Jennifer Lopez, 55, has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, 52, marking their second high-profile split since they broke off their first engagement in 2004.
It would be recalled that the couple remarried in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, rekindling their romance 17 years after their initial engagement. According to People, Jennifer filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Reports suggest that the singer filed for divorce without an attorney. A source also told NBC News that Ben and Jen — who have respective net worths of about $150 million and $400 million — do not have a prenup, meaning any money they earned individually during the two years they were married is community property.
Jennifer’s decision to file for divorce comes after months of speculation that she and Ben were facing issues. And now, the documents reportedly indicate that the marriage has been over for some time, with J.Lo listing the separation date as April 26, 2024.
On Aug. 5, an insider told Entertainment Tonight that Ben and J.Lo had been holding off from making the divorce official to ensure a “seamless” transition for their respective kids.
Ben has yet to respond to the filing, and neither he nor Jennifer have issued official statements regarding the split. So far, we know little about what may have caused the divorce, although a source told People that Jennifer “tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken.”
Amid all this, Ben appears to be focused on fatherhood. On Tuesday morning — hours before J.Lo filed for divorce — the Oscar-winner was seen arriving back in LA on a private jet with Jennifer Garner. The exes had reportedly returned from Connecticut, where they’d dropped their 18-year-old daughter, Violet, off at Yale University.
The couple met over 20 years ago while on the set of the film Gigli which was released in 2003. Less than a year after they met, the pair were engaged.
Days before they were due to tie the knot, Bennifer called off their wedding.
They said at the time: “Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date.
When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate “decoy brides” at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.
“We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families, and our friends.”
During the couple’s two-year marriage, J-Lo filmed a documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told to go alongside a new album and original movie. In the film, J-Lo reveals Ben had kept all of their love letters and correspondence from when they first started dating back in 2002 through to the present day. The romantic had the letters and emails bound into a book to gift to her when they were reunited in 2021.
By Ezinne Okorie.
