Relationships

1:47 PM PT -- Shohei Ohtani just revealed more about his wife during a meeting with media members out at spring training on Thursday ... saying the two knew each other around three or four years before tying the knot.

The baseball star also said she had "nothing to do" with his decision to leave the Angels and join the Dodgers this offseason.

Shohei Ohtani is officially off the dating market ... the MLB superstar revealed late Wednesday night he's now married!!!

The Dodgers' designated hitter said in a post on his Instagram page his new spouse is "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... although he did not reveal the person's name.

"I am excited for what is come," he wrote ... before adding, "thank you for your support."

Ohtani included a picture of his adorable dog, Decoy, on the announcement as well.

Of course, it's now the second time in the last three months the 29-year-old has told the world of a life-changing event on IG ... back in December, he shared he was moving on from the Angels to the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.

That announcement got over two million "likes" on the social media app ... and so far, it's appeared to be a great decision for the two-way player.

Ohtani homered in his first spring training game with the team earlier this week, and he looks poised for a huge 2024 -- even if he won't pitch this year while recovering from elbow surgery.

Only about three more weeks until the at-bats actually count for L.A. ... get that popcorn ready!

Rachel Leviss está llevando a Tom Sandoval y Ariana Madix a los tribunales, y tiene que ver principalmente con un video íntimo que estos habrían hecho circular con el elenco.

La ex estrella de "Vanderpump Rules" acaba de presentar una demanda contra su ex amante y amiga, quienes fueron sus compañeros de reparto por mucho tiempo antes de que el Scandoval estallara el año pasado, y en los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, ella está alegando una serie de cosas, incluyendo una venganza porno.

Rachel afirma que Ariana se enteró de al menos dos grabaciones que estaban en el teléfono de Tom y que la mostraban desnuda y masturbándose. Rachel alega que los clips fueron tomados sin su conocimiento o permiso mientras estaba envuelta en un romance con Tom.

En la demanda, Rachel afirma que Tom debe haber grabado esos chats de FaceTime en secreto porque no era consciente de que los hubiera guardado. En cualquier caso, dice que cuando Ariana tropezó con el material de archivo, ella supuestamente lo habría compartido con otros miembros del elenco de "Vanderpump Rules".

Rachel afirma que Ariana se enfrentó a ella en marzo de 2023, antes de que el Scandoval se acabara oficialmente y le envió los dos videos ilícitos en cuestión. Ariana Madix supuestamente le dijo a Rachel que estaba muerta para ella.

También afirma que Scheana Shay la atacó después de esto, lo que la llevó a pensar que Scheana también había visto los videos, por no hablar de otros coprotagonistas del show.

Además de estas acusaciones, Rachel alega que Bravo y la compañía de producción detrás del espectáculo fomentaron un ambiente de trabajo inseguro y hostil para Rachel una vez que el Scandoval salió a la luz, permitiendo, por ejemplo, que los miembros del elenco la criticaran duramente y la reprendieran durante una reunión de rodaje.

Vale la pena señalar que Rachel no está demandando a Bravo aquí, solo a Tom y Ariana y a un grupo de no identificados que podrían haber sido parte de todo esto.

2:41 PM PT -- Rachel’s lawyer Mark Geragos tells TMZ … "This lawsuit is squarely about illegal behavior and those who traffic in it and enable it. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. That’s not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts. They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachel’s mental health."

Geragos adds, "The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law; however, doing so while knowingly enticing them to engage in sexual acts deserves the harshest of penalties allowable under the law."

Rachel Leviss is taking Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix to court -- and it mostly has to do with this intimate video she says they circulated with the cast.

The former "Vanderpump Rules" star just filed a lawsuit against her ex-lover and ex-friend -- both of whom were her costars for a long time before the Scandoval blew up last year -- and in her docs, obtained by TMZ, she's alleging a number of things ... including revenge porn.

Rachel claims Ariana became privy to at least 2 recordings that were on Tom's phone -- which she says depicted her in a state of undress and masturbating ... clips she alleges were taken without her knowledge or permission while she was involved in an affair with Tom.

In the suit, Rachel claims Tom must've recorded these FaceTime chats secretly ... 'cause she says she wasn't aware he had them saved. In any case ... RL says when Ariana stumbled across the footage ... she allegedly shared it with other 'VPR' cast members.

Rachel claims Ariana confronted her in March 2023 -- before the Scandoval officially broke -- and sent her the two illicit videos in question ... and AM allegedly said Rachel was dead to her.

She also claims Scheana Shay attacked her after this ... which led her to believe that Scheana had also seen the videos, not to mention other costars from the reality show.

In addition to these claims, Rachel alleges Bravo and the production company behind the show fostered an unsafe and hostile work environment for Rachel once the Scandoval broke ... allowing cast members to dogpile her and berate her during the reunion filming.

Worth noting, Rachel is not suing Bravo here ... just Tom and Ariana for now, and a bunch of unidentified Does whom she says might've been party to all this stuff.

Also worth mentioning -- her attorneys are the same ones who've filed suits on behalf of other Bravo stars of late. We've reached out to Tom and Ariana ... so far, no word back.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Justin y Hailey Bieber fueron a la iglesia esta semana y salieron con un aspecto estoico, apenas unas horas después de que el suegro de Justin, Stephen Baldwin, pidiera oraciones por la pareja de la lista A.

El cantante y su esposa trataron de pasar bajo perfil al salir de la Iglesia Churchome en Beverly Hills el miércoles por la noche. Los tortolitos, que se casaron en 2018 después de un compromiso relámpago, lucían apagados mientras salían del servicio religioso.

Vamos a ser honestos, Justin se veía un poco deprimido, llevaba una sudadera de gran tamaño oscuro y una bufanda a juego que cubría su cara. Hailey llevaba un suéter amarillo y gris alegre, pero parecía igual de sombría a su lado.

La pareja hizo una rápida escapada a su Tesla Cybertruck de $90,000, esquivando y negándose a responder las preguntas de los paparazzi sobre su matrimonio.

El telón de fondo de esta sombría salida es el padre de Hailey, Stephen -también conocido como el hermano de Alec Baldwin- quien ha provocado cierta preocupación entre los fans cuando volvió a pedir oraciones por su hija y su yerno en un post de redes sociales.

Sobre un video de Justin cantando, Stephen escribió: "Cristianos, por favor, cuando piensen en Justin & Hailey, tómense un momento para ofrecerles una pequeña oración para que tengan sabiduría, protección y se acerquen al Señor". Esto no fue lo que Stephen publicó originalmente, pero lo volvió a publicar.

Por supuesto, la fe es algo muy importante en la relación de Justin y Hailey, igual que para Stephen, obviamente. No está claro por qué el padre de Hailey podría haber estado pidiendo oraciones por ellos, pero ha preocupado a algunos.

Justin y Hailey suelen salir a menudo por la ciudad, pero no hablan mucho, especialmente Justin, quien está realmente alejado de los focos y de la actuación en medio de sus problemas de salud. También han sido abiertos y honestos acerca de las luchas que han tenido en su matrimonio desde el principio.

Justin and Hailey Bieber went to church this week and emerged looking stoic -- just mere hours after JB's father-in-law Stephen Baldwin asked for prayers for the A-list couple.

The singer and his model wife attempted to keep a low profile as they exited the Churchome Church in Bev Hills on Wednesday evening. The lovebirds -- who got hitched in 2018 after a whirlwind engagement -- looked subdued as they made their way from the religious service.

We'll be honest, Justin looks a little down and out here ... wearing a dark oversized sweatshirt and a matching scarf that covered his face. Hailey was rocking a cheery yellow and gray sweater ... but she appeared equally somber.

They made a quick getaway in their $90,000 Tesla Cybertruck -- refusing to comment on nosy paps who were asking pretty wild questions about their marriage.

The backdrop to this moody outing is actually Hailey's dad Stephen -- AKA Alec Baldwin's brother -- sparking some concern among their fans when he reposted a plea for prayers for his daughter and son-in-law.

Overlaying a video of Justin singing, a message read ... "Christians, please when you think of Justin & Hailey, take a moment to offer a little prayer for them to have wisdom, protection and to draw close to the Lord." Stephen didn't post this originally, but he did repost it.

Of course, Faith is a major part of Justin and Hailey's relationship ... and ditto for Stephen obviously. Unclear why Stephen might've been asking for prayers ... but it worried some.

Justin and Hailey definitely hit the town a lot -- but they don't really talk much, especially Justin these days ... who's really stepped away from the spotlight and performing amid health issues. They've also been open and honest about struggles in their marriage early on.

Looks like the two of them are once again seeking out spiritual guidance ... and Papa Bear wants to send them some love.

Tish Cyrus was just seen for the first time since being accused of "stealing" her husband Dominic Purcell from her estranged daughter, Noah ... and Mama Bear didn't wanna chat.

Miley Cyrus' mom was spotted Wednesday in Beverly Hills, driving out of a parking garage in her Toyota SUV after grabbing a bite at Soho House ... and dodging questions from a swarm of paparazzi on the way out.

It also looks like Dominic himself had joined her ... as he was caught on camera in a different car while parked outside the lot.

Tish is being hounded by photogs in the wake of a report this week claiming Noah was romantically involved with Dominic first -- apparently before Tish got with him following her 2022 divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus.

While Tish and Dominic have since tied the knot and are happily married now, this report casts doubt on the timeline of things -- claiming NC was actually seeing Dom first, when her mom eventually started pursuing him as well. Supposedly, Tish knew Noah was with him.

It's unclear exactly when Noah was dating Dominic -- if this is to be believed -- or when things ended between her and Dom and where a romance started with Tish. The report suggests there may have been some overlap ... and considering Noah's estranged from Tish, it's safe to assume there's some bad blood and harsh feelings over this alleged love triangle.

The claims also add another layer to some perceived drama among the Cyrus clan ... fans have been suspecting things weren't great among the family ever since Miley didn't mention Billy in her acceptance speech at the Grammys earlier this month.

Likewise, Noah skipped Tish's wedding with Dominic ... so the Cyrus brood is fractured.

Tish gushed over Dominic in a recent podcast, saying they made out for hours on their first date and started saying "I Love You" the very next day ... and she noted she DM'd him in 2022 after first getting a message from him in 2016, which she didn't see at the time.

While Tish is head over heels, Noah is said to be "distraught" over Tish "stealing" Dominic away.

Whatever the case may be, Tish isn't ready to address the claims quite yet. We've reached to Tish and Noah for comment ... so far, no word back.

Tish Cyrus fue vista en medio de las acusaciones que dicen que le robó su tercer marido Dominic Purcell a su hija Noah, con quien se encuentra distanciada.

La mamá de Miley Cyrus fue vista el miércoles en Beverly Hills, saliendo de un estacionamiento en su Toyota SUV después de comer en un restaurante y esquivar las preguntas de los paparazzi que estaban en el camino de salida.

También parece que el propio Dominic se había unido a ella, ya que fue capturado por la cámara en un carro diferente, mientras se estacionaba afuera del lote.

Tish está siendo acosada por los fotógrafos a raíz de un informe de esta semana que dice que Noah estaba involucrada románticamente con Dominic, y al parecer, antes de que Tish estuviera con él luego de su divorcio con Billy Ray Cyrus en 2022.

Aunque Tish y Dominic están felizmente casados ahora, este informe pone en duda la línea de tiempo de su relación, alegando que Noah Cyrus estaba saliendo con Dom, cuando su madre comenzó a perseguirlo. Supuestamente, Tish sabía que Noah estaba con él.

No está claro en qué momento estaban saliendo Dominic y Noah exactamente, si creemos esta versión, o cuando terminaron las cosas entre ellos y comenzó el romance con Tish. El informe sugiere que puede haber habido alguna coincidencia y teniendo en cuenta que Noah está distanciada de Tish, es seguro asumir que hay un poco de mala sangre y sentimientos fuertes sobre este supuesto triángulo amoroso.

Las afirmaciones también añaden otra capa al drama en el clan Cyrus: los fans han estado sospechando que las cosas no están bien en la familia desde que Miley no mencionó a su padre Billy en el discurso de aceptación de su Grammy a principios de este mes.

Del mismo modo, Noah se saltó la boda de Tish con Dominic, por lo que la familia Cyrus está fracturada.

Tish se deshizo en elogios sobre Dominic en un podcast reciente, diciendo que se besaron durante horas en su primera cita y se dijeron "te amo" al día siguiente. También señaló que le envió un mensaje directo en 2022, luego de recibir uno suyo en 2016, que no vio en su momento.

Mientras Tish está súper enamorada, se dice que Noah está "angustiada" con que Tish le haya "robado" a Dominic.

Kristin Cavallari's wasted no time leaning into her new relationship with Mark Estes ... in fact, the lovebirds have already wrapped up their first getaway in Cabo together.

Check out these pics ... Kristin and her 24-year-old boo were spotted Wednesday rolling their suitcases to the American Airlines priority desk at the airport -- and the reality star was rocking a casual matching black set ... ME opted for a cozy hoodie.

They're not really flashing the biggest of smiles here -- if anything, you could say it's kinda the opposite -- but it's probably just the post-vacay blues kicking in ... Cabo can do that to ya. Plus, traveling tends to wear folks out ... so their mopey moods are nothing to fret.

While their vacay is over ... it seems Kristin and Mark are still very much in the honeymoon phase. In fact, on Tuesday, Kristin went full-on IG official with Mark, declaring how happy he makes her in a super cute selfie.

This came shortly after we got photos of them heading on down to Mexico together last Friday ... remember, this was supposed to be a business trip for Kristin, but Mark decided to tag along. So, a little work and play, it seems!

We've been told Kristin and Mark have been enjoying each other's company for about a month now -- and things are clearly moving along swimmingly between them.

Kristin definitely has a thing for those hot dude model types. She previously dated Tyler Cameron after her marriage to Jay Cutler ended.

Jennifer Coolidge le está dando el beneficio de la duda a Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce cuando se trata de juzgar su cita en el zoológico de Sydney, a pesar de que cree que PETA tiene razón en desaprobarlo.

La estrella de "The White Lotus" estaba en LAX cuando un fotógrafo le preguntó sobre la polémica cita de Travis y Taylor, que está provocando la ira de PETA.

Jennifer dice que los tortolitos deberían tener un pase por varias razones: no cree que pensaran mucho en ir al zoológico y solo querían hacer algo romántico juntos.

Como una gran partidaria de PETA, dice que Taylor y Travis parecen ser amantes de los animales y no va a condenarlos por esto. Pareciera estar caminando una línea muy fina aquí, como una gran fan y también como una gran amante de los animales.

Como hemos informado, PETA dijo que la famosa pareja debería buscar en otra parte la próxima vez que deseen estar cerca de los animales y sugirió que visiten un santuario de animales en lugar de un zoológico.

PETA también se opuso a que la pareja alimentara a un canguro en el zoológico de Sydney, diciendo que era perjudicial para ellos hacer eso.

Jennifer se detiene en criticar demasiado duramente a Taylor y Travis, pero dice que, en última instancia, está de acuerdo con lo que PETA dice sobre el asunto. Es bastante divertido verla luchar con este dilema en cámara, se puede ver que los ama y no quiere criticarlos.

Jennifer Coolidge is giving Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their Sydney Zoo date ... even though she says PETA is right to disapprove.

The "White Lotus" star was at LAX when a photog asked her about Taylor and Travis' controversial date idea, which is drawing PETA's ire.

Jennifer says the lovebirds should get a pass for a few reasons ... she doesn't think they put a lot of thought into going to the zoo and were just looking for something romantic to do together.

A big PETA supporter herself, Jennifer says Taylor and Travis seem like fellow animal lovers ... and isn't going to condemn them here. She's kinda walking a fine line here -- huge fan, but also ... big animal lover.

As we reported ... PETA says the famous couple should look elsewhere the next time they're in the mood to be around animals, suggesting they hit up an animal sanctuary instead of a zoo.

PETA also took issue with the couple feeding a kangaroo at the Sydney Zoo ... saying it was harmful to the animal to do that.

Jennifer's stopping short of calling out Taylor and Travis too hard ... but says she ultimately agrees with whatever PETA says on the matter. It's pretty funny to see her wrestle with this dilemma on camera ... you can tell she loves them, and doesn't wanna slam 'em.

Kanye West y Bianca Censori están recibiendo apoyo de la gente en medio de su lucha contra Adidas: una multitud se cuadró detrás de su causa en Semana de la Moda de París.

Cuando Ye y Bianca salieron del Ritz el miércoles para almorzar, fueron rápidamente rodeados por los fans y los fotógrafos afuera del hotel, algunos de los cuales comenzaron a gritar "F*** Adidas" al unísono.

El cántico claramente llamó la atención de la pareja, ambos esbozaron sonrisas de aprobación, o al menos pareciera que Ye está sonriendo. ¡Es difícil saber, en realidad, con la máscara cubriéndole toda la cara y la cabeza!

¡¡¡Kanye estaba especialmente contento y animó a la multitud para que coreara más fuerte!!! También le dio un autógrafo a un fan sobre su clásico álbum de 2010 "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", donde firmó las palabras "F*** ADIDAS" con un lápiz negro.

A principios de esta semana, Kanye fue duro con Adidas, acusándolos de violar sus diseños mediante la venta de zapatillas Yeezy que nunca aprobó.

Palabras polémicas, pero al menos sus fans en París, ¡¡¡están con él!!!

La pareja sigue dando que hablar en los eventos de la Semana de la Moda. Bianca apareció el martes por la noche básicamente sin nada debajo de sus pantimedias transparentes.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are getting full-throated support in their fight against Adidas ... as a Paris Fashion Week crowd rallies for their cause.

As Ye and Bianca left The Ritz Wednesday for a lunch break, they were quickly swarmed by fans and photogs outside the hotel ... some of whom began chanting "F*** Adidas" in unison.

The profane chant clearly got a rise out of the couple as they both cracked smiles of approval -- well, it seems like Ye was smiling. Hard to tell, really, with the full mask over his face and head!

Kanye was especially pumped up ... he encouraged the crowd to chant louder, and grabbed an autograph seeker's copy of his 2010 classic album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and signed the words "F*** ADIDAS" in black marker!!!

Earlier in the week, Kanye went hard at Adidas, accusing them of raping his fashion sense by selling Yeezy sneakers he never greenlit.

Spicy words, but his fans -- at least in Paris -- are riding with him!!!

The head-turning couple continues pushing boundaries at Fashion Week events -- Bianca popped out Tuesday night basically bottomless with only sheer pantyhose to cover her hoo-ha.

They definitely got some folks in Paris going gorillas this week!

Kelly Osbourne dice que una de las mayores peleas que tuvo con su novio tuvo que ver con el apellido de su hijo.

La famosa hija de Ozzy y Sharon Osbourne se abrió sobre la enorme discusión con su hombre, Sid Wilson, en "The Osbournes Podcast", diciéndole a sus padres que su pareja no quería que su hijo Sidney tuviera sus dos apellidos cuando nació en 2022.

Kelly dice que ella y Sid -con quien ha estado desde principios de 2022- no podían llegar a un acuerdo respecto a darle a su hijo los dos apellidos, y al final, parece que Kelly lo convenció, porque que Sidney es un Osbourne.

Dijo que ella y Sid siguien adelante, pero puede que nunca sea capaz de perdonar a Wilson por haber sido tan cerrado. Así que sí, el asunto dejó sus cicatrices.

Pero hay luz al final del túnel... Osbourne dijo que ella y Wilson han estado hablando mucho y asisten a terapia de pareja, y afirma que él está entendiendo su punto de vista.

Kelly añadió que la pareja planea cambiar el nombre de su hijo para incluir los apellidos de ambos, una decisión inteligente de acuerdo con sus padres, quienes señalaron lo beneficioso que será el apellido Osbourne para el futuro del niño.

Después de todo, un montón de gente en Hollywood utiliza sus conexiones familiares para reservar puestos de trabajo -incluyendo a Kelly, quien recientemente dijo que estaba orgullosa de su apellido".

Kelly le dijo a Rolling Stone en enero que estaba orgullosa de los logros de sus padres, y que no tenía ningún problema en ser asociada con ellos, aunque añadió que no cree que las oportunidades deban caer en su regazo debido a sus lazos familiares.

Ben Affleck tenía una petición importante para Jennifer López antes de volver con la superestrella... mantener su relación fuera de las redes sociales, una demanda que no ganó.

El actor compartió su demanda de privacidad en el nuevo documental de Amazon Prime de su esposa, "The Greatest Love Story Never Told", que pone toda su relación bajo un microscopio, por lo que su confesión es irónica. Ben inicialmente quería mantener su romance reavivado en secreto.

Explica: "Al volver a estar juntos, dije: 'Escucha, una de las cosas que no quiero es una relación en las redes sociales'". Sin embargo, luego se dio cuenta de que no estaba siendo justo, ya que Jen utiliza mucho las redes sociales y tiene cientos de millones de seguidores.

Una vez que consideró esto, Ben dice que cedió, añadiendo: "Es algo como te fueras a casar con un capitán del barco y dices, "Bueno, no me gusta el agua". Terminó diciendo: "Solo somos dos personas con diferentes tipos de enfoques tratando de aprender a comprometerse".

Por supuesto, la pareja se conoció en 2002, pero se la cosa se puso seria en 2004. Se reunieron de nuevo casi 20 años más tarde y para volver a empezar.

TMZ publicó la historia, las antiguas llamas reavivaron su historia de amor en 2021, se casaron al año siguiente en una lujosa ceremonia en Georgia. Desde entonces, han sido inseparables.

Mientras que Ben dice que ha cedido en su postura de evitar las redes sociales, parece que Jenny ha respetado al menos un poco sus deseos originales, ya que solo aparece de vez en cuando en sus cuentas.

De hecho, Jennifer confirmó en un documento que su marido no es realmente un fan de los focos, pero lo llamó su musa para su noveno álbum de estudio, "This Is Me... Now". Por lo tanto, él fue parte de la historia le guste o no, y parece que le parece bien.

Ben puede haberse mostrado reacio, pero sin duda ayudó a dar vida al producto final, ya que fue su idea capturar cada momento detrás de escenas.

Kelly Osbourne says one of the biggest fights she had with her baby daddy all had to do with their kid's surname ... and it sounds like it's a fight she eventually backed down from.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's famous daughter opened up about the huge argument with her man, Sid Wilson, on "The Osbournes Podcast" ... telling her parents her partner didn't want their son Sidney to have both their last names when he was born in 2022.

Kelly says she and Sid -- who she's been with since early 2022 -- couldn't see eye to eye about giving their son two last names, and ultimately it appears Kelly capitulated ... 'cause she says Sidney isn't an Osbourne in name.

Osbourne said she and Sid are moving on ... but that she also may never truly be able to forgive Wilson for seemingly forcing this decision upon her. So yeah, harsh feelings linger.

There is light at the end of the name tunnel though ... Osbourne said she and Wilson have been talking a lot -- and attending couples therapy -- and she says he's seeing her side of things.

Kelly added that the couple plans on changing their son's name to include both of their last names ... a smart move according to her parents who pointed out how beneficial the Osbourne name will be for the kid's future.

After all ... lots of people in Hollywood use their famous family connections to book jobs -- including Kelly, who recently said she was proud to wear the "nepo baby" moniker.

Kelly told Rolling Stone back in January she was proud of her parents' accomplishments, and she had no issue being associated with them -- though she added she doesn't think opportunities should fall in her lap because of her family ties.

Ben Affleck had a major ask of Jennifer Lopez before getting back together with the superstar -- keeping their relationship off social media ... a demand he didn't win.

The actor shared his privacy demand in his wife's new Amazon Prime documentary -- "The Greatest Love Story Never Told" ... which puts their whole relationship under a microscope -- which is why his confession is ironic. Ben initially wanted J Lo to keep their rekindled romance under wraps.

He explains, "Getting back together, I said, 'Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media.'" However, he then realized he wasn't being fair -- noting Jen heavily uses social media and has hundreds of millions followers.

Once he considered this, Ben says he caved -- adding ... "It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, 'Well, I don't like the water.'" BA finished by saying ... "We're just two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise."

Of course ... Bennifer first got together in 2002 -- but called things off for good by 2004 ... or, so we thought at the time. They got back together almost 20 years later and started again.

TMZ broke the story ... the former flames rekindled their love story in 2021 -- getting married that next year in a lavish ceremony in Georgia. Since then, they've been inseparable.

While Ben says he's relented on the no-social-media stance -- it appears Jenny has at least somewhat respected his original wishes ... as he only pops up occasionally on her social media accounts.

In fact ... Jennifer confirmed in her doc that her husband isn't really a fan of the spotlight -- but called him her muse for her ninth studio album, "This Is Me...Now." So, he was front and center for this project -- whether he liked it or not, and he seems to be cool with it.

Ben may've been a reluctant participant ... but he certainly assisted in bringing to life the final product -- as it was his idea to capture every single behind-the-scenes moment.