Ben Affleck has slammed people for being “sexist and racist” toward Jennifer Lopez during the course of their relationship.
The 48-year-old actor dated the ‘Hustlers’ star between 2002 and 2004, with the pair getting engaged from November 2002, and has said people were “so f****** mean” about Jennifer during their romance.
Ben slammed those who said “ugly, vicious s***” about the singer and actress, and heaped praise on her for now being seen as an icon.
He told The Hollywood Reporter’s latest ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast: "People were so f****** mean about her - sexist, racist. Ugly, vicious s*** was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now you would literally be fired for saying those things you said.
“Now it's like, she's lionized and respected for the work she did, where she came from, what she accomplished - as well she f****** should be! I would say you have a better shot, coming from the Bronx, of ending up as like [Justice Sonia] Sotomayor on the Supreme Court than you do of having Jennifer Lopez's career and being who she is at 50 years old today."
The ’Argo’ star’s comments come after Jennifer, 51, previously said media pressure surrounding her romance with Ben was “worse” than it is now in her relationship with her fiancée, Alex Rodriguez.
She said in 2018: "It was actually worse then. It was just crazy. Now at least I can show you who I am a little bit. Back then you just believed anything you read on the cover of a tabloid. Many times it wasn't true, or it was like a third of the truth."
And although social media has made it easier for people to be critical of celebrities, Jennifer believes the sites have actually helped to strengthen her romance with Alex.
She added: "Now people get to see that this guy they thought was this hard-nosed athlete is, like, a goofy dad who loves his kids and celebrates his girlfriend.”
