Less than a week after Jennifer Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from her husband Ben Affleck, 52, rumors emerged that he is keeping time with one of the nieces of Camelot, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy. The budding relationship is a complete 180-degree change from the promise he communicated to the Bronx bombshell through their engagement ring.
Affleck and Lopez, affectionately called “Bennifer” by the media, first began dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of “Gigli.” Their romance quickly captured public attention, leading to their engagement in November of that year. However, their September 2003 wedding was postponed, and by January 2004, they had officially called it quits.
Both moved on to other marriages—Lopez with Marc Anthony in 2004 and Affleck with Jennifer Garner in 2005.
Nearly two decades later, after both had divorced their respective spouses, Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship in 2021. By April 2022, they were engaged for a second time.
In a recently resurfaced clip from “The Zane Lowe Show,” Jenny from the Block seemed ecstatic to have spun the block with someone she believed then was the love of her life. She candidly spoke about her engagement ring and the sweet message Affleck left for her— believing this was her happily ever after.
In a clip from the interview, shared by The Shade Room, Lopez revealed, “On the inside of this ring, right here, my engagement ring that he gave me, it says, ‘Not. Going. Anywhere.’”
According to the “Selena” actress, this was very different from the pink diamond ring he had given her years ago, which said, “Sing.” Lopez told Zane Lowe that she believed he added that inscription to the ring because when they first got back together, that is how he would sign his emails to the star.
JLo believed that was his way of saying, “Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”
Upon hearing the sweet gesture, fans weighed in and pointed to Lopez as being the bad seed in the relationship and blaming her for the split.
“She’s the problem,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “JLo needs therapy, not a man.”
A third comment joked, “JENNY there’s no men left on the block.”
“Well.. Their marriage did ‘NOT.GO.ANYWHERE.’ Smh,” someone else write.
Others were more sympathetic towards Affleck, pointing out the irony in the situation, “For him to engrave that obviously means that she was nervous about him not sticking around. It’s just so sad that he did exactly what she was scared of and he promised not to do.”
The couple tied the knot in a low-key Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022, followed by a more extravagant celebration with family and friends in August 2022 at Affleck’s estate in Georgia.
However, their divorce, initiated just two years later, marks the end to this Hollywood love story.
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing April 26, 2024, as the date of separation. The fact that she filed without legal representation indicates her intent to expedite the process.
Just days after the confirmation of their split, Affleck was spotted spending time with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 32-year-old daughter, Page Six reports. The New York Post gossip page reports it was told by an anonymous source that the two were spotted together at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills and other popular spots around Los Angeles.
While the true nature of their relationship remains unclear, speculation has been rampant, with many assuming, despite a lack of concrete evidence, that a romance might be developing between the two strikingly attractive public personalities.
Aside from Kick Kennedy, Affleck, typically reserved about his personal life, has mostly been seen with family members lately. He’s been photographed spending time with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and their three children: Violet Anne, 18, Seraphina Rose, 15, and Samuel, 12.
Sources told US Weekly that Garner has been a supportive presence for Affleck, offering a listening ear during his breakup with the twice Grammy-nominated singer.
