Jennifer Lopez’s documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told,” revealed new, albeit some awkward, aspects of her relationship with Ben Affleck.
The documentary takes on new meaning after Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Aug. 20. Her divorce petition was filed on their two-year wedding anniversary in Georgia.
According to People magazine, their planned separation date is April 26th, nearly two months after the Amazon Prime documentary was released on February 27th.
Here, we look back at some moments from “The Greatest Untold Love Story” that highlight the points of friction in their relationship before their breakup.
Jennifer Lopez’s documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told,” offers new insight into her relationship with Ben Affleck. (Axel/Bauer Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck divorce after two years of marriage
Love Letter
Early in the documentary, Lopez says her new music was inspired by a collection of handwritten love letters from Affleck, which she showed to songwriters and musicians she works with.
One of the highlighted pieces is a handwritten note that reads, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 2001-2010… and Ever After.”
Affleck was clearly not happy.
“I was like, ‘Are you showing these letters to all the musicians?'” Affleck says in the documentary. “And they were like, ‘Yeah, we call you Penn Affleck.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my God.'”

In the documentary, Affleck seems surprised when Lopez shares a collection of love letters he sent her with her songwriters. (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
He later added that he understood she had drawn inspiration from the letters for her music and film, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, but explained that he had “always felt that private things were sacred and special because they were private.”
Lopez acknowledged that she knew Affleck wasn’t happy with the attention.
“But he loves me and he knows I’m an artist and he knows he can’t stop me from writing the music that I make and the lyrics that I write, so he supports me in every way possible. It’s going to happen and he doesn’t want to stop me,” she said.
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Back in the spotlight

A frequent argument and apparent point of conflict between the couple was that Lopez is accustomed to being in the spotlight, while Affleck wants to remain more private. (Pierre Hsu/GC Images)
Affleck was troubled by the renewed attention his relationship with Lopez received.
In the documentary, they admitted they “just got overwhelmed” by the pressures of being a tabloid hit, which put a strain on their relationship and led them to call off their 2003 wedding three days before it was scheduled to take place.
“I had very strict boundaries with the press at the beginning, whereas I don’t think Jen was as opposed to it as I was. I was very opposed,” Affleck said.
“When we got back together, I said, ‘Look, one of the things I don’t want is a social media relationship.’ And I realized that’s not a fair thing to ask. Like, if you’re going to marry a ship’s captain, you want to love the water. We’re just two different minds trying to find a middle ground.”
Ben Affleck admits he had to make major compromises in his romance with Jennifer Lopez: ‘I was a reluctant participant’
“But I’ve always felt that what is private is sacred and special precisely because it is private.”
constellation

Jane Fonda questioned Lopez in the documentary about going public with her relationship. (Mark Sullivan/WireImage)
Lopez’s Monster in Law co-star, Jane Fonda, also appears in the documentary. In behind-the-scenes footage from This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, Fonda questions Lopez about the couple’s infamous photo at the 2023 Grammy Awards, in which Affleck looks displeased.
Lopez laughed it off, saying Affleck “joked, ‘I’ve become the poster child for the underdog.'”

Fonda asked Lopez about Affleck’s serious expression at the Grammy Awards, which Lopez laughed off in the documentary. (Johnny Nunez)
The 86-year-old also commented on public displays of affection, urging him to take a step back from the limelight.
“I don’t know why, but I just want you to know that I’m smitten with you and Ben and I really hope this works,” Fonda said. “But here’s my concern: I feel like you two are trying too hard to prove something, instead of just living. You know, all the other pictures are of you two kissing and hugging.”
The “Hustlers” star laughed and took it lightly, saying, “That’s our life.”
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Crazy for love

Reflecting on her relationship in the documentary, Lopez said Affleck left her feeling emotionally “longing and pain.” (Rich Fury/WireImage)
Throughout the documentary, Lopez examines her own relationship with love and relationships, beginning from her childhood, admitting that as the middle child of three sisters, she felt “a little lost.”
The 55-year-old also revealed that she struggled to get attention from her parents, claiming that she was ignored by her father and describing her mother as “a narcissist, an attention seeker, a partier. I got used to being around people like that.”
Affleck affirms Lopez’s assessment of her childhood, but adds an interesting comparison to drug addiction.
“Just like with alcohol, you go to every liquor store in the world and you realize there’s never enough alcohol to satisfy that need,” he said. “And in Jennifer’s case, I don’t think any number of followers or movies or records or anything like that is enough to quell the part of her that still feels the longing and the pain. At the end of the day, it’s a job that she has to do on her own.”
“That’s what it means to live our lives.”
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Not-so-kind ridicule

Affleck alluded to Lopez playing a younger version of herself in the documentary, altering some of his personal timeline. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Lopez wrote the screenplay for the film that features in the documentary and has often collaborated with Affleck, but their discussion led to one of the most awkward moments.
Lopez explains that in one scene, “when she opens her eyes in the hospital bed, she’s young, 28 years old,” before Affleck interrupts her, questioning whether she was 28 in the scene.
“I’m happy to be asked to play a younger role, even in an autobiographical film,” he joked.
“This is not my autobiography. This is meta. This is using parts of my story,” Lopez responded.
“Well,” Affleck added, “it’s semi-autobiographical. It’s your story, but it’s you when you’re younger.” And when Lopez called him a fool, he laughed, and Lopez laughed a little.