Jennifer Lopez opens up about being 'manhandled' in past relationships before marrying Ben Affleck
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jennifer Lopez is getting candid about the abuses she endured in her past relationships in her new documentary ‘The Greatest Love Story Never Told.'
In the documentary, the ‘Maid in Manhattan’ star has not only chronicled her relationship with her current husband Ben Affleck but also opened up about her past relationships, per RadarOnline.
Jennifer recalls being in toxic relationships
The 54-year-old Bronx star candidly recalled in her documentary, “There were people in my life who said ‘I love you’ and then didn’t do things that were kind of in line with the word ‘love.'"
Continuing without mentioning any names, the star of 'The Mother' shared her painful experience, expressing, “You have to hit rock bottom where you’re in situations so uncomfortable and so painful that you finally go, ‘I don’t want this anymore.’”
While acknowledging that she endured distressing situations, the singer also confessed that breaking free from the abusive situation was even more challenging than she had anticipated.
Her encounter with abuse prompted her to seek therapy, where her therapist posed a poignant question: How would she respond if her daughter found herself in an abusive relationship?
The diva recalled, “It was so clear. I’d tell her to get the f**k out of here and never look back, but for me, it was so clouded and complicated.”
Explaining her confusing state, she added, “It was like looking through fog.”
To the relief of her fans, she clarified that she wasn't physically assaulted by any of her former partners. However, Lopez acknowledged instances of being "manhandled," indicating a toxic relationship.
Lopez added, “Being thrown around and manhandled like that is not fun.”
She emotionally explained, “I mean, I was never in a relationship where I got beat up, thank God,” before adding, “but I’ve definitely been manhandled and a couple of other unsavory things... rough... disrespectful.”
Jennifer Lopez talks about her relationship with Ben Affleck
In the documentary, Lopez was also found reminiscing about her past engagement with Ben Affleck in the early 2000s.
The couple first got engaged in 2002. However, after postponing their 2003 wedding, they eventually went their separate ways. While Lopez married Marc Anthony, Affleck tied the knot with fellow actress Jennifer Garner.
However, after the divorces of the respective couples, ‘Bennifer 2.0’ got back together and tied the knot in 2022.
Citing their past issues, the ‘All I Have’ singer was heard saying to the ‘AIR’ actor, “I think I was angry at you for a long time.”
She continued, “But that heartbreak set both of us on a course to figuring ourselves out to being better people. I think I’ve forgiven you all the way. I think I need to forgive myself [for] some things.”
The 'Let's Get Loud' star further opened up about her breakup during an interview with Variety, where she shared, “Our relationship crumbled under the weight of the pressure.”
She continued, “We lost a sense of ourselves, and we needed to separate because we didn’t know how to survive it. I had to figure myself out, and he had to figure himself out."
In another instance, Lopez disclosed that her husband was initially hesitant about being the "muse" of her revealing documentary, but ultimately consented out of love for her.
She explained, "He loves me. He knows I'm an artist. He's going to support me in every way he can because he knows you can't stop me from making the music I made and writing the words I wrote."
"That's going to happen. He doesn't want to stop me... but that doesn't mean he's kind of comfortable being the muse," concluded Lopez.
