How Southern Charm Is Tied to Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez

Congratulations are in order for newlyweds Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, but would wedding bells have been ringing in the first place if it weren’t for Southern Charm? 

Maybe, maybe not. But even if the Bravo series isn’t directly responsible for the couple getting back together 18 years after calling off their engagement—and subsequently saying “I do” in a surprise wedding on July 16—the show almost certainly acted as a catalyst. Cast members Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover played the biggest part, first bringing up the rumors that would spiral into a full-blown scandal during the season seven Southern Charm reunion. 

From there, a complicated series of events involving Madison, Craig, J.Lo, Alex Rodriguez, Shep Rose and Austen Kroll began to unfold. Lucky for Ben and Jennifer, though, they came out of the entanglement back together and better than ever. 

Now, in honor of the couple’s recent nuptials, we’re tracing the roots of their reunion to see if all roads really do lead back to Bravo.