Bethenny Frankel Reveals Reaction to Ben Affleck, J. Lo Romance—'Eye Roll'

Bethenny Frankel says she's "really relating" to Jennifer Lopez's romance "journey"—even though she did do an "eye-roll" when she began dating Ben Affleck again.

The former Real Housewives of New York star shared her thoughts on Lopez's new Prime Video documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which is a behind-the-scenes documentary feature of how she made her self-financed movie, This Is Me... Now. That movie is a loosely biographical retelling of Lopez's love life and road to reconciling with her one true love.

Lopez and Affleck first dated in the early 2000s and were engaged before breaking up just days before their wedding. They went on to temporarily marry other people—Marc Anthony and Jennifer Garner respectively— before reconciling in 2021 and eventually getting married in 2022.

bethenny frankel, ben affleck and jennifer lopez
[MAIN IMAGE] Jennifer Lopez (L) and Ben Affleck attend "This is Me... Now: A Love Story" premiere in Hollywood, California on February 13, 2024. [INSET IMAGE] Bethenny Frankel at the Z100 Jingle Ball on December... Robyn Back/AFP via Getty Images and Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage

Frankel opened up her thoughts on the documentary during the latest episode of her podcast,Just B Rant.

"I'm feeling it, I'm connecting to her," Frankel began and explained she liked the documentary because Lopez was being "really vulnerable" by opening up about her relationship with Affleck.

But she did admit not thinking much of them getting back together in 2021 and the doco has helped change her mind.

"Honestly when she got back together with Ben, it was [just] a headline to me and like many other people probably an eye-roll, but the same thing would [happen] with me in my relationships in my life and actually relating to her story a lot," Frankel added.

The reality star said she could understand why Lopez "wants to sing from the God**** rooftops," about Affleck after experiencing years of heartbreak.

"Lightning striking twice like, doesn't happen," she said.

Frankel's view of the movie differed greatly from Lopez's friend and Hollywood legend, Jane Fonda. Lopez had wanted Fonda to be in This Is Me... Now, but the actress was not so sure and expressed her doubts in the documentary.

"I want you to know that I don't entirely know why, but I feel invested in you and Ben, and I really want this to work," Fonda said. "However, this is my concern. Like, it feels too much like you're trying to prove something instead of just living it. You know, every other photograph is the two of you kissing and the two of you hugging."

Lopez explained her reasoning to make these projects in a February interview with Variety.

"I've been on this journey, and I've been trying to figure it out," she said about her romantic journey. "Now I feel like because Ben and I have rediscovered each other—and now that we're married—I have something to offer. This is the defining piece of work that's going to close that chapter so I can move on to the next part of my life."

Uncommon Knowledge

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About the writer


Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more

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