Jennifer Lopez Debunks Rampant Viral ‘Jenny From the Block’ Theory Following Paparazzi Photos

Jennifer Lopez responded to speculation that she and Ben Affleck purposefully recreated a famous scene from her “Jenny from the Block” music video when the paparazzi caught them vacationing in St. Tropez in July 2021. The two were relaxing on a boat, with Affleck’s hand on Lopez’s behind, just as he had done in the video 18 years earlier. Lopez, who is back in theaters soon with Marry Me, said it was just a coincidence.

“We were just on the boat! There was no recreation,” Lopez, 52, told PEOPLE this week. “I was lying down… It was a trip I like to take for my birthday, but no, we were not intentionally recreating it. I didn’t know there were paparazzi out in the middle of the ocean either!”

Although the “Dance Again” singer‘s comments may come as a disappointment to fans, Lopez said she found the fan theory “funny.” She is also appreciative of the fan reaction to her rekindled romance with Affleck, compared to the frenzy Bennifer 1.0 caused from 2002 to 2004. Looking back on their first time together, Lopez admitted they were both “naive” and let themselves get a “little trampled” by letting their relationship play out so publicly. This time, they both have more experience handling the media. They are at very different places in their lives, Lopez said.

“We both were like, ‘Wow, we’re so happy and we don’t want any of that to come into play again,’” Lopez told PEOPLE about their decision to take their second relationship public. “We’re older now, we’re smarter, we have more experience, we’re at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things. We’re so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us.”

Lopez and Affleck reunited last spring after Lopez called off her engagement to Alex Rodriguez. Affleck and Ana de Armas broke up around that time as well. Lopez shares 13-year-old twins Emme and Maximillian with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Affleck and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, are parents to Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 9.

“It was, ‘Oh wow, we’re not used to this and it’s really beautiful,’” Lopez said. “But also we’re at a different point in our lives and who we were then and what we’ve done in our lives since then… I think people know [now] that we’re artists who are going to be around for a long time and that’s nice and they appreciate that and respect that. I feel that and I appreciate that too.”

Lopez’s new movie Marry Me, co-starring Owen Wilson, opens in theaters on Feb. 11 and will be available to stream on Peacock the same day. Affleck recently scored a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for George Clooney’s The Tender Bar, which can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. He recently shot Deep Water, which is rumored to be heading straight to streaming after its theatrical release was indefinitely postponed.