THEY’LL always have Wainscott.
That’s the small Hamptons village where Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez first went public with their love on July 21, 2002, just days after J.Lo announced that she was splitting with her husband of nine months, the hapless dancer Cris Judd.
Back then, they weren’t Bennifer – Ben and Jen were just a couple of crazy kids smooching on the beach outside J.Lo’s rental mansion.
And if you believe the couple, that was the first time they locked lips, despite plenty of rumors in Hollywood that they had hooked up on the set of “Gigli” the winter before – and despite that eyebrow-raising ad that Affleck took out in Variety in March 2002, praising Lopez for her “astonishing talent . . . and true grace.”
But whatever happened behind closed doors early on, Ben and J.Lo were soon kissing under the spotlight. During that red hot summer of 2002, Us Weekly and People magazine fought bidding wars nearly every week over Bennifer pictures – paying $50,000 or more for exclusive rights.
Of course, that was peanuts compared to what Affleck was spending. The star, who earned $12.5 million for “Gigli,” dropped $100,000 on Rolexes for Lopez and her mother that summer – and even more on a canary-and-white diamond bracelet from Harry Winston for J.Lo’s 33rd birthday.
And then there was that engagement ring – a 6.1 carat pink diamond, also from Harry Winston, that Affleck sprung on J.Lo in the fall of 2002, when he proposed to her at his childhood home in Cambridge, Mass.
Everything seemed perfect. Ben got involved in J.Lo’s business affairs, and she fired her long-time manager, Benny Medina. Meanwhile, J.Lo reciprocated by sprucing up Ben’s often slovenly style – putting him into natty suits by Ralph Lauren and designers.
But then trouble crept into paradise.
On July 17, 2003, the same night that NBC aired an hour-long “Dateline” interview about Ben and Jen’s wedding plans, he went out to Brandi’s Exotic Nightclub, a Vancouver strip joint, with Christian Slater and Tara Reid.
The National Enquirer alleged Ben left Brandi’s that night with a stripper on each arm – a claim his lawyers hotly denied. And even though J.Lo told reporters she didn’t care about the ruckus, many pictures taken after that seemed to catch her frowning.
Lopez might have been mad about “Gigli,” the mega-disaster that opened on Aug. 1 to a pitiful $3.8 million first-weekend box office and a chorus of scornful jokes.
But Jennifer, a teetotaler, also might have been worried about Ben’s gambling and partying. He had spent a couple weeks in alcohol rehab in 2001, and poker was a weakness that cost him thousands.
On Sept. 9, J.Lo and Ben postponed their wedding just four days before it was scheduled to happen, leaving some $2 million in non-refundable deposits and hordes of disappointed celebrity reporters stranded in Santa Barbara.
J.Lo flew to Miami, where she was seen frolicking in the surf without her engagement ring. Meanwhile, Ben was spotted Larry Flynt’s Hustler Casino outside L.A., where he played high-stakes poker from 10:30 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Since then, most people have assumed it was only a matter of time – especially earlier this month, when Affleck flew to Europe to promote his latest movie, “Paycheck,” and J.Lo stayed behind in Miami.
Lately, they’ve seemed to be apart more than they were together. Now, apparently, they’ve decided to keep it that way.
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Who they should date next
For Jen:
Eminem Musician, actor Age: 31
Other than P.Diddy, he’s the only one that could satisfy J.Lo’s insatiable hunger for weekly front-page publicity. They are both very proud of their hometowns, The Bronx (J.Lo) and Detroit (Eminem). They could rap about it together. To top it off, they are both recording artists and actors.
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Enrique Iglesias Singer Age: 28
They could dance salsa together; they both love Miami, the sun and traveling. She would probably be enamored by his dad, Julio Iglesias, and her mom would be on top of the world.
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Derek Jeter Yankees shortstop Age: 29
He’s a NY celebrity, she’s a NY celebrity. She would attend as many games as she could with her favorite fan, Mayor Bloomberg. Maybe Jeter would ground her a little and persuade her to be more charitable.
For Ben:
Halle Berry Actress Age: 37
They would be a match made in heaven. They both have self-destructive tendencies – she tried commiting suicide and he was an alcoholic. She’s starring in “Catwoman” and he starred in “Daredevil,” so they can talk about what it’s like to play superheroes.
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Eliza Dushku Actress Age: 23
He could use a boost from the rising star of the new “Tru Calling” TV show. Both Bostoners, they could root for the Red Sox together. Both their moms are teachers. They have a friend in common, director Kevin Smith, who directed the duo in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”
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Juliette Lewis Actress/rocker Age: 30
He likes rocker chicks (he used to date Courtney Love), and she has her new rock band “Juliette Lewis and the Licks.” They’ve both dated some of the world’s most famous celebrities. She went out with Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp, while he romanced Gwyneth and J.Lo.