Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Judi James & Amy Denman

Jennifer Lopez's snap at Ben is 'red flag' moment as history repeats itself, expert claims

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are more than accustom for hitting the headlines over their romance, which spans over two decades.

The pair first got together in the early 2000s before splitting in 2004 and calling off their engagement. But, they delighted fans in July 2021 when they reconciled before finally marrying 2022.

However, fans spotted trouble in their whirlwind reunion as the pair were noticeably in a tense conversation during the Grammy Awards, hosted at the Crypto.com Arena in LA on Sunday.

Ben is spotted saying something into Jennifer's ear before he quickly moves away from him, pulling a somewhat uncomfortable face at the star.

JLo and Ben attended the Grammys together (Getty Images for The Recording)
The Hollywood couple married last year – 20 years after Ben originally proposed (Getty Images)

Her expressions quickly change after clocking that live TV cameras are pointed right in her direction as she sits up straight and laughs at Trevor's jokes – but fans online picked up on the 'heated' moment.

The pair haven't commented on the aired moment, but the Jenny from the Block singer appeared to bat away doubts over her marriage to Ben by sharing a montage video of their night at the ceremony, which included a clip of the pair sharing a kiss.

Now, body language expert Judi James reveals a tell-tale sign in the moment which could hint that history could repeat itself between the pair...

The pair were spotted in a tense moment during the televised ceremony (CBS)

First time around, Jennifer and Ben were always a very old-school Hollywood A-list couple in terms of their very idealised, loved-up body language set-pieces to camera. The more famous Jennifer would always gaze adoringly up at Ben, who often stood looking nonchalant with one hand in his pocket.

But there was one huge body language tell or cue that hinted at a miss-match even before the shock news of their split: When Ben kissed Jennifer for the cameras he would perform the ‘distracted’ kiss, looking away over her face as he locked lips, while she looked more focused on the moment of performed passion. It was an odd trait that didn’t look ‘on-message’. He was kissing one of the world’s most desirable women but seeming to look around or away as he did so.

Twenty years later we have the couple doing so many similarly idyllic, adoring body language poses to perform their love publicly, but given their history it’s natural for fans to watch for and worry over any possible non-verbal red flags, like this moment at the Grammys.

JLo and Ben are doing 'similarly idyllic, adoring body language poses to perform their love publicly' to the ones they did 20 years ago (@jlo/Instagram)
Ben's look-away kiss in 2003 was a tell-tale sign of trouble in paradise (AFP)

Jennifer always puts a lot into her public appearances and that includes not just her stunning, jaw-dropping outfits but also her body language. As a seasoned A-list star she knows that perfection works. But there were suggestions from some of Ben’s body language at the Grammy’s that he hadn’t got the memo. His facial expressions of what looked like boredom have gone viral but it’s this moment between the couple that has created the most worry, and this could be why:

Jen is in full poise pose here, waiting as the compere does a comedy piece to camera. There was a hint that, when Ben leant to whisper in her ear, they were joining in the fun with a bit of comedy business themselves, but there were no clues they were joking as the moment went on.

Jen’s response: This is knee-jerk quick, as though what he whispered shocked her. Whispering is a classic celebrity red-carpet pose to suggest a couple are whispering sexy sweet nothings, but that would have ended with Jen smiling coyly, not her head whipping round like this.

The moment was a 'red flag' between the pair (CBS)

Her leg grasping. Jennifer grips her own leg as well as placing one hand on Ben’s thigh in what looks like a very urgent tie-sign rather than a flirt ritual.

Her chest-pat. Jen seems to pat Ben’s chest with the back of her hand. This looks like a corrective gesture hinting at a moment of control.

Their follow-up faces. If this were a joke you’d expect some acknowledgment, like giggling or exchanged glances and grins. But Jennifer turns while Ben just seems to straighten up, expressionless again.

Hopefully this moment was not the red flag it looks, but given their past history, it is worrying to see any potential warning signs that all might not be as idyllic as it should be, given this was their second try at getting it right.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.