By the time Jennifer Lopez arrived, Ben Affleck had already entered the building. On September 23, Jennifer stepped out of a chauffeured Range Rover and made her way into the Los Angeles building where she and her estranged husband have separate workplaces. She was wearing a white gown that hugged her curves and sky-high heels.
They were joined by Laura Wasser, a Hollywood divorce attorney who is mediating their separation after Jennifer applied in August to end her relationship with the Oscar winner, whom she has referred to as "the love of my life."
When Jennifer and Ben broke up for the first time, they called off their wedding in 2003 and went their separate ways in 2004. This caused her entire world to come crashing down.
"It was the biggest heartbreak of my life," she said in 2022, the same year she and Ben married the knot after rekindling their long-standing affair. Their wedding took place in 2022. "I honestly felt I was going to die."
This spring, Jennifer found herself in a difficult situation once more after her marriage was dissolved. A source revealed to Life & Style Magazine, "It really did a number on her."
On the other hand, "friends and family have noticed a major shift she's finally ready to move on," the source said, referring to the recent weeks. "She decided to do some introspection she says four divorces will do that. Get ready for an all-new J.Lo she wants to start a new chapter."
She has been forced to lament the loss of her hopes for a happily ever after with Ben. "J. Lo was so in love with him and grateful for a second chance. She was all in. She thought Ben was, too," the source said, pointing out that the actor-director, who is 52 years old, even had the phrase "not. going. anywhere" inscribed on the engagement ring of the 55-year-old woman. "So she was heartbroken when it started to fall apart. And then everything started to fall apart."
She faced a dilemma at work, and her relationship with Ben fell apart. In February, Jennifer published three projects that explored her life as a serial romantic: an album titled "This Is Me... Now," a movie titled "This Is Me... Now: A Love Story," and a documentary titled "The Greatest Love Story Never Told," which she self-financed for a total of twenty million dollars.
Her record had difficulty finding a listenership, as it only sold approximately 14,000 copies in its first week of release. The movie and the documentary, in which Ben explained their conflicting sentiments about privacy, received a mediocre response from viewers.
"Getting back together, I said, 'Listen, one of the things I don't want is a relationship on social media,'" he said in the document, explaining, "We're just two people..trying to learn to compromise."
Then, in May, Jennifer's sci-fi movie, Atlas, debuted to poor reviews. Days later, she canceled her summer prot concert tour, citing a need to "be with her children, family, and close friends," while reports alleged low ticket sales. Amid all the professional drama, her heart was shattering.
Ben had moved out of their marital home and into a rental property on April 26, the day she and Ben had quietly separated, as per The Daily Mail. They were separated for the summer, and in August, Jennifer decided to press forward with the divorce.
According to the source, this event was a turning point that enabled her to rely on herself and move on with her life.
"She's been making candid confessions about Ben and his struggles, how they added to their problems," the source revealed.
With his history of alcohol abuse, "she didn't want him to relapse so she was super over protective. That backfired by making him resentful, adding more stress to their marriage. Now, Ben is panicking," the source noted. "He's afraid she's sharing too much and is making him look like the bad guy in the relationship."
Jennifer continued to be present for Ben's three children, violet, who is 18 years old, Fin, who is 15 years old, and Samuel, who is 12 years old, with his first wife, Jennifer Garner, who is 52 years old, Page Six reported.
Nevertheless, it has been claimed that Ben did not communicate with Jennifer's twins, Max and Emme, who are 16 years old and whom she shares with her third ex-husband, the musician Marc Anthony, who is 56 years old.
This looked to change when the former spouses got back together on September 14 to take all of their children to brunch at the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Violet, who had recently started college at Yale, was the only child absent. "She feels a bond with his children and won't walk away from them," the source said.
"Even though J. Lo is moving on, it's very difficult to let go of the close relationships she's formed." Jennifer's interview with GQ in 2019 stated, "I don't like to harp on the negative or feel sorry for myself." It appears that she is finally taking her advice.
"She's determined to turn all this heartbreak into her super-power, to take ownership of any self-destruction and make changes," the source said, "which is why she's taking a break from men a year off at least." It's not easy, the source added, "but J. Lo is moving forward with a new outlook on life."
Business Times has reached out to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck for comments.
