Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s ‘PTSD’ from their first romance

Jennifer Lopez recently opened up about the long-term impact of the extreme scrutiny she and her husband, Ben Affleck, received during their early-2000s high-profile affair.

The pair, whose relationship began on the production of their severely panned film “Gigli,” suffered an incredible level of public and media attention, which has left an indelible mark on both of them.

Jennifer honestly acknowledged with Variety in a poignant interview that both she and Ben still suffer from PTSD as a result of their initial experience as a public couple.

“We’re older now, wiser,” she said, reflecting on their development since then. We also know what is significant, what is truly vital in life, and it isn’t what other people believe. It’s about being honest to yourself.”

Jennifer’s announcement comes as she prepares to release her new album, “This Is Me… Now,” a follow-up to her 2002 album “This Is Me… Then.”

The new record is intimately related to her relationship with Ben, and it will be accompanied with a documentary about their marriage.

While the film’s contents are unknown, Jennifer characterizes it as a “musical experience” that combines music, visual components, and an immersive story.

Jennifer places a high priority on this endeavor since it allows her to follow her passion and communicate her experience through art.

“As artists, we have to follow our heart and this is me following my heart and doing something that maybe everybody didn’t think was the best idea, but I had to do it,” she said.

During their early relationship, the pair, called ‘Bennifer,’ generated a media frenzy, with their public appearances and the failure of “Gigli” becoming major subjects. Jennifer’s CD, which was dedicated to Ben at the time, had tunes like “Dear Ben,” which fueled the media frenzy even further.

Their connection became a source of both adulation and scorn, with major parodies such as “South Park” contributing to the mockery.

The parody even influenced Jennifer’s professional environment, according to Trey Parker, co-creator of “South Park,” causing problems on set.

Jennifer and Ben’s engagement was a significant media story in late 2002, however the relationship dissolved in 2004 after a brief engagement.

In the years after, each have married and had children with other people. Jennifer was married to and then divorced from Marc Anthony, with whom she had twins Max and Emme.

Ben married Jennifer Garner and had three children, Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel, before divorcing but keeping an amicable co-parenting relationship.