The 54-year-old actress and singer says she and Affleck needed to go their separate ways before finding their way back to each other.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's love story is one for the books when it comes to celebrity relationships.
Prior to rekindling their romance in 2021 and tying the knot a year later, the couple first dated in 2002 and got engaged shortly after. Their romance took the world by storm, but after constant media scrutiny, Lopez and Affleck called off their wedding, which was set to take place on Sept. 14, 2003.
Now, in a new interview with Variety ahead of the release of her musical cinematic experience, This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, 54-year-old Lopez is reflecting on the breakup.
"Our relationship crumbled under the weight of the pressure," the "Can't Get Enough' singer tells the publication. "We lost a sense of ourselves, and we needed to separate because we didn't know how to survive it. I had to figure myself out, and he had to figure himself out."
When Affleck, 51, and Lopez called off their wedding in 2003, they released a joint statement, saying, "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," they continued. "We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends."
However, 20 years later, Lopez and Affleck are now married and have successfully blended their families. Lopez is mom to 15-year-old twins Max and Emme, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Meanwhile, Affleck has three children -- Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 11 -- with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
As for whether Lopez has forgiven Affleck for his actions in 2003, the singer will reveal her answer in the musical film for This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, which premieres on Prime Video on Feb. 16. The Prime Video project will accompany the release of Lopez's ninth studio album, which may also be her last.
"We did a bunch of different album covers," she explained to ET earlier this month. "We try to do stuff that’s very special for the fans and do collector's items and things like that that they can have forever and ever. The truth is I don't even know if I'll ever make another album after this. It’s such the kind of quintessential kind of Jennifer Lopez J.Lo project and I really feel very fulfilled, so they really will be collector’s items at a certain point."
Lopez added, "Don't tell Benny [Medina] that that’s what I'm thinking --- this might be my last album ever."
The album comes 22 years after the release of her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, which chronicled her initial romance with Affleck.
Lopez explained, "I feel like it’s the end of a kind of an era for me and the beginning of a new one, so I would never say never, but right now I feel like I really put my heart and soul into this and I'm very excited and it definitely took a lot out of me."
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