Ben Affleck spoke about his relationship with Jennifer Lopez in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He also talked about his most recent film, “The Tender Bar,” and his struggle with alcoholism.

Affleck and Lopez have been relatively private with their new relationship. While they have graced us with a variety of photos (very memorable ones), they haven’t discussed each other with the media, preferring to keep that part of their lives private. While Affleck wasn’t all that forthcoming about his relationship, he couldn’t help but discuss how “beautiful” he found their reencounter.

“I can say that it‘s definitely beautiful to me,” said Affleck. “And, you know, one of the things I really value across all facets of my life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that.”

Affleck also talked about media speculation, something that has always been incredibly present in his relationship with Lopez over the years. “You can write conjecture about it, but one of the harder lessons that I have learned is that it‘s not wise to share everything with the world,” said Affleck. “I know that I feel more comfortable having those healthy boundaries in my life around which, in a friendly and straightforward way, I tell you, I just don’t want to be talking about my personal relationship in the newspaper. I‘m going to exercise a little restraint.” He did say that the story of how they got back together was a “great story,” even though he wasn’t planning on revealing it. “And, you know, maybe one day I’ll tell it. I‘ll write it all out. And then I’ll light it on fire,” he said.

Ben Affleck has been a notorious celebrity since his 20’s, having a significant presence in the media for years. He spoke about the importance of his past five years, and how they’ve been pivotal in embracing the challenges that life put in his way. “I used to be irritated by people who would say, ‘Oh, I have these problems and I‘m grateful for them.’ I used to think, ‘This is bulls**t. You’re not grateful for disasters, creating pain and wreckage in your life. Say you feel s***** about it and you wish you were better!’” he said. “Only within the last five years, I really felt increasingly grateful for the difficulties that I‘ve had.”

Affleck and Lopez reconnected earlier this year, after having breakups with Ana de Armas and Alex Rodriguez, respectively. Affleck and Lopez’s relationship dates back to 2002, where they got engaged soon after. They broke up in 2004.