Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from husband Ben Affleck, officially ending, for the second time, a Hollywood romance for the ages that spanned both pop culture eras and seasons in the stars’ own lives. According to TMZ, Lopez officially filed the paperwork on Tuesday, perhaps pointedly, on the second anniversary of their traditional wedding ceremony (the pair had previously eloped in Las Vegas in July 2022). Rumors of the end had rumbled for months, but, hey, they gave it the old college try.
Lopez and Affleck originally met on the set of the 2001 film Gigli. While the movie infamously provided little in the way of box office receipts or critical goodwill, it did lead to sparks between its two stars. The pair were engaged in November 2002, just months after Affleck’s memorable cameo in Lopez’s “Jenny From The Block” music video. However, their September 2003 wedding was called off. The longstanding rumor was that Affleck simply couldn’t handle the attention. The tabloid interest in their union was so great that they were known jointly as “Bennifer,” Hollywood’s first couple portmanteau, beating out “Brangelina” by a few years. They eventually called off the engagement in January 2004.
Affleck went on to marry actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three kids. Lopez married Marc Anthony, with whom she shares twins. Both those marriages ended in the the ’10s, and the duo, separately, had high-profile romances in between.
Then, in the spring of 2021, the celebrity-obsessed pockets of the world were rocked by news that Ben and Jen were hanging out again. Photos released that June of the pair kissing confirmed they were indeed an item once more. America was just coming out of lockdown. Joe Biden was still enjoying his honeymoon period in the White House. Vaccines were being rolled out. The pair was the human embodiment of “We are so back!”
Bennifer 2.0 was also a symbol of hope for all the romantics out there that still secretly carry a flame for “the one that got away.” Their renewed romance captivated the nation, and it obviously moved quickly.
However, strains became apparent earlier this year. Lopez’s documents list the official date of separation as April 26th, just days before she notably walked the red carpet of the Met Gala solo. she was one of the gala’s co-hosts, but her husband was nowhere to be seen. Their marital home was put up for sale.
People reports that Lopez still wanted to make the union work, but Affleck showed no signs of interest. Lopez “was done waiting.”
“She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken,” said the publication’s source. “The kids are a top priority, as they always have been.”
TMZ has added another shocking detail: there was no prenup, which means any money the pair made while married is considered community property. While there’s no indication either party is aiming to financially stick it to the other, the money aspect of their disentanglement could get messy without paperwork.
You know what, though? At least they tried. In a world of screen addictions, disappointing dating apps, and the loneliness epidemic, the pair reached out to each other to finally figure out if they were meant to be together all along. The answer, apparently, is now a resounding “no.” Sometimes life has its disappointments, but you can never accuse Lopez of not living her truth to the fullest.