Why are we so obsessed with celebrity reunions?
If youre curiously invested in the rumours that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are back together, its not just you. A clinical psychologist explains why. As a refresher: actor Ben Affleck and actor/singer Jennifer Lopez were such a sizzling couple in the noughties they earned the very first modern celebrity name mashup  Bennifer. They seemed to be genuinely in love, but their romance ran fast and hot. They met in 2001, were engaged by 2002 and called things off in January 2004. All of our hearts shattered a little when Bennifer was no more, and Lopez herself said later that Affleck was her first real heartbreak. Now, following Lopezs split from fianc Alex Rodriguez, the pair have been spotted together looking cosy  and the world is in a collective swoon. Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this. We all have a long-lost love who never really left our hearts, that heartbreaker who couldve been The One if this, that or the other thing had only been different. And seeing one of the foundational early 2000s couples rekindle their relationship gives many of us a sharp tug on our nostalgia strings, making us yearn for that rose-coloured romance from yesteryear that could have changed the course of our lives. According to Nancy Sokarno, a psychologist from digital mental-health company Lysn, part of the season could be that were projecting our own longings on to them. Idolising a celebrity couple that perhaps symbolises the type of relationship we want to have, then watching them break up, can bring about an element of the one that got away, Sokarno explains. Whether its Bennifer, or Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston  who still send hearts aflutter whenever theyre spotted crossing paths even though they split over 15 years ago  many seem to be pining for old flames to rediscover what made them fall in love in the first place. Yes, they do. Take Brisbane-based accountant Kayla Politano, who runs a fan account for Haylor  Harry Styles and Taylor Swift  who dated briefly in 2012. When Body+Soul asked why she invests her time in a celebrity couple who broke up almost 10 years ago, she says, I know its a very specific interest, and plenty of people in my life think its odd, but theyre both my favourite singers and I was really rooting for them as a couple. They reunited publicly at the Grammys this year, for the first time since they split, and I was so excited to see [those photos]. Even though I dont know these people, I feel oddly invested in this. A major factor in our fascination may be pure nostalgia. When celebrity couples get back together, it reminds people of the good old days and what they were up to in their lives when that couple were originally dating, says news.com.au entertainment reporter Andrew Bucklow. Bennifer 2.0 presses the same remember when? buttons as the Friends and Sex And The City reunions, transporting us back to a simpler time, before the horrors of a global pandemic had touched any of our lives. It makes sense that were all desperate for a little good news. Fallen stars, heroes turned villains overnight, royals defecting  schadenfreude fatigue has set in, says Sarah Stinson, executive producer of the Seven Networks The Morning Show. Most celebrity watchers will tell you theyd do anything to see another famous 2000s couple  Pitt and Aniston  go in for round two. Perhaps theyre holding off till they come up with a really great couple name? ponders Bucklow. While at times its lovely to follow your heart, past relationships can be rocky ground, warns Lysn psychologist Nancy Sokarno. Be aware that youre almost certainly remembering the good bits and blocking out the bad, which is what our brains are wired to do. If we conjure up pleasant feelings associated with a particular memory of a past relationship, our brains like to revisit that memory over and over again. That can explain that bittersweet longing we associate with past love, she says. The issue is that our memory may not serve us correctly and we could be looking at it with rose-coloured glasses.  If you do decide to try again, tread carefully. Communication is key, tips Sokarno. Be open about any issues that were there in the past and discuss ways of moving forward.