Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck recently spent several days together at the Big Sky resort in Montana, but they did a lot more than drive around the 5,800+ acre ski destination. Ben, 38, and JLo, 51, rekindled their relationship in the best way possible during this trip: with food! “Ben had a great time with Jen in Montana, and he’s happy they were able to spend some one-on-one time together for a few days,” a source close to the Good Will Hunting actor shares EXCLUSIVELY with HollywoodLife. “He isn’t putting any expectations on things and is taking things one day at a time. Ben pulled out a few stops by trying to impress Jen during their trip, and he even cooked for her on one or two occasions.”
“They haven’t been able to spend time together like this in years, and he really enjoyed her company and catching up,” adds the insider. JLo and Ben’s Montana holiday came roughly two weeks after the two first sparked talk of a “Bennifer” reunion. Ben was photographed exiting what was believed to be Jennifer’s white Escalade SUV, and the initial reports claimed he had been spotted visiting her home multiple times during the day. Jen split from her longtime love Alex Rodriguez in mid-April, months after Ben and Ana de Armas called it off after nearly one year together.
“Perfect timing made Ben and Jen start this relationship,” a source close to Ben and JLo tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “And since they are so familiar, things are going fast-paced, and they are loving it. Ben is very romantic and wears his heart on his sleeve, and they both have that East Coast mentality,” says the source, who describes that as “shar[ing] the flair of having as less drama as possible.” This second insider says that Ben and Jen are “excited with the relationship blossoming because they would also like to start working together again.”
These two met on the set of Gigli, a rom-com that wasn’t well-received but was the start of their initial 18-month whirlwind romance. The couple also worked together on her “Jenny From The Block” video and in Jersey Girl. “It’s certainly the right thing at the right time for them,” says the second insider. “They love getting to know each other again.”
“Ben has always had Jen on such a pedestal,” another Ben insider tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “It’s no secret among his friends that he regrets the way things ended all those years ago, so whatever ends up happening, this is definitely a good thing for Ben.” When Ben’s best friend, Matt Damon, was asked about the “Bennifer” reunion, he said, “I hope it’s true. I love them both. I hope it’s true. That would be awesome.”
“Only time will tell where this will go,” the third Insider shared, “but Ben’s really happy to have this second chance with J.Lo, and his friends are happy for him. A lot of people in his circle would love to see them go the distance this time. People are rooting for them.”