Ben Affleck looks back on box office flop Gigli as a “gift” after he credited it with bringing him the two loves of his life - Jennifer Lopez and directing.

The 2003 crime-comedy starred Affleck as a mobster who is ordered to kidnap the brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When everything goes wrong, his boss sends in Ricki (Jennifer Lopez), a free-spirited female gangster, to help.

Gigli was universally panned and to this day is still considered one of the worst films of all time.

It wasn’t all bad though, according to Affleck, 49, who opened up to long-time friend Matt Damon for the February cover issue of Entertainment Weekly.

“If the reaction to Gigli hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have ultimately decided, ‘I don’t really have any other avenue but to direct movies’, which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life,” he reflected.

Adding: “Also, I did get to meet Jennifer [Lopez], the relationship with whom has been really meaningful to me in my life.”

Affleck and the Jenny From The Block singer, 52, first became an item in 2002 and got engaged the following year before calling off their wedding in 2004 just days before the ceremony.

After 17 years had passed, they decided to rekindle their relationship last year and have been going strong ever since.