Hollywood veteran and longtime activist Jane Fonda reportedly advised actress and recording artist Jennifer Lopez against putting her romance with Ben Affleck in the public eye. Fonda reportedly had serious concerns about whether the union would have significant staying power.
Oscar-winner Fonda originally met Lopez on the set of the 2005 romantic comedy Monster-In-Law. She reportedly told the 54 year-old singer, though she couldn’t understand why, she felt very invested in Lopez’s relationship with Affleck, and she found herself disturbed by the way the two were living their relationship in public. The constant photo opportunities and public displays of affection felt to Fonda as if the pair were trying to convince someone that they were really in love. Fonda felt that Lopez would be making a mistake by making her relationship with Affleck a major part of her new autobiographical documentary: The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
The conversation didn’t seem to make an impression, as the 86 year-old screen veteran’s concerns seemed to have no impact on the finished product. The 90-minute movie saw release in February of 2024, and was the first in a series of three works that Lopez made centering on her breakup and reunion with the now-51 year-old Affleck.
The documentary followed the behind-the-scenes story of the film This is Me Now, a part-biographical, part-fantasy companion piece to Lopez’s album of the same name. Lopez was so passionate about the project that she self-funded it to the tune of $20 million after major streaming platforms and studios declined to participate.
Fonda initially turned down the offer of a cameo role in This is Me Now due to her concerns about the couple’s relationship, only to later give in. Her concerns, though, seem to have been oddly prescient in light of the recent public drama and divorce rumors swirling around the superstar couple. Two years on from their July 2022 elopement, the pair has physically separated and has put one of their houses on the market.