Popular media gave attention and interest to the film during production, primarily because Affleck and Lopez, the film's stars, were romantically involved at the time. After release, however, critical reaction was universally negative, and in the years since its release "Gigli" has been considered one of the worst films of all time. The film was also one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, grossing $7.2 million against a $75.6 million budget. As of 2020, it is the last film Brest has directed, making it his longest hiatus between projects.