SPECULATION has been rampant in recent days that Jennifer Lopez and her former fiancé Ben Affleck have reunited after nearly 18 years apart. The pair affectionately known as ‘Bennifer’ in the early noughties first began dating way back in 2002 and were engaged the following year. However it wasn’t meant to be at the time […]
SPECULATION has been rampant in recent days that Jennifer Lopez and her former fiancé Ben Affleck have reunited after nearly 18 years apart.
The pair affectionately known as ‘Bennifer’ in the early noughties first began dating way back in 2002 and were engaged the following year.
However it wasn’t meant to be at the time and they called off their engagement days before their planned nuptials in September 2003.
Despite nearly two decades apart, they’ve given fans fresh hope that they’ve rekindled their romance for good after they enjoyed a secret week-long trip together earlier this month.
It should come as no surprise that Ben and Jen aren’t the only celebrity couple to have gone through a rocky patch to get to where they are today.
In fact many of our favourite A-list duos have taken time apart from their now-spouses before committing to the ‘I dos’.
In light of Bennifer’s reunion, we’ve rounded up the celebrity couples that broke up and got back together on the path to their wedding day.
Even the nation’s sweethearts Prince Will and Kate took a brief break back in 2007.
After taking some time apart, they reunited later that year at a party at the prince’s barracks in London to celebrate the end of his training.
The now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s relationship continued to blossom and they married in 2011.
They have gone to celebrate 10 years of marriage this year and have welcomed three children; George, seven, Charlotte, six, and three-year-old Louis.
Hitmaker Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Baldwin had their fair share of bumps in the road before saying ‘I do’ in 2018.
The now-happily married couple previously dated in 2016 for six month before calling it quits – with Justin, 27, moving on with Sofia Ritchie.
Reflecting on that time apart, model Hailey, 24, told The Times in 2018, “we went through a long period of time when we weren’t friends”.
“We didn’t speak for quite some time and there was a lot of weirdness that went on… we’ve moved past that.”
Despite their split, the couple reunited two years later in June 2018 and then announced their engagement the following month.
They officially wed in September 2018 at a New York City courthouse – and then in 2019 the couple had a second ceremony in South Carolina surrounded by friends and family.
Model Gigi Hadid and former One Direction star Zayn Malik stunned fans in March 2018 when they split after two years together.
A month after their break-up Gigi was linked with Bachelorette star Tyler Cameron.
Despite her brief dalliance with Cameron, the runway star confirmed that she and Zayn had reconciled in June of that year when posted an Instagram Story of them cuddling.
Since then, the pair have never been stronger and have welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Khai, in September 2020.
Grammy-winning Cardi B has had a well documented on/off relationship with rapper Offset since they first started dating in February 2017.
The couple, who married in September 2017, first split just months after they welcomed their daughter Kulture.
The pair called time on their romance in December 2018 after alleged texts Offset reportedly exchanged with another woman surfaced online.
Despite their break-up, the rappers reconciled a month later in January 2019.
However, fans were left stunned when Cardi, 28, filed for divorce from the Migos frontman, 29, in September 2020.
But just like the time before, Offset won Cardi back and by November 2020 the WAP hitmaker had dismissed divorce proceedings.
At the time, Cardi told fans during an IG Live, “It’s really hard not to talk to your best friend. And it’s really hard to have no d**k.”
Much like Cardi B and Offset, Pink and her motocross husband Carey Hart have split twice, emerging stronger than ever after their time apart.
The couple started dating in 2001 but ended things two years later in 2003.
After a year apart, they reconciled and in 2005 Pink, 41, got down on one knee at the Pro 250 class finals.
The pair wed in January 2006 but sadly split two years later only to begin dating again in 2009.
“We’re rebuilding,” Cary, 45, told People. “Sometimes you have to take a couple of steps backwards to move forward.”
The time apart definitely worked for the couple who have since welcomed their daughter Willow in 2011 and son Jameson in 2016.
Singer Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom first got together after meeting at a 2016 Golden Globes after-party.
However, their fleeting romance didn’t last and the pair’s reps confirmed they were “taking respectful, loving space” from each other after a year of dating.
At the time, Katy, addressed the split on Twitter and wrote: “HOW BOUT A NEW WAY OF THINKING FOR 2017
U can still b friends & love ur former partners! No one’s a victim or a villain, get a life y’all!
” (sic).
A mere five months after confirming their split, the Fireworks hitmaker, 36, and 44-year-old actor were spotted at an Ed Sheeran concert in Los Angeles.
By February 2018, its revealed that the couple have rekindled their romance and announced their engagement on Valentine’s Day 2019.
The couple have since welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Daisy, and are happier then ever.
Kristen Bell previously revealed that she and Dax Shepard experienced a rough patch from the get go of their relationship and briefly split three months after meeting at a 2007 dinner party.
Speaking to PopSugar in 2017, Bell said: “We were dating for about three months. He sat me down and said, ‘I can’t have this right now. I think you’re wonderful, but I am still dating other people.’
“And then I, like, liquefied and fell to the ground, but I felt incredibly respected that he had the balls to tell me we weren’t in the same place.”
Thankfully, Shepard, 46, came to his senses and told Kristen she was the one soon after.
The 40-year-old recalled him telling her: “‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I was dating someone else but they’re just not as interesting as you, and I don’t know what I’m doing.'”
As we know now, things ended up great for the pair who married in 2013 and have two daughters; Delta and Lincoln, together.
Actress Gabrielle Union and professional basketball player Dwyane Wade have not had a simple ride either.
The pair took a break in 2013 after four years of dating.
While they got back together in November 2013, days later it was confirmed that Wade had fathered a child with a woman he had dated during the split.
Undeterred, the couple’s romance reignited and by December, they were engaged.
Gabrielle and Dwyane married in 2014 in Miami at a private ceremony and have been together ever since.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were loves young dream when they first started dating in 2007.
However, the pair split in March 2011 after four years together. At the time, the singer, 40, spoke about his heartbreak in a candid interview with Vanity Fair.
He told the publication in June of the same year: “She is the single-handedly most significant person in my life.
“In my 30 years, she is the most special person, OK? So I protect it, and until somebody shows me what would be more fulfilling at this point, that’s what I have to do.”
“I would rather not talk about her, because it’s hurtful for me.”
After opening up about their split, the couple rekindled their romance two months later and were engaged December 2011.
The Sinner star, 39, married Justin in 2012 and they have since welcomed two sons; Silas, six, and one-year-old Phineas.
