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Ben Affleck is in the middle of a fresh breakup with most recent girlfriend Ana de Armas. Instead of discussing that split, however, the actor recently opened up about one of his most famous–and highly publicized–relationships back in the early 2000s.
From 2002 to 2004, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were Hollywood’s favorite ‘it couple.’ And that much attention was not always positive, according to the actor. During a recent podcast interview, the actor called out the tabloids at the time who wrote about their relationship, referring to their writing as “ugly” and “vicious.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, or "Bennifer," were a huge source of celebrity gossip when they were together, but the tabloids took it way too far when criticizing the couple, especially JLo.
"People were so f---- mean about her — sexist, racist. Ugly, vicious s--- was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now you would literally be fired for saying those things you said," Affleck explained during the Awards Chatter podcast interview.
Of course, Lopez is idolized now. (And if you need any reminders why, feel free to re-watch her Super Bowl performance!) However, writers were not always ready to compliment her.
Affleck explained, "Now it's like, she's lionized and respected for the work she did, where she came from, what she accomplished — as well she f----- should be! I would say you have a better shot, coming from the Bronx, of ending up as like [Justice Sonia] Sotomayor on the Supreme Court than you do of having Jennifer Lopez's career and being who she is at 50 years old today."
The actor also touched on how people still continue to criticize actors when they see paparazzi shots of them.
"You know, there's always a story of the month, and me dating Jennifer Lopez happened to be that tabloid story at the time when that business grew exponentially. Still, to this day, [some] will go, 'I see you out there in the paparazzi and the pictures!' It's like, 'Yes, I left my house and took out the trash. It's not like I'm trying to—' And it's still like, 'You were taking a pap walk!'" he said. "As if, if you leave your house, you're only doing so in the hope that you could be so lucky that you could end up as the sixth item in The Daily Mail. It's absurd!"
Jennifer Lopez has also opened up about the attention on their relationship.
"It was actually worse then," JLo told InStyle, comparing "Bennifer" to her current relationship with Alex Rodriguez.
"It was just crazy. Now at least I can show you who I am a little bit. Back then you just believed anything you read on the cover of a tabloid. Many times it wasn't true, or it was like a third of the truth," she added.
