Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck “reunited” on Monday night in New York. There was a screening/premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Jennifer Lopez stars, and Ben’s Artists Equity produced the film. Keep in mind, it’s been well over a year since Ben and J.Lo have been at the same event, much less photographed together. When their marriage was falling apart last year, they did some awkward photo-ops together in LA in which it was abundantly clear that Ben was over the marriage and Jennifer was still trying to make it work. Jennifer filed for divorce on their second wedding anniversary and the divorce was finalized quickly. Ben treated her like absolute dogs-t last year, and I hoped that she was over this Affleck-masochism cycle. Instead, at Monday night’s premiere, you could feel the chemistry between them once again. Ben and J.Lo honestly looked up for another round. So… is this just their dynamic as long as they’re not married to one another?
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have a much better relationship now that they are not married, a source told Page Six. The exes reunited Monday night in NYC to promote their new movie, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” marking their first public outing since their divorce was finalized in January. Lopez is pinning high hopes on the film to earn her an Oscar nomination. But the talk of the premiere was both her on-screen performance and her cozy red-carpet performance with Affleck, who is a producer on the project.
“They like each other so much more when they’re not married to each other,” a Lopez source said. “They each have roles to play with each other— she’s the glamorous, gorgeous diva superstar on a pedestal, he’s the roguish cad who keeps her at a distance to maintain sexual tension,” the source added. “As long as they are each playing their parts, they’re perfect. The minute they try to be anything more than that— especially something as pedestrian as husband and wife— it’s so doomed.”
Lopez, 56, and Affleck, 53, appeared to be on great terms as Affleck gushed about about his ex-wife, telling “Extra” she’s an “amazing” actress who “really does it all.”
The mom-of-two stars as Ingrid Luna/Aurora/The Spider Woman, while Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity production company got involved as a producing partner before the couple’s split. The project is an adaptation of the 1976 novel of the same name, by Argentine author Manuel Puig, that also inspired a 1985 movie and a 1993 Broadway musical.
Affleck said that Lopez was “born to play” the title role. “She’s amazing in the movie,” he said. “I just can’t wait for you, the audience, to see the movie. I’m as proud of this movie as any that I’ve ever been involved with. I’m really excited to be here tonight.”
He also praised his ex-wife’s work ethic, saying, “Early on in Jennifer’s involvement in this … she just was going to give it her all and she did. She worked enormously hard. You get to see all of her many gifts. She’s somebody that grew up watching classic musicals.”
Those Affleck quotes… that’s how he used to hype her when he was trying to get into her pants. He did the same thing when he was first trying to win her over, when she was married to Cris Judd. He did the same thing when she was with A-Rod!! ENOUGH!! I mean, I get it though. It happens all of the time – all of the fizzle, all of the chemistry is there when two people aren’t really together, but once they actually get together and try to make it work, it doesn’t work. I hope J.Lo stays strong.
Photos courtesy of Getty.