Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, marking the end of a relationship that spanned two decades, two engagements, and two weddings. The filing on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court concludes a celebrity union that captivated pop culture and made “Bennifer” a household name.
The news was first reported by TMZ, which noted that Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024. The report also mentioned that no prenuptial agreement was cited in the filing.
Lopez and Affleck originally met and fell in love in the early 2000s, getting engaged and starring together in the widely panned films Gigli (2003) and Jersey Girl (2004). However, the intense media scrutiny contributed to their breakup, and they went their separate ways in 2004.
Nearly two decades later, the couple rekindled their romance and tied the knot in 2022—not once, but twice. “Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” Lopez wrote after their first, intimate wedding in Las Vegas in July 2022, signing off as Jennifer Lynn Affleck.
“Stick around long enough and maybe you’ll find the best moment of your life in a drive-through in Las Vegas at 12:30 in the morning,” she added in a newsletter post, describing the low-key ceremony where the couple stood in line with other couples before getting married at A Little White Wedding Chapel.
The couple celebrated a more elaborate wedding a month later at Affleck’s Georgia estate, surrounded by friends and family.
Both Lopez, 54, and Affleck, 51, have been married before. Affleck shares three children with actress Jennifer Garner, whom he married in 2005 and divorced in 2018. Lopez was previously married to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, and singer Marc Anthony, with whom she shares 14-year-old twins. She was also engaged to former baseball player Alex Rodriguez before they ended their relationship in 2021.
Throughout their rekindled relationship, Lopez was often more forthcoming about their journey. Earlier this year, she acknowledged the pressures of having her relationships play out in the public eye. “It’s made me doubt myself and really feel bad about myself at times,” Lopez told The Associated Press. “But at the end of the day, you have to learn how to navigate it… and focus on knowing who you are and what you want.”
Affleck has also spoken about Lopez’s resilience and versatility, praising her for taking charge of her career. “I think she’s in her prime,” Affleck told the AP last year. “She’s doing extraordinary work because she’s taking control of what she’s doing rather than relying on what’s being offered.”
Lopez is set to star in the upcoming film Unstoppable, produced by Affleck and Matt Damon’s company Artists Equity. Earlier this year, she also starred in the Netflix movie Atlas. However, in May, Lopez abruptly canceled her 2024 North American tour, citing personal reasons. A statement from organizers noted that she was “heartsick and devastated” but needed to take time off to focus on her family.
The tour was intended to promote her album This Is Me… Now, her first solo release in a decade, and its accompanying film—a semi-autobiographical project inspired by her relationship with Affleck. The film explores a character’s journey from heartbreak to love, echoing elements of Lopez’s own life.
Despite the ups and downs, Lopez’s optimism about love has remained consistent. But as she acknowledges in the film, “Not all love stories have a happy ending.”
