Jennifer Lopez Gushes Over ‘Beautiful Love Story’ With Ben Affleck: I Feel ‘Happy & Lucky’

For the first time, Jennifer Lopez is opening up in-depth about her rekindled relationship with Ben Affleck. She shared how happy they are, how proud she is of him and much more.

Nearly a year after Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got back together, she’s dishing all about how incredible things are going in their relationship. “I feel so very lucky and happy and proud to be with him,” the Marry Me star told People. “It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.” J.Lo and Ben were first together from the end of 2002 to the beginning of 2004. They were engaged at the time, but wound up calling it off and going on to start families with different people.

It wasn’t until 2021, 17 years later — after Ben had divorced Jennifer Garner and J.Lo had ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez — that the two rekindled their romance. “I just feel very happy and lucky to be in a relationship that’s happy and loving and I want to do everything I can to protect that and keep it safe,” Jennifer explained. “It deserves that, it really does. We hold it sacred.”

This time, J.Lo and Ben have kids to think about, as well. The lovebirds have already begun blending their families, with his three children and her twins spending time together on various occasions. “When you’re in a good, healthy relationship, everybody benefits from that,” Jennifer said, referring to the kids. “Everybody.”

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As for Ben, Jennifer said she could not be more “proud” of the man he’s become. “Being honest with each other, being loving, that’s just the basis of everything,” she admitted. “I feel like he’s at a place in his life where — just like how I feel about my self — 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 also gushed that Ben is “everything [she] always knew he was and wanted to be.”

When asked about what the future holds re: a future engagement or marriage, Jennifer kept it a bit coy. “I just want my future to be full of love and happiness, with my children and my partner,” she confirmed. “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.”