A special place in his heart. Ben Affleck “still cares” for ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez nearly two decades after they called it quits, an insider exclusively tells In Touch 

“They had a red hot romance at one time and he still thinks about it,” says the source close to the Way Back actor, 48. “He also owns that it was his fault their engagement ended. He even made amends with Jennifer.” 

Ben Affleck Gushes Over Ex-Fiancee Jennifer Lopez: 'She Has Great Talent'
Dan Steinberg/BEI/Shutterstock

After sparking a romance while filming the movie Gigli, Ben popped the question to J. Lo, 51, in 2002 with a beautiful 6.1-carat pink diamond. The Hollywood power couple split in 2004, shortly before their wedding.

“He wasn’t in a good head space back then,” the insider tells In Touch about how he views their breakup at this point. “He’s a changed man today.” 

Even after all of these years, he had nothing but nice things to say about his former flame. Ben raved over Jennifer’s drive to succeed in an interview with InStyle, which was released on April 5. 

Ben Affleck 'Still Cares' for Jennifer Lopez
E Charbonneau/Bei/Shutterstock

“I thought I had a good work ethic, but I was completely humbled and blown away by what she was committed to doing day in and day out, the seriousness in which she took her work, the quiet and dedicated way she went about accomplishing her goals, and then how she would go back and redouble her efforts,” he shared, revealing he’s still wowed by her motivation and determination. “She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business. She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves.”

Ben also gushed over how amazing the “On the Floor” songstress looks these days, questioning, “Where are you keeping the fountain of youth? Why do you look the same as you did in 2003 and it kind of looks like I’m in my 40s … at best?”

Since their time together, both Ben and Jennifer moved on romantically. She wed Marc Anthony in June 2004 and they later welcomed twins Max and Emme. Following their split in 2012, she got engaged to former MLB star Alex Rodriguez

As for Ben, he tied the knot with Jennifer Garner in June 2005. The duo welcomed three kids together, Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, and broke up in 2015. Ben later began dating Ana de Armas until In Touch confirmed their split in January 2021.

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