KEY POINTS
- Ben Affleck revealed that he does not plan to discuss his relationship with Jennifer Lopez publicly
- The actor did share that the story of their renewed relationship is one that's "definitely beautiful" to him
- Lopez recently said that she's open to marrying again
Ben Affleck is not sharing details of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, but he does feel grateful for their rekindled romance.
In an interview with WSJ. Magazine for its December/January issue, the 49-year-old actor opened up about his hopes for the future and the kind of man he wants to be in work and in life amid his reignited romance with Lopez.
According to Affleck, "fear drove" him to work nonstop for years, but the feeling gradually went away over the last four years as he's focused on himself and his kids, Violet, 16, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
"The most important thing is being a good father. The second most important thing is to be a good man. And a good person. And, ostensibly, you know, a good husband. Hopefully," he told the magazine.
Affleck also revealed that he does not plan to discuss his relationship with Lopez publicly as one of the "harder" lessons he's learned over the years is that not everything should be shared with the world.
"There are some things which are private and intimate and have meaning in terms of their intimacy by dint of the fact that they’re not shared with the rest of the world," he explained.
However, Affleck did say that the story of his renewed relationship with Lopez is one that's "definitely beautiful" to him.
Lopez and Affleck met on the set of "Gigli" in 2001 and were engaged from 2002 to 2004. Following their respective splits from Alex Rodriguez and Ana de Armas earlier this year, Lopez and Affleck rekindled their romance in late April and have been together ever since.
The "Argo" star hinted that he may tell the "great story" of their romance in the future but suggested that he's just as likely to "write it all out" and then "light it on fire."
According to the two-time Academy Award winner, he just feels "very lucky" to have "benefited from second chances" both in his career and his personal life.
"Life is difficult, and we are always failing and hopefully learning from those failures," he shared. "The one thing you really need to avail yourself of the opportunities provided from that growth is the second chance. I’ve definitely tried to take advantage of that. I haven’t always been successful, but in cases in which I have, they’ve turned out to be the defining aspects of my life."
As for his future plans, Affleck said that he's focused on being a good dad and finding good projects, such as his upcoming film "The Tender Bar," which was directed by George Clooney.
Meanwhile, Lopez was recently asked during an interview with the "Today" show whether or not she is open to marrying again.
"I don’t know. Yeah, I guess," Lopez told host Hoda Kotb, adding, "I mean, you know me. I’m a romantic, I always have been. I’ve been married a few times. I still believe in happily ever after, for sure. 100%."
The singer was married to Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998, Cris Judd from 2001 to 2003 and Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2014. She shares twins, Emme and Max, 13, with Anthony. Affleck, for his part, was married to Garner from 2005 to 2018.
Last week, Lopez flew to Los Angeles from Vancouver, Canada, where she has been filming her Netflix movie "The Mother," to celebrate Thanksgiving with Affleck and her kids.
The couple was then spotted out on date at Wolfgang Puck's Spago bistro in Beverly Hills Saturday. They were photographed getting cozy outside the restaurant, with Affleck wrapping his arms around Lopez and the actress resting her head on his chest while they waited for their car to arrive from the valet.
"Bennifer" is back, with Lopez joining Affleck for the premiere of his new film "The Last Duel" Photo: AFP / Filippo MONTEFORTE
