argo," which won the Best Picture Oscar.

In 2021, Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship, and this time they married. They had a private ceremony in 2022 in Las Vegas, with their five children as their only guests. Affleck had three children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, while Lopez shared twins with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony. Unfortunately, this partnership did not last, with Lopez filing for divorce in 2024. 

Coincidentally, JLo's split with Affleck came the same year the former Batman actor appeared in two films with Lopez to promote the singer's ninth album, "This Is Me ... Now." The "On the Floor" singer released a musical film inspired by her love life and a documentary about the making of both projects. Affleck appeared in both, with him playing her final lover in the musical.