Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Latest Romantic Milestone Is a Permanent Symbol of Their Love

Just about six months after "Gigli" began filming, Lopez and Judd separated, and in July 2002, J Lo officially filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, per People. Not long after, Bennifer was born, though Jennifer insisted nothing happened between her and Affleck until she'd ended things with Judd. When asked how they first fell in love during a 2003 interview with Dateline's Pat O'Brien, Lopez said, "You can't pinpoint it. We became friends first. That is the honest to God truth."

During a November 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, Jennifer announced her engagement to Affleck and showed off her new six-carat pink diamond ring. When asked about the proposal, J Lo told Sawyer it was "traditional, but also in a very spectacular way, as of course Ben would do it . . . It was very, very beautiful." She also gushed to Sawyer about her and Affleck's similar upbringings and revealed how Affleck won over her mother.

Around the same time, the music video for "Jenny From the Block" debuted on "TRL." The video prominently featured Affleck in several raunchy scenes, and though it delighted fans, Affleck later admitted he regretted the move. "If I have a regret, it was doing the ['Jenny From the Block'] music video," he told Daily Record in 2008. "But that happened years ago. I've moved on."

Just four days before they planned to say "I do" in Santa Barbara, Bennifer decided to delay the big day, shocking fans. "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date," the couple confirmed 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 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."

In January 2004, four months after postponing their wedding, Affleck and Lopez announced they'd called off their engagement for good. "I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck," her rep said in a statement at the time. "At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy." Though a reason wasn't provided, it was widely reported that the constant media attention became too much for Affleck.

A few weeks after the initial breakup reports emerged, a source close to the couple told People the relationship had been deteriorating for months. "It was hard to merge their two lifestyles," the insider claimed. "When you love someone, the media circus does not get in the way. You say, 'Okay, we'll figure it out. Let's do it.' Jennifer didn't realize it at that moment, but when [Ben] called [the wedding] off, the relationship was over. He got out of the trap and he wasn't going to get back in. He was looking for a graceful way to let it die."

May 2021 was a busy month for Lopez and Affleck. The two continued to spark rumors they were rekindling their romance after Lopez was seen with Affleck near the Big Sky resort in Montana. A source told People at the time, "[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town. They have a strong connection. It's all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy." Later in May, the pair were seen in Miami, with Affleck visiting the singer while she was working, according to Page Six.

On May 26, just two days after they were seen in Miami, a source confirmed to Us Weekly that all the speculation was true. "Jen and Ben are both very happy with each [other] and are excited to see where the relationship goes," the source said. "They are full-on dating and very happy together."

Throughout the remainder of 2021, Bennifer's relationship was going strong, and by February 2022, the singer opened up to People about just how happy she was with her new beau. "I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him . . . It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance," she said.

Lopez also reflected on how their relationship is much different from their initial romance nearly 20 years ago. "We're older now, we're smarter, we have more experience, we're at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things. We're so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us," she shared.

They say true love is worth waiting for, and for Lopez and Affleck, that couldn't be more true. Almost 20 years after they broke off their engagement in January 2004, the singer announced in her newsletter, "On the JLo," that she and Affleck were once again engaged, calling it "her biggest dream come true."

In the newsletter "How It Went Down," J Lo described how Affleck romantically proposed to her. "Saturday night while at my favorite place on earth (in the bubble bath), my beautiful love got on one knee and proposed," she said via People. "I was taken totally off guard and just looked in his eyes smiling and crying at the same time trying hard to get my head around the fact that after 20 years this was happening all over again, I was quite literally speechless and he said, 'is that a yes?' I said YES of course that's a YES."

Lopez went on to say that the proposal was "nothing fancy at all, but it was the most romantic thing I could've ever imagined" and called her and Affleck "two very lucky people who got a second chance at true love."

Nearly 19 years after calling off their first wedding, Lopez and Affleck finally tied the knot in a small ceremony at Las Vegas's Little White Wedding Chapel, shortly after obtaining their marriage license in Clark County, NV, on July 16. Per the marriage license obtained by POPSUGAR, Lopez will legally change her name to Jennifer Affleck.

Lopez confirmed the couple's nuptials to her fans in her July 17 "On the JLo" newsletter. "We did it. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient," she wrote. "Exactly what we wanted. Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world . . . When love is real, the only thing that matters in marriage is one another and the promise we make to love, care, understand, be patient, loving and good to one another. We had that. And so much more. Best night of our lives."

The new bride also shared photos from the pair's wedding night, including selfies with the groom and snaps of their outfits (Lopez wore two dresses).

While the newly married couple has been spotted several times while out and about since their July wedding, they made their first appearance as husband and wife at an official event on Oct. 13, posing for a coupley photo opp at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 ready-to-wear runway show in California. The couple looked as smiley and in love as always.