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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Finalize Divorce 5 Months After Her Filing
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have finalized their divorce on Monday, January 6, five months after she filed documents, Closer can confirm.
According to TMZ, who was the first to break the news, Ben, 52, and J. Lo, 55, will each walk away “with what they individually acquired during the marriage.” The outlet also revealed that Ben’s production company, Artists Equity, which he co-owns with pal Matt Damon, will remain his.
While the former couple did not have a prenuptial agreement in place, it seems the separation of assets was amicable. Their $61 million marital home is currently on the market, though the terms of their agreement for the division of the proceeds are confidential, TMZ reported.
The news of Ben and Jennifer’s decision to separate came after months of whispers about trouble within their marriage. Throughout the summer of 2024, the couple was spending time on opposite coasts as they each worked on separate projects. It was the first time Ben had spent a significant time apart from one another and a source revealed to Life & Style that they were each handling it in different ways. The insider said that Ben was happy to stay busy, but J. Lo was becoming increasingly needy.
“She wants constant affirmation from him that she’s loved and adored,” the source told the publication. “But she’s not getting much of that now and Ben gets defensive and moody. The honeymoon is definitely over. The feeling is if they want to stay married, they both need to make some adjustments in their behavior.”
In May 2024, Ben and J. Lo were spotted in public together for the first time in 47 days in exclusive photos obtained by In Touch. The outing came just after he moved out of their shared home together.
“He’s focusing on his work and his kids now,” an insider told the outlet after Ben’s move. “Ben already moved out and they’ll likely have to sell the dream house they spent two years searching for. They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her. There’s no way it could have lasted.”
Despite putting up a united front, an additional source told In Touch that Jennifer had hired “crisis PR to help navigate the divorce” and that “a divorce filing is imminent” on May 18, 2024.
The pair continued to hint at troubles when Jennifer canceled her This Is Me… Live: The Greatest Hits tour just weeks before it was scheduled to begin. She confirmed the news on her OntheJLo website, while promoter Live Nation explained Jennifer was “taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends.”
Jennifer called off the concerts shortly after In Touch reported that she was “extremely stressed” about the “disastrous ticket sales.”
Jennifer and Ben first met on the set of Gigli in 2002, and they quickly went from friends to something more. By November of that same year, Ben proposed and Jennifer accepted. While they planned to get married in September 2003, the couple called off the wedding just days before it was set to happen.
Ben went on to marry Jennifer Garner in 2005, but a few days after they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, the couple announced they were separating.
The former couple used high-profile lawyer Laura Wasser to mediate their divorce — the same lawyer used in his divorce from the Wedding Planner star. Jennifer also hired Laura during her divorce from ex-husband Marc Anthony, with whom she shares kids Emme and Max.
“If you’re in Hollywood and you’re getting a divorce then Laura Wasser is the first call you make,” an industry veteran shared.
Despite breaking up the first time, Ben and J. Lo remained friends over the years. In 2020, Ben couldn’t help but give J. Lo nothing but praise for her performance in the 2019 film Hustlers.
“She’s the real thing. I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her,” Ben told The New York Times in February 2020. “How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That’s f–king baller.”
In May 2021, Ben and Jennifer were spotted spending time together in Big Sky, Montana, over Mother’s Day weekend. After that they were seen together regularly and by April 2022, Ben had gotten down on one knee to propose once again. They officially tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022 followed by an extravagant ceremony at his Georgia estate the following month.
Jen filed for divorce on August 20, 2024, exactly two years after their ceremony, but cited April 26, 2024, as their date of separation.
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