Alexander Tamargo/Getty Pictures; Albert L. Ortega/Getty Pictures; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic From L to R: Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck
In keeping with Kevin Smith, the world has him to thank for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck‘s “Bennifer” couple nickname.
The actor and director, 50, addressed the present buzz about the formerly engaged couple‘s latest meetups on Twitter Monday, writing that he seen “‘Bennifer’ is trending.”
“It is a identify I first gave the children throughout Jersey Girl pre-production, earlier than the world came upon they had been relationship,” he mentioned of Affleck, 48, and Lopez, 51, who each starred in his 2004 movie.
“I might later drop the identify in an interview with the @nytimes. Shortly thereafter, it appeared within the article after which entered the vernacular,” added Smith.
Lopez and Affleck had been engaged in 2002 and costarred within the movies Jersey Lady and Gigli. They postponed their 2003 wedding ceremony days earlier than they had been set to stroll down the aisle, then formally break up by January 2004.
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The duo have been seen collectively a number of occasions over the past week and a half, first outside her Los Angeles home in late April and, extra lately, throughout a days-long trip to Montana.
On Monday, sources informed PEOPLE the pair had been spotted riding in a car together close to a resort in Huge Sky, the place Affleck has a house. He was seen behind the wheel, with Lopez within the passenger seat.
“They each had final week off and needed to spend time away from L.A.,” a supply tells PEOPLE on this week’s difficulty, on newsstands Friday. “Ben urged Montana since he has a spot there.”
Pay attention beneath to the episode of our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for extra on Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s trip in Montana.
The journey “was a nice break for Jennifer,” added the insider of the singer, who introduced the end of her engagement with Alex Rodriguez in a joint assertion on April 15. (Affleck, meanwhile, split from actress Ana de Armas in January, after the 2 had been first romantically linked in early 2020.)
Christopher Smith/invision/AP/shutterstock; emma mcyntire/getty Ben Affleck (L); Jennifer Lopez
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Affleck and Smith have collaborated on loads of movies through the years, together with Mallrats, Dogma and Chasing Amy. The 2 later went by means of “nearly a decade” of estrangement — one thing Smith has taken the blame for — earlier than reuniting for 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
To Smith, having Affleck seem within the sequel was like getting “his pal again,” he informed Variety in fall 2019, admitting that he “was a blubbery mess” when Affleck agreed to star within the film.
One other of Affleck’s shut pals and longtime collaborators who has commented on the potential rekindled romance between him and Lopez? Matt Damon, who has additionally appeared in a number of Smith movies with Affleck.
“There’s not sufficient liquor on the earth so that you can get me to say one thing about [Ben and Jennifer’s relationship],” joked Damon, 50, on the Today present Tuesday, earlier than happening to confess, “I love them both. I hope it’s true. That might be superior.”
