Moving Slow: Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Are 'Excited To Be Together Again,' But They're 'Trying To Avoid Bennifer Mania'
Zipping between Montana and Miami, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are going the extra mile to make sure the details of their romance stay as secret as possible — for now.
"They're so happy and excited to be together again, but they aren't quite ready to be seen kissing in public," an OK! insider says of the duo, who kept a discreet distance when they were spotted together on May 23 at her Florida rental.
According to reports, Lopez, 51, and Affleck, 48, started emailing shortly before the Hustlers star split from ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez in April.
"Once she was officially single, and they met face-to-face, it was like they picked up right where they left off," dishes the insider.
The media frenzy surrounding Lopez and Affleck's first romance — the former flames called it quits on their two-year engagement in 2004 — "hasn't been lost on them, which is why they're trying to avoid 'Bennifer' mania happening all over again,'' adds the insider. "It was one of the reasons they broke up, and they don't want a repeat. Lopez and Affleck will be sneaking around for quite a while!"
There's so much more that's yet to be explored when it comes to their relationship. As OK! previously reported, the two are taking it slow when it comes to introducing their kids. “Jen and Ben rushed into getting back together," a source previously said. "They didn’t mess about jumping back into the relationship; however, they are taking things much slower when it comes to introducing their children.”
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The reason behind it is that Lopez's kids are still trying to figure out the absence of Rodriguez's kids. "Jen's kids got very close with Alex Rodriguez's family, which is why [Lopez and Affleck] are not rushing," the source explained.
There's also some distance to cover. Affleck's family is based in Los Angeles and Lopez's kids are in Miami. And now that they are together, they plan to split their time between these two cities.
However, the distance doesn't mean that the kids are not aware of each other. “Of course, [Ben's daughters] know who J.Lo is. They have access to the internet and their friends must know," the source explained.
It takes more than star-status to impress the kids. The source revealed that Affleck might not be seen as a megastar when it comes to Lopez's children. "Ben’s films aren’t exactly big with the teen audience," the source explained. "Argo and Gone Girl are great movies, but Ben isn’t a cultural phenomenon like Jennifer is."
For now, Bennifer 2.0 is moving slowly, but the recently reunited couple still has plenty of time to plan for the future — whatever it may hold.
