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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Reveal Real Reason They Called Off 2003 Wedding: ‘Crumbled Under Pressure’
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have finally revealed the reasons why they called off their 2003 wedding in her new Amazon Prime documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
“We had a big wedding planned — 14 ushers and bridesmaids — and three days before, we just crumbled under the pressure,” Jennifer, 54, explained, adding that they “broke up.”
Ben, 51, agreed with his wife’s take, adding their demise was due to “the massive amount of scrutiny around our private life.”
The couple were set to marry on September 14, 2003, in Santa Barbara, California. At the time they said in a statement, “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.”
“We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends,” they added, although they didn’t say they had split, as Jennifer revealed in the documentary. They pair officially confirmed their breakup in January 2004.
“For all those years, it was really hard because I didn’t just feel like I lost the love of my life, I felt like I lost the best friend that I ever had,” Jennifer recalled about being apart from Ben. “And I couldn’t talk for so many years, and that was the hardest part.”
“But that heartbreak set both of us on a course to figuring ourselves out to being better people,” the Hustlers star added.
Jennifer married fellow singer Marc Anthony in June 2004, six months after her split from Ben. The duo went on to welcome twins Max and Emme in February 2008.
The pair divorced in 2014 and J. Lo would find love once again with retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez. He popped the question in March 2019 after two years of dating, but the duo called off their romance in April 2021.
Ben married his Daredevil costar, Jennifer Garner, in June 2005. She was already pregnant with their first child, daughter Violet, whom they welcomed in December 2005. The former couple share two other children: daughter Seraphina, born in January 2009, and son Samuel, who arrived in February 2012.
The former couple announced their split in 2015, although their divorce wasn’t finalized until October 2018.
Ben and J. Lo reconnected in May 2021 shortly after her split from A-Rod. He popped the question for the second time in April 2022, and the pair jetted to Las Vegas to marry at the Little While Wedding Chapel in July of that year. In August 2022, Ben and Jennifer had a formal ceremony for family and friends at his estate outside Savannah, Georgia.
“I feel like I came out the other side,” Jennifer said in the documentary about how she found peace during her time away from Ben, adding, “I’ve made it through. I’ve made something good of my life. I’m proud of that.”
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