The first time Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck broke up, her world fell apart.
“It was the biggest heartbreak of my life,” she said in 2022, looking back at how she felt after they called off their 2003 wedding before splitting in 2004. “I honestly felt like I was going to die. It sent me on a spiral. I just couldn’t get it right.”
She still can’t get it right. Jennifer and Ben wed in 2022 after reconciling in 2021. But her second chance at a happy ending imploded less than two years later, with their marriage falling apart amid a growing career crisis. “J. Lo has been through a lot in her life, but this year has really tested how much pain she can withstand,” says a source to In Touch Weekly.
The singer's decision to divorce her fourth husband has “devastated her. She wanted to try to work on their marriage, but Ben checked out, and it was hopeless. When she realized that, she filed.” She revealed they separated in April. “Though she’s putting on a brave face in public, behind closed doors she’s been in tears. It’s the worst year of her life.”
The first hints of trouble emerged in February when Jennifer released three projects exploring her life as a serial romantic that she self-financed for $20 million - an album, "This Is Me... Now: A Love Story;" and a documentary, "The Greatest Love Story Never Told." Red flags waved as Ben addressed their disparate feelings about privacy in the document: He craves it while she courts attention. Meanwhile, Jennifer’s album struggled to find an audience, selling only about 14,000 copies in its first week. The audience response to the movie and documentary was lukewarm.
It was all downhill from there. By May, Ben had moved out of their marital home, which they’ve been unable to sell after listing it for $68 million, and into a rental property around the corner from ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52, with whom he’s co-parenting kids Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.
The same month, Jennifer weathered more career blows: Her Netflix movie, Atlas, debuted to poor reviews. Only 19 percent of critics liked it, according to movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Days later, she canceled her summer concert tour, citing a need to “be with her children, family, and close friends,” while reports alleged ticket sales were poor.
Then, more humiliation followed. The same day Jennifer turned 55 in July, Ben, 52, purchased a new $20.5 million home for himself in LA. Weeks later, in August, she finally filed for divorce, as per PEOPLE Magazine. “Some people think J. Lo waited to file for divorce because she didn’t want it to happen around the time her canceled tour, but that’s not the case,” says a source. “She was still holding on to her marriage.”
J.Lo who? Ben has reportedly been spending time with a new woman: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter Kick Kennedy, 36. The activist and aspiring actress, who’s appeared on shows including Gossip Girl and Curb Your Enthusiasm, which stars her stepmom, Cheryl Hines, has reportedly been seen with Ben at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel and at other Hollywood hotspots.
A rep from Ben denies they’re dating. Some online commenters have noted that Kick (real name: Kathleen) looks like a young Jennifer Garner.
As rumors swirled that Ben had moved on with Kick, his ex Jennifer Garner whom Ben had been leaning on during his split with Jennifer--was suddenly spotted again with her on/off boyfriend, businessman John Miller.
“But they weren’t holding hands and just looked like friends,” says a source. “It wouldn’t be surprising - Jen spent months letting Ben lean on her, and she was never photographed out with John.”
Business Times has reached out to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck for comments.
