![EXCLUSIVE: Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, and more celebrities attend a celebration of life for J.R. Ridinger, and entrepreneur who passed away, in Miami. 08 Oct 2022 Pictured: Jennifer Lopez; Ben Affleck. Photo credit: Backgrid/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA905674_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://preprod.hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-JR-Ridinger-funeral-mega-gal.jpg?quality=100&w=293)
Ben Affleck, 49, truly is Jennifer Lopez‘s biggest fan of all. In an interview with AdWeek published on Sunday, Sept. 19, Ben gushed over his 52-year-old girlfriend, marking the first time he’s publicly spoken about the Bennifer 2.0 romance since the A-list stars got back together in May 2021 after breaking off their engagement in the early 2000s.
“All I can tell you is that I have seen firsthand the difference representation makes because I have seen, over and over and over and over, women of color approach Jennifer and tell her what her example as a strong woman and a woman succeeding and demanding her fair share in the business world means to them,” Ben told the publication. “I am in awe of what Jennifer’s effect on the world is.”
Ben raved about Jen some more, saying that she’s “inspired a massive group of people to feel they have a seat at the table in this country.” Ben added of his beautiful girlfriend, “That is an effect few people throughout history have had, one I will never know and one I can only stand by and admire with respect.”
Ben’s kind words about J.Lo come less than week after the together-again couple stole the show on the red carpet of the Met Gala. While J.Lo initially walked the carpet solo, Ben caught up with the superstar and the two shared a romantic smooch while wearing masks in front of photographers. The outing was actually Bennifer’s Met Gala debut, as the couple never went to the star-studded event together two decades ago.
Since they got back together, Ben has been nearly inseparable from J.Lo. The beloved couple have enjoyed a plethora of vacations and trips together, as well as some family outings with Jen’s kids Max and Emme, 13, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and Ben’s children Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 8, whom he shares with ex Jennifer Garner.
Ben and Jen first got together in July 2002, and were set to be married on September 14, 2003. However, the two called off the nuptials and cited intense media scrutiny attention around their scheduled Labor Day wedding. After a brief split, Ben and J.Lo reconciled — only to break-up for good in January 2004.