Their relationship emerged during a very different celebrity culture.
The two met while working on the film Gigli in the early 2000s. At the time, Lopez was already one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers, while Affleck had established himself as both a leading actor and an Oscar-winning screenwriter.
Their romance quickly became a media phenomenon.
The nickname “Bennifer” became shorthand for their relationship and helped establish a celebrity-couple naming trend that would become common in entertainment coverage.
Photographers followed them almost everywhere.
Their vacations became headlines.
Their clothing was analyzed.
Their body language was analyzed.
Their engagement became international entertainment news.
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