Bennifer 3.0? Inside Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's Long-Running Friendship – And Why They STILL Can't Let Go of Each Other
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's long-running friendship has fueled ongoing Bennifer 3.0 speculation.
Feb. 1 2026, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
They looked just like any other couple. On Dec. 21, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were photographed with his 13-year-old son, Samuel, at the Brentwood Country Mart in Los Angeles, perusing the shops before sitting down for a meal together at the Farmshop market, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Only, the A-listers are not a couple – not since they separated in 2024.
But their ease with each other is obvious.
Blended Family Keeps Them Close
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were photographed shopping with his son, Samuel, at the Brentwood Country Mart.
"Ben and Jen may have had their differences romantically, but as far as blended families go, they're a perfect fit, and it's a big reason why they still make time to hang out and keep the friendly dynamic going," a source said. "They get together fairly frequently, any chance they get, really, and that's something Jen and Ben both enjoy very much."
Fans have been speculating about just how friendly the exes are. They've been spotted running into each other at their children's Los Angeles school, most recently on Dec. 12 when J.Lo's teen Emme, 17, and Affleck's child Fin, 16, performed in a play.
Adding to the speculation, they've also gotten together without the kids since their divorce was finalized in January 2025. Affleck, an executive producer, showed up to support J.Lo at the New York City premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman on Oct. 6, acting flirty with her on the red carpet and calling her "incredible" in a heartfelt speech before the screening.
"Jen and Ben still have a ton of love and respect for each other," said the source.
"Their friendship is very much intact, and you only have to look at them when they're together to see that the vibe is totally chill. There's very little awkwardness between them."
Bennifer 2.0
Fans spotted J.Lo and Affleck at their children's Los Angeles school during a play starring Emme and Fin.
After famously calling off their much-ballyhooed wedding in 2003, Affleck and Lopez delighted fans when they decided to give their relationship another go in 2021.
They wasted no time blending their families – J.Lo shares 17-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony and Affleck shares Violet, 20, Fin and Samuel with ex-wife Jennifer Garner – and were engaged again after a year of dating.
The couple tied the knot twice, eloping to Las Vegas on July 16 and exchanging vows at Ben's Georgia estate, where they originally planned to wed all those years ago, on Aug. 20.
"Some old wounds were healed that day and the weight of the past finally lifted off our shoulders," J.Lo wrote in a newsletter to fans.
"Full-circle – and not at all the way we planned it. Better."
However, their different views on Bennifer 2.0 began to show with the February release of her documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, a behind-the-scenes companion to her album This Is Me... Now and its accompanying film.
It was a bit much for Affleck.
Marriage Crumbled Over Differences
Lopez has previously praised Garner and Affleck for their parenting skills.
"Getting back together, I said, 'Listen, one of the things I don't want is a relationship on social media,' and then I realized it's not a very fair thing to ask," he explained in the film.
"It's like you're going to marry a boat captain, and you go, 'Well, I don't like that water.' You know? We're just two people with different approaches trying to learn to compromise." He couldn't bend to her need to live out loud and she filed for divorce on Aug. 20 – the two-year anniversary of their Georgia wedding – citing irreconcilable differences.
"It is disappointing for both of them that the marriage didn't work out, especially as they went into it with such high hopes," said the source. "They truly believed it would be their happily ever after, but alas, things weren't meant to be."
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At the New York premiere of 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' Affleck publicly praised Lopez as 'incredible.'
Affleck is known to remain tight with his exes, even to the point of codependence.
RadarOnline.com has previously reported Garner has been a shoulder to cry on for years.
With all the time Affleck and J.Lo have been spending together, fans wonder whether a reconciliation is in sight.
"It's not totally impossible to imagine them together again," said the source. "They're both impossible romantics who would be lying if they didn't admit to quite often wondering what might have been."
The question is whether a romantic do-over is worth the risks. "They both know the circus factor of Bennifer 3.0 would set them up for a whole lot of pressure they could do without," said the source. But when it comes to these two, never say never. "Ben and Jen have done it before, and the love and attraction is there. Only time will tell."
