Jennifer Lopez has finally spoken out about her split from Ben Affleck. The “Let’s Get Loud” singer filed for divorce in Los Angeles on Aug. 20, 2024, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
The couple, commonly referred to as Bennifer, stayed together two years before they fell apart this time. They were previously engaged in 2002 but parted ways just two years later, in 2004.
While it looked like the couple would get their fairy tale ending this time as they actually made it all the way down the aisle, it didn’t happen. Lopez filed the divorce petition alone without legal representation, suggesting the split is not contentious. This will be her fourth divorce if the couple goes through with it.
In a sitdown chat with Nikki Glaser for Interview, Lopez said her “whole f****ng world exploded” after her documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, was released in February 2024.
WATCH: The Greatest Love Story Never Told on Prime (free trial)
The documentary followed the singer as she independently produced a new album while trying to find self-love simultaneously. In case you missed it, or if you just want a refresher, here’s everything you need to know to watch The Greatest Love Story of All Time, including cast details and streaming information.
Viewers can live stream “The Greatest Love Story of All Time” on Amazon Prime, which offers a free trial for new users.
“Not what I thought it was going to turn out like”
As she picks herself up from her latest split, Lopez told Glaser she’s realized that things don’t always go the way you want them to, and it’s important that you learn from your mistakes. “I was thinking about this time in my life, and I’m like, ‘That’s not what I thought it was going to turn out like.’ And then I thought, ‘No, this is exactly where I needed to be, to lead me to where I want to go,’” she told Glaser.
During the interview, Lopez also revealed that she’s written off dating – for now, at least. “There’s no new bar because I’m not looking for anybody,” the singer said. “Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people,” she added. “I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person, but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m actually good.’”
The singer, who hails from the Bronx, said that she’s learned that you have to “be complete, if you want something that’s more complete.”
“You have to be good on your own. I thought I learned that, but I didn’t,” she said.
While the singer didn’t reveal too many personal details behind the split, she did admit that the breakup was extremely challenging for her.
“It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary. It feels sad. It feels desperate,” she said. “But when you sit in those feelings and go, ‘These things are not going to kill me,’ it’s like actually, I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself.”
Bennifer relationship timeline
Lopez and Affleck were first linked after meeting on the set of the movie Gigli in early 2002. The couple was engaged in November 2002, after Affleck popped the question with a 6.1-carat Harry Winston solitaire engagement ring. Sadly, the couple called it quits two years later, in January 2004. They reportedly remained friends, but went on to have kids with other people.
Lopez was then married to singer Marc Anthony in 2004 and stayed in that relationship until 2014. The couple share 16-year-old twins Max and Emme. Around the same time, Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. They share three kids: daughter Seraphina, Violet, and son Samuel.
It wasn’t the end for Bennifer, though. The couple made headlines in April 2021 when it was revealed they had reignited their romance. The timing seemed off, as Lopez had just split from her relationship with former baseball player Alex Rodriguez. She went for it anyway despite what seemed like poor timing.
In a February 2022 interview with People, Lopez gushed about Affleck, saying, “I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him. “It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.” The couple were engaged two months later and married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022. They had a second ceremony for family and friends in August 2022 in Georgia.
In May 2024, Rumors of a split began circulating after the couple wasn’t photographed together for 47 days. The official split announcement came in August of this summer.
When asked if she regrets anything related to the pain that the split caused her, Lopez told Glazer, “Not one second.”
“That doesn’t mean it didn’t almost take me out for good. It almost did,” she said. “But now, on the other side of it, I think to myself, ‘F—, that is exactly what I needed. Thank you, God. I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m sorry that you had to do this to me so many times.’”
Meet the cast of The Greatest Love Story of All Time
Here is the cast of The Greatest Love Story of All Time:
- Jennifer Lopez
- Ben Affleck
- Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
- Trevor Jackson
- Tony Bellissimo
- Derek Hough
- Sofia Vergara
- Jennifer Lewis
- Post Malone
- Fat Joe
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Keke Palmer
- Kim Petras