Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Split: Relive Their Great Love Story
Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Break Up, File for Divorce After 2 Years of Marriage
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are stepping off the floor.
The “On the Floor” singer and Justice League star have broken up after two years of marriage, with her filing for divorce Aug. 20, a source close to J.Lo confirmed to NBC News.
While the duo tied the knot in the private Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022, a month before a larger ceremony in Georgia, their love story spanned nearly 25 years.Â
Affleck and Lopez first started dating in 2001, and were even set to wed in 2003. However, they called off their engagement just days before their nuptialsâlater explaining how their highly scrutinized private life played into their split.
“We broke up three days before our wedding,” Lopez recalled in her documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told. “We just crumbled under the pressure.”
In the years following the breakup, After they called off the wedding, Affleck married Jennifer Garner and welcomed kids Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12. He and the 13 Going on 30 star parted ways in 2015, finalizing their divorce 2018.
As for Lopez, she was married to Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2014, and the duo share 16-year-old twins Max and Emme.
But while Affleck was linked to Ana de Armas and Lopez was engaged to Alex Rodriguez for two years, by 2021 they were both single and eventually reunited.Â
And Lopez believed their relationship was stronger this time around. “We’re wiser,” she told Variety in December. “We also know what’s important, what’s really important in life, and it’s not so much what other people think. It’s about being true to who you are.”
Christopher Polk/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images
Affleck also expressed those sentiments, viewing their rekindling as a full-circle moment rather than lost time.
“It’s definitely beautiful to me,” the Oscar winner told WSJ. magazine in December 2021. “One of the things I really value across all facets of my life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that. My life now reflects not just the person that I want to be, but the person that I really feel like I am.”
“I am very lucky in my life in that I have benefited from second chances, and I am aware that other people don’t even get first chances,” he continued. “I’ve had second chances in my career. I’ve had second chances as a human being. Life is difficult, and we are always failing and hopefully learning from those failures.”
Keep reading to look back on Affleck and Lopez’s decades-long love story.
Mel/Getty Images
December 2001: Filming Gigli
The two prepare to film a scene for the movie in West Hollywood. The couple met on the set of the film.
Mel Bouzad/Getty Images
October 2002: Spotted in Beverly Hills
The two are spotted in the city.
Ben-Ari Finegold/Getty Images
November 2002: Filming Gigli and Engagement
The two film the movie on Will Rogers State Beach in Los Angeles. That month, the actor proposes to the actress with a 6.1-carat pink diamond ring.
James Devaney/WireImage
November 2002: Filming Jersey Girl
The two film the movie in New York City.
James Devaney/WireImage
November 2002: Leaving MTV’s TRL
Is there anything more ’00s than both Bennifer 1.0 and TRL?
Tom Kingston/WireImage
December 2002: Red Carpet Debut
The two make their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of her film Maid in Manhattan.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
January 2003: Sundance
The two bundle up at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
Chris Weeks/WireImage
February 2003: Daredevil Premiere
The two appear at the premiere of Daredevil, starring Ben as the superhero.
Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images
February 2003: Daredevil Premiere
The two appear at the premiere of Daredevil, starring Ben and future ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
March 2003: Oscars
The two attend the Academy Awards together.
Vince Bucci/Getty Images
May 2003: Basketball Game
The two sit courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.
Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images
July 2003: Canada Trip
The two film a Dateline interview for NBC in Vancouver.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
July 2003: Gigli Premiere
The two appear at the premiere for their movie in Westwood, Calif.
Moviestore/Shutterstock
August 2003: Gigli Is Released
…it flops at the box office.
Christopher Polk/Jason Merritt/Getty Images for DCP
September 2003: Wedding Is Off
The two postpone their wedding. No future date is given.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
October 2003: Baseball Date
The two are seen at a Boston Red Sox game. The team is Ben’s favorite.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
January 2004: It’s Over
The two end their engagement.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
September 2021: Red Carpet Royalty
They’re baaaack. On Sept. 10, the couple makes their first red carpet appearance in 18 years at the Venice Film Festival premiere of The Last Duel.Â
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images
September 2021: Look of Love
There’s no denying J.Lo makes for a stunning plus-one!Â
Robert Kamau/GC Images
September 2021: Back to the Stage
Ben supports J.Lo at the 2021 Global Citizen Live event in New York City, where she performed onstage. It marked her first music gig since she performed at VAX LIVE in May, where the actor also appeared onstage separately, fueling rumors of a rekindled romance.
Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
September 2021: Met Gala Debut
The two attend the Met Gala together for the first time.
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
October 2021: PDA at Premiere
Jen and Ben put on a sizzling display on the red carpet at the premiere of his film The Last Duel in New York City.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
April 2022: Engaged Again!
Jennifer confirmed her engagement to the Gone Girl actor with a video posted to her On The JLo site, revealing a glimpse of her beautiful engagement ring with a green stone.
onthejlo.com
July 2022: Married!
On July 16, Jennifer and Ben tied the knot in a surprise ceremony at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
Pierre Suu/GC Images
July 2022: Post-Wedding Trip to Paris
The two vacation with her twins and two of his kids in the French capital soon after their wedding.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
June 2023: Red Carpet Fabulous
J.Lo steps out with Ben in support of his movie The Flash.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
February 2024: This Is Them…Now
Jennifer release This Is Me… Now, an album about her relationship with Ben. The record is accompanied by a musical film titled This Is Me… Now: A Love Story and the documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
Gotham/GC Images
March 2024: Jenny on the Block
The couple enjoys a day out in NYC on March 30, 2024.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
August 2024: Divorce
J.Lo filed for divorce Aug. 20, listing the date of separation as Apil 26, according to the filing obtained by TMZ.
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