Jennifer Lopez Finally Reveals Why Her 2003 Wedding to Ben Affleck Was Called Off

Jennifer Lopez is shedding light on the rollercoaster period following her called-off wedding to Ben Affleck in 2003. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, the singer and actress opened up about the emotional aftermath of their split, revealing that the breakup didn’t happen immediately. Lopez explained, “We didn’t break up right at that moment. It happened over the series of the next few months. What it did was it casted doubt in me ― and both of us ― about what our relationship was and where it was going. And I knew in my heart that I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life... But it didn’t feel like we were going to make it. And so, it scared me. You just don’t have the capacity and the ability at that moment, emotionally, to figure it out. We just weren’t mature enough in that way.”

As per HuffPost, the experience was specifically difficult for Lopez, who described it as "letting go of somebody that you truly love because you just can’t figure it out." Despite their best efforts, they were unable to overcome their differences and lacked the emotional maturity to navigate their relationship successfully.

Reflecting on their ages at the time—Affleck in his late 20s and Lopez in her early 30s—she acknowledged, “We just weren’t there yet. And so, we go, ‘Oh, this is what people do, they break up when things get hard, and we’re going to go our separate ways.’ And we went, and we both tried and found other people and had beautiful children, and had other families, and even had other relationships after that. It wasn’t until both of us had done, I know for me, a lot of work and got into a place where I was like, ‘You know what? I’m totally good on my own.’”

Lopez further added, “I’m chill, I love my life, I have this amazing career that I’ve built for myself, I have these amazing children, I have great friends ― that’s when he showed back up. And funnily enough, he said he had had the same type of experience.”

As per The Independent, in 2003, they released a joint statement regarding postponing their wedding. The statement read, “Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. 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 2022, they got engaged for the second time and tied the knot in two separate ceremonies later that year.

The revelations from Lopez come amidst Affleck's own reflections on their past relationship. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, the actor candidly discussed, “I would say [media attention] was about 50 percent [of what destroyed our relationship]. The idea that people hate you and they hate you together and that being together is poison and ugly and toxic and the thing none of us want to be part of. And ‘who the f**k would want to have them to dinner?’ And ‘what the f**k are they doing together?’” While Affleck expressed hesitancy about rekindling their romance due to concerns about the impact on his children from his previous marriage, he ultimately decided to give love a second chance with Lopez.