Neither Jennifer Lopez nor Ben Affleck ever publicly addressed the growing rumors about trouble in their marriage—whispers that started swirling in the spring. But on Tuesday, August 20, J.Lo, 55, let her actions speak louder than words. On the second anniversary of the lavish wedding celebration they held at Affleck's sprawling 87-acre estate in Georgia, Lopez quietly filed for divorce.
In her filing, she requested to change her last name from Affleck back to Lopez—a move that says it all, according to a legal source.
Citing "irreconcilable differences," Lopez's decision comes as no surprise to those close to the couple. Insiders say the pop superstar and the Oscar-winning actor-director struggled to reconcile their vastly different personalities, much like they did when they first parted ways in 2004. "They are very different people," shares a source familiar with both stars. "She's super public and loves the social scene, while he's more of an introvert who prefers staying home."
Another insider mentioned that Affleck's "mood swings" played a significant role, with "big highs and big lows" that created tension. "He didn’t realize how much his moods affected everyone around him," adds a source from Affleck's circle.
As the source further explains, the couple may have gotten swept up in the excitement of rekindling their romance—Bennifer 2.0 was a whirlwind. "It all happened so fast," the source adds. "They were two people deeply in love with the idea of love, and who wouldn't dive into that? They truly cared for each other."
Despite being the one to initiate the divorce, Lopez is reportedly "heartbroken." But she's also a realist and knew the marriage had reached a point of no return. Listing their separation date as April 26, Lopez and Affleck had spent most of the past four months apart.
During that time, Lopez was busy in the New York City area filming an adaptation of the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman—a project she co-produced with Affleck—while also fulfilling her duties as co-chair of the 2024 Met Gala and preparing for her This Is Me...Live summer tour. She ultimately canceled the tour on May 31 to "be with her children, family, and close friends," according to a statement from her reps.
Meanwhile, Affleck was back in Los Angeles, filming The Accountant 2 and staying in a rental house, just miles from the Beverly Hills mansion they purchased together in 2023, which they listed for sale at $68 million in July.
Though they reunited occasionally in the spring, mostly for family-related events involving their blended families, it became clear that Lopez was the only one trying to salvage their marriage. "She really gave it her all," says another insider, but Affleck—who bought a $20 million L.A. mansion in July while Lopez was on the East Coast—wasn't as invested. Rumors even swirled about Affleck spending time with actress Kick Kennedy, though a source close to him dismissed any romantic involvement.
As one Lopez insider reveals, "He was
In her filing, she requested to change her last name from Affleck back to Lopez—a move that says it all, according to a legal source.
Citing "irreconcilable differences," Lopez's decision comes as no surprise to those close to the couple. Insiders say the pop superstar and the Oscar-winning actor-director struggled to reconcile their vastly different personalities, much like they did when they first parted ways in 2004. "They are very different people," shares a source familiar with both stars. "She's super public and loves the social scene, while he's more of an introvert who prefers staying home."
Another insider mentioned that Affleck's "mood swings" played a significant role, with "big highs and big lows" that created tension. "He didn’t realize how much his moods affected everyone around him," adds a source from Affleck's circle.
As the source further explains, the couple may have gotten swept up in the excitement of rekindling their romance—Bennifer 2.0 was a whirlwind. "It all happened so fast," the source adds. "They were two people deeply in love with the idea of love, and who wouldn't dive into that? They truly cared for each other."
Despite being the one to initiate the divorce, Lopez is reportedly "heartbroken." But she's also a realist and knew the marriage had reached a point of no return. Listing their separation date as April 26, Lopez and Affleck had spent most of the past four months apart.
During that time, Lopez was busy in the New York City area filming an adaptation of the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman—a project she co-produced with Affleck—while also fulfilling her duties as co-chair of the 2024 Met Gala and preparing for her This Is Me...Live summer tour. She ultimately canceled the tour on May 31 to "be with her children, family, and close friends," according to a statement from her reps.
Meanwhile, Affleck was back in Los Angeles, filming The Accountant 2 and staying in a rental house, just miles from the Beverly Hills mansion they purchased together in 2023, which they listed for sale at $68 million in July.
Though they reunited occasionally in the spring, mostly for family-related events involving their blended families, it became clear that Lopez was the only one trying to salvage their marriage. "She really gave it her all," says another insider, but Affleck—who bought a $20 million L.A. mansion in July while Lopez was on the East Coast—wasn't as invested. Rumors even swirled about Affleck spending time with actress Kick Kennedy, though a source close to him dismissed any romantic involvement.
As one Lopez insider reveals, "He was
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NewsTranscript
00:00Neither Jennifer Lopez nor Ben Affleck ever publicly addressed the growing rumors about
00:04trouble in their marriage whispers that started swirling in the spring,
00:07but on Tuesday, August 20th, J.L.O55 let her actions speak louder than words.
00:12On the second anniversary of the lavish wedding celebration they held at Affleck's sprawling
00:1687-acre estate in Georgia, Lopez quietly filed for divorce. In her filing, she requested to
00:23change her last name from Affleck back to Lopez, a move that says it all, according to a legal
00:28source. Citing irreconcilable differences Lopez's decision comes as no surprise to those close to
00:33the couple. Insiders say the pop superstar and the Oscar-winning actor-director struggled to
00:38reconcile their vastly different personalities, much like they did when they first parted ways
00:42in 2004. They are very different people shares a source familiar with both stars. She's super
00:48public and loves the social scene, while he's more of an introvert who prefers staying home.
00:54Another insider mentioned that Affleck's mood swings played a significant role
00:57with big highs and big lows that created tension. He didn't realize how much his
01:02moods affected everyone around him, adds a source from Affleck's circle.
01:06As the source further explains, the couple may have gotten swept up in the excitement
01:10of rekindling their romance benefit 2.0 was a whirlwind. It all happened so fast,
01:16the source adds. They were two people deeply in love with the idea of love,
01:20and who wouldn't dive into that. They truly cared for each other.
01:25Despite being the one to initiate the divorce, Lopez is reportedly heartbroken,
01:29but she's also a realist and knew the marriage had reached a point of no return.
01:33Listing their separation date as April 26th, Lopez and Affleck had spent most of the past
01:38four months apart. During that time, Lopez was busy in the New York City area filming
01:43an adaptation of the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, a project she co-produced with Affleck,
01:47while also fulfilling her duties as co-chair of the 2024 Met Gala and preparing for her This Is
01:52M E Dot Dot Dot Live summer tour. She ultimately cancelled the tour on May 31st to be with her
01:58children, family and close friends, according to a statement from her reps. Meanwhile, Affleck was
02:04back in Los Angeles, filming The Accountant 2 and staying in a rental house, just miles from
02:08the Beverly Hills mansion they purchased together in 2023, which they listed for sale at $68 million
02:13in July. Though they reunited occasionally in the spring mostly for family-related events
02:18involving their blended families, it became clear that Lopez was the only one trying to salvage
02:22their marriage. She really gave it her all, says another insider, but Affleck, who bought a $20
02:27million LA mansion in July while Lopez was on the East Coast, wasn't as invested. Rumors even
02:34swirled about Affleck spending time with actress Kit Kennedy, though a source close to him dismissed
02:38any romantic involvement. As one Lopez insider reveals, he wasn't showing any signs of wanting
02:45to continue their marriage. It got to the point where she had to prioritize herself.
02:49Notably, Lopez filed her divorce petition pro se, meaning without an attorney. It seems she
02:54just wanted to get this done, says Marilyn Chinitz, a matrimonial lawyer who does not
02:58represent either party. Filing on her own sends a clear message I'm moving forward,
03:02and I'm doing it on my own. Now that the chapter is officially closed, those close to the couple
03:07expect the aftermath to remain civil. There's still a lot of love and respect there and sadness,
03:12says a source who noted Affleck's emotional highs and lows.