From Brangelina to TomKat to Zanessa, celebrity ship names aka portmanteaus have been around since the 1950s when husband-wife entertainers Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball founded their production company and called it Desilu. Of course, the trend didn’t catch on until half a century later when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck started dating – thus forming Bennifer.
The original, 21st-century power couple took the tabloids by storm, and the name Bennifer was spread across headlines from coast to coast until the pair broke off their first engagement in 2004. They rekindled their romance last year and get married in July.
Now that Bennifer is back, what does JLo think of the famous moniker that the public and media have graced them with once again? The icon made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night (January 18) where Kimmel asked her to share her thoughts about the nickname.
“You know what, I’ve learned to embrace it,” said JLo, who was there to promote her upcoming action-comedy Shotgun Wedding. “Years ago, it was kind of like, ‘Oh, Bennifer.’ Actually, it wasn’t a bad thing even years ago, but I think it became a thing where people made fun of it.”
Kimmel then shared some of his own nickname suggestions for JLo and Affleck in case they wanted to change it up. “I think Afflo is good, too,” Kimmel said. “It sounds like afro.”
Kimmel added: “Or if you want to be first, it could be Loaf.”
Unfortunately, she wasn’t a fan of Loaf. “I don’t like that,” JLo said laughing. “That doesn’t have a ring to it.”
We’ll stick with Bennifer.