We should pray for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage instead of seeing it as entertainment

Hope Bonarcher looks at the history of Ben and Jennifer’s relationship, and comments on the rumours that their relationship is in trouble.

Entertainment news is aflutter with the gossip: Ben and Jen are on the road to quitsville. I was part of the great cloud of witnesses formed around Bennifer 1.0, the 2000s version. It was a more staid and innocent time, pre Facebook’s popularity or Instagram’s very existence. J. Lo had moved on from her two year relationship with Puff Daddy, Ben had ditched Gwyneth Paltrow and the pop-culture, tabloid phenomenon came to pass.

Looking back on photos of the couple from 20 years ago, you can see the J Lo glow and All-American charm that joined them. They look adorable, enamoured with each other, playful, fun-loving, there’s definitely a noticeable spark. News surrounding their nuptials flooded the tabloids, it was a sure thing… until it wasn’t.