6 Iconic Celebrity Couple Moments of the 2000s

Long before Bennifer set the Internet ablaze with their unexpected romance in 2021, they were shocking the early 2000s gossip magazines with their infamous PDA. Y2K nostalgia is strong, not only in Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's rekindled relationship, but in every aspect of our current pop culture scene. However, Bennifer wasn't the only couple to make headlines in the early aughts for their romantic shenanigans.

Refresh your Y2K pop culture knowledge—and maybe even predict the next big romantic reunion—with a look back at some of the most iconic couple moments of the 2000s.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were undoubtedly one of the greatest Hollywood power couples. The pair met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004, when Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. Rumors of infidelity swirled when Pitt filed for divorce from Aniston in 2005 and started dating Jolie shortly after. With six children between them and 12 years of dating, the couple parted ways in 2016 when Jolie filed for divorce. Before their split, the couple blessed us with plenty of stunning red carpet moments to remember them by.

Few celebrity smooches can rival that of early 2000s couple Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. After winning the MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Kiss in 2005, the two celebrated onstage in a shockingly intimate embrace. Even though The Notebook stars went their separate ways in 2007, their iconic kiss lives on as a defining moment in pop culture.

The infamous whirlwind romance of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey is immortalized with their 2003-2005 reality show Newlyweds. While the show had plenty of memorable scenes, none are quite as noteworthy as when Simpson confused tuna fish for chicken after seeing "chicken of the sea" on her tuna fish can. Long after the couple split, Simpson still jokes about her blonde moment.

Long before Lemonade, Blue Ivy, and more than 20 years together, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were a relatively new couple in 2003 with a wildly popular song together. "Crazy In Love" is without a doubt one of the most well-known songs of the early aughts, and the pair's 2003 performance at Madison Square Garden cemented their reputation as one the most iconic couples.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are now one of the most headline-worthy rekindled romances of 2021, but they were one of the most definitive couples of the early 2000s first. The two met on the set of Gigli and were spotted canoodling soon after, but no PDA moment was quite as buzzworthy as the infamous booty rub in J. Lo's "Jenny From the Block" music video. Affleck starred in the Y2K-infused video, famously rubbing and kissing Lopez's derriere in one of the scenes.

With all we know from the #freebritney movement and Framing Britney Spears, it's hard to look back on Justin Timblerlake and Britney Spears' relationship with fondness. However, the two were undoubtedly one of the most famous pairings of the Y2K era. Most memorably, the two stepped onto the 2001 American Music Awards red carpet in these coordinated all-denim getups.