Jennifer Lopez has said it is a “beautiful love story” that Ben Affleck and her got a second chance of being in a relationship together.
Pop superstar Lopez, 52 and Affleck, 49, had previously been one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples and were known as “Bennifer” before breaking up in 2004.
They rekindled their relationship last year after nearly two decades, with Lopez confirming they were back together in a post for her 52nd birthday in July.
Lopez told People magazine that she has “never been better” with both her professional and personal life thriving.
Discussing her rekindled romance with Affleck, she said: “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him.
“It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”
Singer and actress Lopez and award-winning actor and director Affleck got engaged in 2002 and looked set to marry before going their separate ways.
Fans had been reminiscing about the “Bennifer” romance after Lopez announced her split from former professional baseball star Alex Rodriguez, 46, in April.
The rumour mill went into overdrive when Affleck and Lopez were spotted together in Montana in May before Lopez confirmed the relationship.
Lopez admitted that they had a “little bit of fear” when reconnecting initially, adding: “Before we kind of put (our relationship) out there and we were naive and it got a little trampled.”
She explained that neither of them wanted a repeat of that situation as they were “so happy” together now.
“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,” she said.
“We’re so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us.”
Lopez’s other past relationships include her 10-year marriage to singer Marc Anthony. The former couple, who divorced in 2014, have twins together.
Affleck had previously been married to actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children, but they divorced in 2018 after 13 years of marriage.
Reflecting on the changes in their relationship this time round, Lopez added there was more of an “appreciation and a celebration” for it.
She said: “When you find somebody and you really, really love them and you get a second chance at that?
“That is a really rare, precious, beautiful thing and we don’t take it for granted.”
The singer noted that she had watched Affleck over the years from afar and said she was “so proud” of the man he has become.
Lopez said: “I feel like he’s at a place in his life where, just like how I feel about myself, it’s been a journey of learning yourself and figuring yourself out, getting to a place where you feel really good on your own and who you are so you can be in a happy, healthy relationship.”
She added: “To see the person, the human being, the man that he is today, the father that he is today, the partner that he is, he is so everything I always knew he was and wanted to be.”
Looking towards the future Lopez said she just wants it to be filled with “love and happiness” with both her children and her partner, adding: “I think everybody just wants to be happy, with somebody to go on the journey with and grow old with, and I feel good about that right now.”
