Appreciating Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

Hello, and welcome to The Reheat! Each week, I write a column summarizing the highlights of the podcast I co-host with Sadaf Ahsan. Our podcast, also titled The Reheat (what a coincidence!), re-examines the most salacious scandals of yester-year through a contemporary lens. Whether it’s a deep dive into Bennifer’s original love story from the 2000s or a meditation on the time princess Anne was almost kidnapped, we explain why each saga captured our imaginations back in the day. Sadaf and I also ask, would these stories be as scandalous if they happened in 2021? The answers to that question might surprise you!

Whenever we release a new episode, I share some of the juiciest tidbits right here, for Addicted Magazine’s lovely readers. Obviously, we hope these columns tantalize you enough to listen to our podcast. That’s where you’ll learn the fascinating details I don’t share here…

This week’s column is a throwback to the second-ever episode of the reheat! We’re traveling back in time to the 00s, an era when boot-cut jeans and JLo both reigned supreme. Accordingly, we will revisit the first time Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were an item. The second coming of Bennifer has been blessing our timelines with their PDA for months. However, all those delicious makeout sessions inspired us to dive into the archives and remember their original romance. So, sit back and enjoy!

They Met On The Set Of Gigli, A Movie You Really Don’t Need to Watch

As the legend goes, Ben fell for the married Jennifer Lopez on the set of Gigli. Gigli is an egregiously bad comedy about a two-bit gangster, the eponymous Gigli (Ben Affleck). The plot goes like this: Gigli, who is very bad at his job, is tasked with kidnapping the brother of a district attorney. The brother lives with some disability issues and Gigli is an egregious jerk to him, even by gangster standards. To assist Gigli, the crime boss sends in the (much) more competent Ricki (Jennifer Lopez).

Ricki is super hot and Gigli immediately starts lusting after her. The problem? Ricki identifies as gay. The other problem? Ricki is way too good for him! But no matter, because the movie has them ride off into the proverbial sunset, anyway. Yes, it is a toxic love story about a loser who “converts” a lesbian with his cisgender, masculine allure. Even for Bennifer historians, this movie is not worth watching! It is a toxic dumpster fire covered in killer bees!

While this movie is terrible enough that watching ten minutes of it will compel you to wash your eyes out with bleach, there is a silver lining! Ben and JLO discovered their real-life chemistry was incandescent (on-screen, it’s pretty mediocre). Soon, Jennifer had left her then-husband, Chris Judd. And that’s how Bennifer 1.0 was born!

Ben Proposed With 6-Carat Pink Diamond

Ever wonder why there was such a craze for pink diamonds in the 00s? Well, Ben Affleck is more than a little to blame! In November 2002, he proposed to J-Lo with a six-carat pink diamond engagement ring. The bauble reported cost Ben around $1.2 million dollars! A fact that proves movie stars are overpaid…

The stunning pink ring quickly became iconic. Jennifer wrote it everywhere, from The Red Carpet to McDonald’s. Those pap shots inspired countless of us normies to lust after bubble-gum coloured jewelry that costs more than a house (Well, maybe not more than a detached house in Toronto, but in most places!)

Media Scrutiny Destroyed Their Relationship

Ben Affleck has gone on record saying the intense scrutiny is what destroyed his and Jennifer’s relationship the first time, citing the sexist and racist comments Ms. Lopez was forced to endure. The pair literally called off their 2003 wedding the day before it was supposed to occur, blaming The Media Circus centring around their relationship. Tragically, the couple never set another date. Ben and Jen went their separate ways in the 00s, but fortunately for us, their love is resurgent!  Sometimes, we can have nice things…

https://the-reheat.simplecast.com/

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian is a feminist writer based in Toronto. Her byline has appeared in such publications as Elle Canada, Flare, Bitch Media, The Toronto Star, and The National Post. She is also the co-host of You Do You: A Dating Podcast. Sarah holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from The London School of Economics. You can find her on Twitter, where she posts about politics and live-tweets The Bachelor
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