Ben Affleck said he felt “hurt, angry, and like a fool” after their breakup. Both have chosen not to speak about the rumors, but that wasn’t always the case.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to have hit a rough spot in their two-year marriage. Both have chosen not to speak about the rumors, but that wasn’t always the case. Affleck once clapped back about his union with the triple-threat performer. He said he felt “hurt, angry, and like a fool” after their breakup.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have a long romantic history. When the two filmed Gigli, Lopez was married to Cris Judd. However, that didn’t stop Affleck from placing a full-page ad in several trade publications praising Lopez. “It has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to work with you,” the ad read, per CNN. “I only wish I were lucky enough to be in all your movies. With love, respect, and gratitude, Ben Affleck.”

Their romance kicked into high gear in mid-2002. By November 2002, Affleck proposed with a custom 6.1-carat pink diamond ring from Harry Winston. However, the paparazzi’s attention to their union would ultimately lead to its demise, and they called off their wedding in September 2003. Affleck told Grazia Magazine, “I would say [media attention] was about 50 percent [of what destroyed our relationship]. The idea that people hate you and they hate you together and that being together is poison and ugly and toxic and the thing none of us want to be part of.”

He continued, “And, ‘Who the f*** would want to have them to dinner?’ And, ‘What the f*** are they doing together?’ I got f***ing hurt and angry and felt like a fool.” In a December 2021 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ben Affleck discussed the irony of his romantic reunion with Jennifer Lopez 20 years after they called off their engagement. He told the publication their romance was “beautiful.”

“I can say that it’s definitely beautiful to me,” Affleck shared. “And, you know, one of the things I really value across all facets of my life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that. My life now reflects not just the person I want to be but the person I really feel like I am—which is not perfect, but somebody who tries very hard and cares very much about being honest, authentic, and accountable. It’s hard to say who benefits more without going into gossipy detail.”