Jennifer Lopez‘s new documentary film, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, emphasizes her desire to provide an honest and candid look into her love life and personal growth. The doc, now available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, offered numerous insights.
One notable revelation was Lopez, 54, feeling courageous for sharing her tale of rekindled love with Ben Affleck. She also got real about facing backlash for her four marriages and the many lessons she learned from each of them.
“It takes courage to share your truth and I know it could end disastrously,” she says through tears in one scene. She adds: “Nobody figures out anything when everything’s all hunky dory and rosy. You figure sh—t out when sh—t is hard.”
pan>
J.Lo Opens Up About Her Failed Marriages And 'Compulsive Behavior' In Emotional Documentary
The Hustlers alum has been making many headlines lately after unveiling her healing and self-love journey through the release of her latest album, This Is Me... Now.
Furthermore, the mom of two has offered a unique glimpse into the last two decades of her life and her reignited relationship with her husband, Affleck, 51, through the accompanying visual film This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, as well as the recently released documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
Lopez candidly revealed that she has been married four times at the outset of the doc, saying: "I’m sure people watching from the outside were like, 'What is this f—king girl’s problem?!'" The "On the Floor" singer, as fans know, tied the knot with Affleck in 2022.
She was previously wedded to singer Marc Anthony (whom she shares 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with) from 2004 to 2014. Before that, Lopez was married to dancer/ actor Cris Judd from 2001 to 2003, and to actor/ producer Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998.
According to Lopez, her "compulsive behavior" was to blame for the situation, which arose from her efforts to appear unaffected following her unsuccessful marriages.
Lopez and Affleck initially became engaged in 2002 with the intention of tying the knot in 2004. Only three days before the nuptials, they terminated their engagement. Nevertheless, their relationship was rekindled in 2021, resulting in their eventual union in 2022.
"Twenty years, I ago I fell in love with the love of my life and during that time I was making an album called 'This Is Me...Then,'" Lopez tells a crowd in another scene from the doc. "I hadn’t made an album since then. Eighteen years later, we got back together and I was very inspired."
Her source of inspiration was also drawn from a cherished book, which she referred to as her "bible," a gift bestowed upon her by Affleck during their inaugural Christmas together.
"It is every letter and every email that we wrote to each other from 20 years ago to today," she shared, noting that the Justice League actor titled it: "The Greatest Love Story Never Told by Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 2001 to 2021... and Counting." In another notable scene, Affleck reminisced about feeling a sense of reluctance towards Lopez's openness in portraying their relationship in her projects. "I did really find the beauty and the poetry and the irony in the fact that it’s the greatest love story never told," he dished in a confessional. "And if you’re making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it."
View this post on Instagram
During a separate moment, the Argo star conveyed that he had to adapt to the notion of his wife revealing their personal life to the public. "Jen was really inspired by this experience, which is how artists do their work," he explained.
"I certainly do the same things, but things that are private, I have always felt, are sacred and special because, in part, they’re private. So this was something of an adjustment for me."
View this post on Instagram
In the end, Affleck revealed that he made peace with Lopez's venture when he realized that it wasn't solely about it.
"I don’t really love being in the making of documentary about my personal life, which is why I’m so relieved that I’m not really, it seems like I might be in this, but I’m not really," he noted.
"I was worrying for no reason. The movie wasn’t about me. It was about the ability to love yourself and that love story is a lot f—king harder to find than Prince Charming."
