Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's marriage has come to an end, less than two years after their lavish wedding. The unraveling of their relationship, according to sources close to the couple, began almost immediately, starting with their honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy. What was supposed to be a blissful beginning to their married life quickly turned into a period of tension and disillusionment.
Sources familiar with the situation reveal that the honeymoon was marred by Affleck's discomfort with the constant presence of paparazzi, a reality that Lopez, an international superstar, has long accepted as part of her life. "He was unhappy with paparazzi following them. She is an international superstar, and he acted like it came as a surprise that they would be followed around," a source told Page Six. This apparent disconnect between the couple's expectations of privacy set the stage for further issues.
Behind the glamorous facade of public outings and shopping trips, the couple reportedly struggled to connect. "They would barely speak to each other during what was supposed to be the happiest time of their life. He sold her on him being a changed man, and that lasted a very short time," the source claimed. Affleck's adjustment to a sober lifestyle played a significant role in the couple's growing apart. Having been open about his struggles with alcohol, Affleck was reportedly in a vulnerable state when he and Lopez rekindled their romance.
"He was just getting sober... He was in a vulnerable state, and whatever their chemistry played into that... He was in this frenzied, excitable state," another insider explained.
As Affleck settled into his new sober life, the allure of the whirlwind romance began to fade. He increasingly craved privacy and found it difficult to cope with Lopez's high-profile lifestyle. "He doesn't want [the entourage] and all the drama that comes with that in his home," the insider noted. This growing desire for a more sheltered life away from the spotlight clashed with Lopez's need to maintain her public image and career, creating a rift that eventually became irreparable.
Despite these underlying tensions, sources indicate that Affleck was deeply concerned about Lopez's feelings as their relationship began to deteriorate. He reportedly delayed filing for divorce out of a desire to protect her from public humiliation. "He's very protective of her," a source said, suggesting that Affleck was reluctant to end the marriage, knowing how much Lopez had invested emotionally in their relationship.
"She's furious. He has humiliated her. He was the one who initiated getting back together... She made a big deal that he was the love of her life," the source added.
Lopez officially filed for divorce on August 20, 2024, marking the second anniversary of their Georgia wedding. The filing came as a surprise to many, especially given Lopez's previous public statements about the depth of her love for Affleck. In a 2022 interview with Vogue, Lopez spoke glowingly of their relationship, saying, "I never shied away from the fact that for me, I always felt like there was a real love there, a true love there." She had described Affleck as a "very, very special person" in her life, making the sudden breakdown of their marriage all the more poignant.
As the couple moves forward with their separation, Affleck has already taken steps to establish a new life apart from Lopez. He has secured a bachelor pad in the upscale California neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, after the couple listed their marital home for $68 million in July. This move, along with the details emerging about their strained relationship, suggests that the decision to part ways was not a hasty one, but rather the culmination of months of growing apart.
For fans who had followed the couple's romance since the early 2000s, the news of their split is a bitter pill to swallow. Affleck's grand gesture of having "not.going.anywhere." engraved on Lopez's engagement ring now serves as a poignant reminder of the hopes and promises that ultimately went unfulfilled.
