Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's relationship is a story in two parts that were both very highly publicized. Round one saw them starring in a music video together, getting engaged with a pink diamond ring, and splitting up shortly before their wedding in 2004. Round two saw them getting back together nearly 20 years later, going through with tying the knot, and splitting up after two years of marriage.
But despite the roller coaster that fans have followed in articles, on social media, and in Lopez's own documentary, Affleck says that the reasons behind their divorce are actually pretty boring.
In a new interview with GQ, Affleck talked about his divorce from Lopez for the first time. He made it very clear that he has a lot of respect for his ex-wife and emphasized that there's "no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue."
Affleck talked about appearing in Lopez's 2024 documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, in which he seemed more apprehensive about fame compared to his then-wife. Affleck told GQ that while they have differences in how they approach celebrity and sharing about themselves publicly, the cause of their separation can't be discerned from the film.
"I think the thing that I said in that documentary or the piece that they used was where I said, You don’t marry a ship captain and then say, 'Well, I don’t like going out in the water.' You’ve got to own what you knew going into any relationship," the 52-year-old actor said. "And I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture. It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, 'Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.'" Affleck added that he "nothing but respect" regarding Lopez's approach to fame.
The former couple at the premiere of Air in March 2023.
And while Affleck did not go into details about why he and Lopez broke up, he thinks that—as with many people's relationships—it wouldn't really be interesting to an outsider.
"I guess there’s a tendency to look at breakups and want to identify root causes or something. But honestly, like I said, the truth is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting," the Accountant 2 star said.
"[T]here’s no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue ... It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do," he continued. "It’s really, it sounds more like a couple’s therapy session, which—you would tune out of someone else’s couple’s therapy after a while. For one thing, you start going, 'Okay, clearly this person has got these issues. Clearly they have these issues.' And the reason I don’t want to share that is just sort of embarrassing. It feels vulnerable."
As reported by People, Lopez and Affleck's divorce was finalized in January. The This Is Me... Now singer filed in August 2024 and cited irreconcilable differences.
In an October 2024 conversation with comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview, Lopez talked about the split. She didn't mention Affleck by name, but talked about the difficult summer she'd experienced.
After putting out a new album, its accompanying film, and her documentary last year—all of which had to do with her relationship with Affleck—Lopez said, "I felt like, whoa, I got here. I’m good. I did all the work and look at where I am, and then it was like my whole fucking world exploded."
Of learning to be on her own, she explained, "It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary. It feels sad. It feels desperate. But when you sit in those feelings and go, 'These things are not going to kill me,' it’s like actually, I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself. Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself."