Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have opened up about their 20-year romance in front of the cameras for the first time in a new documentary.
The Greatest Love Story Never Told was made with the idea of following Lopez as she created her first studio album in a decade, This Is Me…Now, along with her $US30 million (approx. $45 million) self-funded musical movie companion piece, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story.
But along the way, the singer gets very candid – opening up about her heartbreak after the couple called off their 2003 wedding, later re-kindling their romance in 2021 and eloping in Las Vegas the following year.
Watch the video above.
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Their rollercoaster romance, along with Lopez’s journey to self-love and acceptance in between, is the inspiration for the album and fantastical film.
Even then, the revelations from the couple as they take turns talking in front of the camera and interviewing each other during 83-minute movie, is unexpected.
The pair haven’t ruled out starring in another film together ”one day” but Lopez jokes that box office bomb Gigli is the reason “why we haven’t done one” since 2003.
Here are some of the five biggest things we learn about the couple, also known as ‘Bennifer’, from the documentary.
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The Christmas gift from Ben Affleck that inspired new music
While it was her manager and longtime friend Benny Medina who encouraged Lopez to get into the studio again, it was a romantic present from Affleck that inspired her new music.
Lopez reveals the actor and director gave her a black book filled with all their old love letters, messages and emails on their first Christmas back together, which was titled: The Greatest Love Story Never Told By Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 2001 – 2021… and Counting.
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Lopez revealed she took the book to the studio and let all of her fellow songwriters and producers read through it – something Affleck only became aware of on a visit to the studio.
“I was like, ‘You’ve been showing all the musicians all those letters I…?’,” he recalled.
“And they were like, ‘Yeah, we call you Pen Affleck’.”
Ben Affleck is not ‘comfortable’ being Jennifer Lopez’s ‘muse’
Lopez admits that while the couple’s romance serves as her musical inspiration, Affleck isn’t too happy about intimate details being shared with the world.
”There’s the personal story of Ben and I that has never been told,” Lopez said during a meeting.
“I don’t think he’s very comfortable with me doing all of this but he loves me, he knows I’m an artist and he’s going to support me in every way he can.”
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“Because he knows he can’t stop me making the music I want to make and writing the words that I wrote … he doesn’t want to stop me but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse,” she continued.
Affleck then popped up on camera and explained why it makes him uncomfortable.
“Jen was really inspired by this experience, which is how artists do their work – they get inspired by their personal life, it moves you – I certainly know that as a writer and a director, I certainly do the same things,” the Oscar-winner said.
“But things that are private, I always felt are sacred and special because, in part, they’re private. So, this was something of an adjustment for me.”
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But it sounds like the Air star has come around to it, saying they’re “trying to learn to compromise”.
“When Jen and I broke up before, the catalyst for that was this massive scrutiny around our private life,” Affleck said.
“I had a very firm sense of boundaries initially about the press, while Jen I don’t think objected to it in the way that I did – I very much did object to it.
“Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media’. Then I sort of realised it’s not a fair thing to ask … we’re just two people with different approaches, trying to learn to compromise.”
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Jennifer Lopez jokes about looking like a ‘little old lady’ at home
One sweet moment during the doco is when Lopez is being interviewed by her husband and as he’s setting up the camera, a little bit of their banter is caught on tape, giving fans an insight into what they’re really like together.
“You’re used to seeing me around the house kind of schleppy, in sweat pants and my stripe socks … you’re used to seeing me like the little old lady at home … and then when I get up and start dancing you’re like ‘Oh, yeah, I forgot – she can dance!’,” Lopez laughed.
As the singer is talking Affleck tries to interject repeatedly, saying: “Stop, we’re not going with this, ‘I’m not pretty enough’ … you’re gorgeous and that’s what I’m used to.”
Jennifer Lopez has forgiven Ben Affleck for their split but not herself
In one scene, you can hear Affleck interviewing his wife and asking if she has forgiven him for the end of their first relationship.
“So when I first read the script, it looked like the inciting incident that causes all this pain down the road is our break up,” he begins.
“[And] I thought, ‘Wow, nobody did anything wrong, it was mutual’ and I think for us to move on from that we need to forgive, forgive each other.”
“Do you forgive me?” he asked as she shook her head.
Lopez later admitted to her dancers that their first relationship “just crumbled under the pressure” three days before their 2003 wedding, which which was set to feature 14 ushers and bridesmaids.
Later, the topic is raised again by Affleck.
“That heartbreak sent both of us on a course to figuring ourselves out, to being better people,” Lopez said.
“Do you think you’ve forgiven me all the way?” Affleck asked again.
“Yeah, I think I’ve forgiven you all the way. I think I need to forgive myself some things.”
Ben Affleck gives great pep talks
There’s a sweet moment towards the end of the documentary, where Lopez is doubting her $45 million investment.
The pair are sitting on the back of a staging truck during the production of This Is Me…Now: A Love Story while the Good Will Hunting actor boosts his wife’s confidence with a pep talk.
“Right now it’s not finished – you’ve got to discern things that suck DNA-wise or things that don’t work right now…,” Affleck tells Lopez as they sit intertwined.
“DNA-wise, I don’t think it sucks,” Lopez admits.
“Well then, that’s all you need … that’s just inexperience, that you haven’t done this process before,” he replies.
“Oh, I’m sorry, that I’m not an award-winning director,” she quips, cuddling him.
In another scene, a tearful Lopez explains how Affleck helped her value herself.
“What he saw in me, and what he made me believe about myself, only comes from love because nobody else could’ve made me see that about myself,” Lopez told the camera, fighting back tears.
“It’s very moving,” she explained as she started to cry.
“I didn’t think much of myself, so the world didn’t think much of me – that lined up.”
The Greatest Love Story Never Told is streaming on Prime Video from today.
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