JLo and Ben Affleck news? Clues are there

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's relationship clues are all there, you just need to know where to look

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the premiere for 'This Is Me... Now: A Love Story' in February. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are not talking about their current relationship, but they have already said plenty.

With reports have hit a rough patch in their almost two-year marriage, many are trying to read between the “Bennifer” lines about the couple reportedly putting their or Lopez’s recent decision to to be with her family.

The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the ��۴�ý App

But it appears that the pair have already given us all we need to know about their romance. Just watch “The Greatest Love Story Never Told.”

The Prime Video documentary first released in February as a behind-the-scenes look at Lopez’s short film that accompanied her latest album, “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story.” It was a lot of at once, some criticized too much, but the documentary, in retrospect, is revelatory.

Before they wed () in 2022, Lopez and Affleck were previously engaged two decades prior, only to call it off three days before their planned September 2003 wedding over pressures of living in the spotlight. “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” explores what brought them back together, along with their bond and even their conflicts - in other words an adult relationship.

The title and its meaning

No one can say Ben Affleck isn’t romantic.

He took their correspondence, every letter and email they had written over 20 years and put it in a memory book he titled, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told.” He presented it to Lopez for their first Christmas together after they reunited.

Lopez used the letters as inspiration for “This is Me…Now,” sharing it with her creative team.

“She would pick one and she would let us touch them and read them,” one songwriter recounts in the documentary.

Affleck shares his reaction when he discovered the book had served as source material for his wife’s work.

“She was like ‘I’ve been reading and the people…this is the kind of inspiration. I’ve been showing them the book,” Affleck recalls in the film. “I was like ‘You’ve been showing all the musicians all those letters that…’ and they were like ‘Yeah, we call you Pen Affleck!’ And I was like ‘Oh my God.’”

Though out of his comfort zone, the Oscar-winning producer and writer seems to understand.

“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 says. “If you’re making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it.”

Their different approaches to creativity and fame are what some observers believe may be the cause of possible conflict in their power-coupledom.

“Things that are private, I always felt are sacred and special because, in part, they’re private,” Affleck says at one point in the film. “We’re just two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise.”

“Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media,’” Affleck later says in the project. “Then I sort of realized it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’”

Lopez expresses her appreciation for Affleck’s support.

“I don’t think [Ben] is very comfortable with me doing all of this,” she says in the documentary. “But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist, and he’s gonna support me in every way he can because he knows you can’t stop me from making the music I made… he doesn’t want to stop me. But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse.”

All of the emotion

“The Greatest Love Story Never Told” begins with Lopez explaining how her reunion with Affleck inspired her to do her first studio album in a decade.

She states that her love for him endured in their years apart, but she put to the side.

“When her and Ben first broke up it was catastrophic to her constitution,” said Dave Meyers, who both directed her music videos years ago and the “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story” short film. “Everything that she wanted from what she understood love to be, for that to not work, For the pressures to break it apart. That just spun her out.”

Lopez recalls their initial split, noting that she felt she had lost her best friend and weeps as she talks about the love Affleck has shown her.

“What he saw in me, what he allowed me to believe about myself, only comes from love,” she says as tears roll down her face. “Nobody else could make me see that about myself. It’s very moving. Because I didn’t think much of myself, and so the world didn’t think much of me.”

In one scene, Lopez, worn down by the stress of the project she self-financed, expresses her fears she’s falling short on set, in her marriage and as a mother. In another scene, Affleck is there to encourage her when she worries the visual representation of her new album is going to “suck.”

“You’ll be scared it’ll suck until it doesn’t,” he reassures his wife and makes her laugh. “You’ve gotta discern between things that suck DNA-wise, and things that just don’t work right.”

There’s also plenty of fun.

Affleck notes that Lopez’s character in her short film (which she insists is not completely based on her life) is 28 years old, which is not the age she was when they were first together.

“But you were,” she says to Affleck. “You were. That’s why you were not as smart as me.”

Affleck is now 51 and Lopez is 54.

When he teases her in the documentary about “wanting to play younger” even in her semi-autobiographical film, she lovingly calls him an “idiot.”

Lopez sums up how the couple found their way back to each other after so many years.

“We’re totally different people now. And we’re the same,” she says. “And we have the same. One hundred percent.”

Enough for more chapters in a story that Affleck and Lopez still appear to be writing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent

Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, ��۴�ý confirmed Wednesday.

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.

'Canadians can breathe a sigh of relief': Bank of Canada governor on interest rate cut

The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Canada

Two B.C. RCMP officers won’t face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing – but they could face professional discipline.
Abdelrazik tells of despair when Ottawa denied him passport to return home from Sudan

Abousfian Abdelrazik told a court Wednesday about the roller-coaster of emotions he experienced during the tense days of early 2009 when he awaited the green light to return to Canada from Sudan.
Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.
A Real Canadian Superstore in B.C.'s Fraser Valley was evacuated Tuesday night due to a "suspicious" fire in the toilet paper aisle, according to authorities.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

World

Trash carried by a North Korean balloon again falls on the presidential compound in Seoul

Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday, officials said, the second such case in recent months that raise concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites during potential North Korean aggression.
Turkish jets strike Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following attack on defence company

Turkiye’s air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defence company that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others.
Justice Department warns Elon Musk that his $1 million giveaway to registered voters may be illegal

The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his US$1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN.
Disney World hikes prices for its annual passes by up to US$100

If you’re a regular visitor to Walt Disney World, your annual passes are going to cost you more. The resort in Orlando, Fla., hiked prices on all four levels of its passes on Wednesday.
3 found dead in British care home and 4 hospitalized after 'unexplained' incident

Three people were found dead Wednesday and four others were hospitalized after an 'unexplained' incident at a care home in southern England, police said.
U.S. confirms North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia for training and possible Ukraine combat

The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be 'fair game' if they go into combat in Ukraine.

Politics

Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent

Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, ��۴�ý confirmed Wednesday.
Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

A debate has ground work in the House of Commons to a halt for weeks, but a new poll suggests that most Canadians are not even aware it's happening.

Health

Quarter Pounders are off the menu at 20 per cent of McDonald's in U.S. as E. coli cases are investigated

McDonald’s worked Wednesday to reassure customers that its U.S. restaurants are safe as federal investigators tried to pinpoint the cause of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the fast-food giant's Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
This common gesture could be a sign of a concussion, researchers say

A quick shake of the head after a hard hit could signal that a person has a concussion, a new study suggests, based on the experiences of young athletes.
'Risk of lead exposure': Kids clothes recalled, Health Canada says

A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.

Sci-Tech

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.
Hong Kong discovers dinosaur fossils for the first time

Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils in the city for the first time on a remote, uninhabited island that's part of a geopark.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Entertainment

Ron Ely, TV's 'Tarzan' in the 1960s, dies at 86

Ron Ely, who played the title character 'Tarzan' in the 1960s NBC series, has died at the age of 86.
Cardi B says she's hospitalized with medical emergency, will miss music festival

Cardi B says she has been hospitalized with a medical emergency and will have to miss a Saturday night headlining performance at an Atlanta music festival.
Travis Scott just settled hundreds of lawsuits linked to deadly Astroworld Festival

Almost three years after the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy, Houston rapper and concert headliner Travis Scott just settled hundreds of lawsuits related to the case.

Business

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.
Starbucks suspends annual forecast as new CEO prepares turnaround plan

Starbucks Corp suspended its forecast through the next fiscal year as new CEO Brian Niccol looks to turn around the coffee giant struggling with falling demand for its pricey drinks.

Lifestyle

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2025

Grab your passport and your sunscreen, Lonely Planet has just revealed its 30 must-visit destinations for 2025 as well as a brand-new rundown of top 10 travel trends.
The Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park has undergone a $29-million makeover.

Sports

18-year-old files lawsuit over ownership of Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50-50 ball, seeks to prevent auction

An 18-year-old has filed a lawsuit over the ownership of the ball Shohei Ohtani made baseball history with when he became the inaugural member of the 50-50 club.
Evan Mobley had 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 136-106 rout in Toronto's home opener on Wednesday as the Raptors also lost starting point guard Immanuel Quickley.
'Malcolm in the Middle' star Frankie Muniz lands full-time NASCAR ride in 2025

Former 'Malcolm in the Middle' star Frankie Muniz is set to continue his NASCAR career with a full-time ride in the Truck Series for 2025.

Autos

Thousands of hybrid vehicles recalled in Canada over risk of fire

An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
China has deported a VW executive for allegedly using drugs while in Thailand

A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
U.S. to probe Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditions

The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.
Since the record-breaking atmospheric river hit Metro Vancouver last Friday, 266 drivers have filed ICBC claims for water damage to their vehicles. In some places, flood water was so deep, cars floated away with the drivers still inside, and the engine running.
Brittany La Torre and her husband Marc moved into their West Vancouver home just six months ago, but after last weekend's storm brought a torrent of muddy water and debris into their basement, knocking out power, they're not sure whether they'll be living in it six months from now.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
Brampton is looking to the federal and provincial government to address the growing number of its vulnerable international students being exploited and trafficked.
'Canadians can breathe a sigh of relief': Bank of Canada governor on interest rate cut

The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

A proposed inner-city apartment complex development by Anthem Properties is raising concerns for some residents of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.
A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.

One person has died and others have been injured after a two-vehicle collision involving a tractor trailer and a car on Highway 7 in eastern Ontario, according to police.
Homeowners with a variable rate mortgage in Ottawa can expect to see some savings thanks to a significant rate cut by the Bank of Canada.
A Zamboni driver in western Quebec has been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving after a low-speed crash at a hockey rink on Monday.

A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a car in Saint-Michel Wednesday evening.
Nigel Berkley and CRARR plan to file complaints with the police ethics commissioner and the human rights commission after Berkley was repeatedly stopped while driving his mother's car over four months.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking re-election.

An Edmonton tow truck operator has been charged after police say he refused to release a vehicle to its owner.
The City of Edmonton has a long road ahead to replace aging ice arenas as demand for ice time increases.
The leader of Alberta's Official Opposition rolled up his sleeves for his COVID-19 and flu shots today, opting to receive them in front of media because he's concerned about vaccine uptake.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s riding.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.
A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.
A Manitoba inmate who was released from custody by mistake has been arrested, according to Winnipeg police.

Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) – which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.
Southey RCMP say drivers should expect delays on Highway 6 Wednesday night after a serious crash.
Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.

Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb’s home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.
A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.
Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.

The race to form government is heating up ahead of the provincial election on Monday. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and the Saskatchewan Party feel they have the momentum as each leader has been focusing on different areas of the province as the campaign trail nears its end.
Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
The Saskatoon civic election is drawing closer, with mayoral candidates outlining their visions to keep the city competitive and attract businesses.

A Sudbury jury has found Felicity Altiman guilty of second-degree murder in the December 2020 stabbing death of a Sudbury man.
It only took minutes for North Bay pharmacist Brian Chute to be out $1,500 after fraudsters deceptively swapped his bank card with another.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911
A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.
OPP have confirmed that a transport truck driver crashed into a historic home just southeast of London this morning.

A haunted house in the Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.
A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie’s south end on Tuesday.

Windsor Fire and Rescue Services has been working to prepare for heightened HAZMAT risk ahead of relaxed restrictions around the transportation of some hazardous materials across the Ambassador Bridge.
As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.
Now that production is set to begin at Windsor’s battery plant, NextStar is looking for some employees to make that production happen.

Two B.C. RCMP officers won’t face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing – but they could face professional discipline.
When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.
A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge’s Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.
A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.
As part of anniversary celebrations, the City of Lethbridge is inviting the community to see VisitLethbridge.com Arena like they never have before.

The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won’t fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

N.L.

Remains of missing Kansas man found at scene of western Newfoundland hotel fire

Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
77-year-old Kansas man missing after hotel fire in western Newfoundland

Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
83-year-old Newfoundland musician still playing sold-out shows, even with memory loss

At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.