As news of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's secret vacation “alone” last week circulates, E! and TMZ have gotten new detail from sources about just how long Bennifer's second coming has
been brewing. Affleck, according to TMZ, has been emailing Lopez since February. Lopez, E! reports, is now ready to give her romance with Affleck another chance.
Multiple sources “with direct knowledge” told TMZ that by early February, Lopez and Affleck “were in very regular contact by email.” The tone of Affleck's emails then weren't “just friendly...but more loving and longing for Jen.” There was a love letter-like quality to them, with one source saying an email had a line about Affleck “being able to ‘own her heart’ with his pen.”
The two corresponded throughout Lopez's Shotgun Wedding shoot in the Dominican Republic. It was during that time that Lopez's breakup from Rodriguez was initially reported, then A-Rod and J.Lo denied it and tried to work on their issues. Ultimately, Lopez called their relationship off for good, and the two announced it to the public in mid-April.
In late April after Lopez wrapped the film, she returned to Los Angeles...and was photographed out with Affleck shortly after. TMZ's sources told the outlet that when they were emailing, no physical contact or meeting happened.
But all that correspondence did help bolster Affleck's bid to win over J.Lo, clearly. E! was told by a source close to Lopez that the two's weeklong vacation last week allowed her to see what a relationship with Affleck would look like now, 17 years after their first relationship ended. (The two originally dated from July 2002 to January 2004. They called off their September 2003 wedding, broke up, then got back together before ultimately ending their relationship for good in January 2004.)
Lopez is ready to give Affleck another chance now. “She wants to give it a shot with Ben,” the source said. “They never really had closure and she has always wondered what could have been. The timing was never right and they were in different places until now.”
“They have always stayed in touch and had a strong connection,” the source added. “She finally has had the opportunity to spend time with him and see where this could lead. They are very comfortable together, and it's easy. She wants to keep seeing him and is very happy.”