Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s marriage has come to an end once again, with Lopez officially filing for divorce on August 20 in Los Angeles—marking the two-year anniversary of their grand wedding in Georgia. The couple, who rekindled their romance in 2021 after nearly two decades apart, had been the subject of breakup rumors for months, with speculation intensifying in May as they appeared to be leading increasingly separate lives.
A source close to both Affleck and Lopez revealed to Yahoo Entertainment, “It’s sad, but it’s for the best. They are just different people when it comes down to it, but there’s been a lot of love there over the years.”
Neither Affleck, 52, nor Lopez, 55, has made any public comments regarding the split, and their representatives have declined to respond to requests for comment. The reasons behind the breakup seem to stem from familiar issues that plagued their relationship nearly 20 years ago—differences in priorities, career ambitions, and how much of their private lives they are willing to share with the world.
In their earlier days, the intense media scrutiny played a significant role in their first breakup in 2004. Affleck and Lopez had been open about these challenges, with Affleck mentioning in Lopez’s February documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, “The catalyst for [our first breakup] was this massive scrutiny for our private life.” Affleck admitted that while Lopez didn’t mind the media attention as much, it was something he struggled with, leading to an agreement to keep their relationship more private the second time around. However, that balance ultimately proved difficult to maintain.
Tensions reportedly escalated during the production of Lopez’s Affleck-inspired projects, including her album This Is Me … Now and its corresponding film and documentary. Although Affleck participated, it was apparent that he was uncomfortable with the level of personal detail Lopez chose to share. In the documentary, Affleck confessed, “As a writer, director I certainly do the same things. But things that are private I had always felt are sacred and special because, in part, they’re private. So this was something of an adjustment for me.”
Lopez acknowledged Affleck’s discomfort, noting, “There’s the personal story of Ben and I that has never been told. I don’t think he’s very comfortable with me doing all of this. But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist, he’s going to support me in every way he can because he knows he can’t stop me from making the music I made and writing the words I wrote.”
Despite their efforts to navigate these differences, cracks began to show. Lopez’s album faced commercial challenges, and her world tour, This Is Me … Live, was scaled back, allegedly due to weak ticket sales. In May, rumors of marital strife intensified following several high-profile solo appearances by both stars, and Lopez’s divorce filing revealed that the couple had been separated since April 26.
The summer saw the estranged couple living separate lives, with Lopez celebrating her 55th birthday with a lavish party in New York, while Affleck focused on work in Los Angeles. Their second wedding anniversary passed without acknowledgment, signaling that the end was near. Lopez’s decision to file for divorce on the exact date of their wedding anniversary sent a clear message that she was ready to move on.
A source told People, “She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken, but she was done waiting.”