When Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck broke up in 2004, she cited the media’s constant scrutiny as a contributing factor to their breakup. Following their reunion in 2021, the couple once again found themselves in the public eye, and Affleck feels it wasn’t “fair” to ask JLo to be more discreet about their relationship.
The Batman actor has always wanted to avoid that same level of intense scrutiny.
Affleck admitted he initially preferred to keep his new romance off social media. “Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one thing I don’t want is a relationship on social media,'” he explained daily Mail,
Speaking about their breakup in 2004, Affleck said, “When Jen and I broke up,” it was due to “too much scrutiny around our private lives.”
Affleck quickly realized the request was unfair to Lopez, who had built much of her career and public persona around being open with her fans.
“Then I realized it’s not a fair question to ask,” he told DMs. “It’s like, you’re going to marry a boat captain and you say, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’ We’re two people with very different viewpoints trying to learn to compromise.”
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Affleck reveals how media scrutiny contributed to their breakup
The Argo star mentioned in Lopez’s documentary ‘The Greatest Love Story Never Told’: “Initially I had a very firm sense of boundaries about the press, whereas Jen didn’t object to it in the way that I did,” adding, “I objected to it a lot more.”
“I will say [media attention] About 50 per cent of the [of what destroyed our relationship]” Affleckt said Independent,
“The idea that people hate you and they hate you together and living together is poisonous, ugly and toxic and something that none of us want to be a part of. And ‘What idiot would want to invite them to dinner?’ And ‘What are they doing together?’”
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The couple’s decision to keep a low profile is understandable, as the initial breakup was met with too much media attention, as Prince Harry has claimed for years. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck annulled their marriage and later announced their separation.
“Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date,” they said in a joint statement.
