J Lo’s divorce reveals depth of her estrangement from Ben Affleck
Jennifer Lopez had requested that she has her old surname back as part of her divorce petition from estranged husband Ben Affleck.
The star, 55, filed for divorce without an attorney on Tuesday, August 20 — which also marked the couple’s second wedding anniversary.
In her petition, seen by DailyMail.com, Lopez has requested that her name be restored to Jennifer Lynn Lopez, dropping the Affleck name altogether.
Lopez, who has recently been spotted wearing her wedding ring, listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024.
The couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement before tying the knot in July 2022, insiders have revealed. It marks Jennifer’s fourth failed marriage and Ben’s second.
The star, 55, filed for divorce without an attorney on Tuesday, August 20 — which also marked the couple’s second wedding anniversary
Lopez, seen here last Sunday, has requested that her name be restored to Jennifer Lynn Lopez
Without a prenup in place, their individual earnings from the last two years, whether it be from film projects or major brand deals, would be community property.
Jennifer, who has a reported $400million net worth, has put out four films since marrying Ben, including her $20million self-funded project This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, which documents the couple’s rekindled romance.
She launched her Delola cocktail line in 2023 and she was set to embark on a world tour in support of her latest album ‘This Is Me… Now’ but it was canceled weeks before kick off so she could ‘focus’ on family.
Oscar-winner Ben, who has a reported net worth of $150million, has recently starred in the films Air (2023) and Hypnotic (2023). He also recently wrapped production of a sequel to 2016’s The Accountant.
To further complicate things, Jennifer and Ben worked on the upcoming film, Unstoppable.
While Affleck is producing the project alongside Matt Damon, Lopez is among the film’s stars.
Jennifer is not seeking spousal support and has asked the judge to deny it for Ben as well.
Ben Affleck dropped a major clue months ago that he was done with wife Jennifer Lopez, who filed for divorce on Tuesday. Seen in 2021
The stars seen in 2003 at the Los Angeles Lakers v. San Antonio Spurs playoff game at the Staples Center
According a new report from People, it was alleged that Lopez also had a hand in getting Afffleck to focus more on his kids.
The site claimed that the Atlas actress motivated the Argo director to be more ‘family oriented.’
During their two year marriage – which Ben dropped a clue about months ago – the kids were ‘very important to them,’ added the insider.
But the way they spent their time with the kids divided them, it was claimed.
While JLo was happy to take the little ones out shopping and to fun events, Affleck preferred to hang out at home.
‘They are very different people,’ the source added of Affleck and Lopez. ‘She’s super public and wants to go out, and he’s more of an introvert and is happy to hang out at home.’
Indeed, Jennifer was often seen traveling with the kids as she has a busy schedule.
And she likely wanted to take all five of the children with her during her summer tour, which has been postponed to 2025.
Ben may not want to go out as much as he is just not as gregarious as Lopez.
In an interview with Kevin Hart earlier this year, Ben said he was ‘shy’: ‘I’m also a little bit shy. I don’t like a lot of attention,’ he told the comedian.
‘This is why people see me and they’re like, ‘Why is this dude always mad?’ Because someone had their camera sticking in my face, and I’m like, ‘OK, here we go.”
‘You have resting b***h face,’ Hart joked. ‘B****h? Now,’ Affleck responded as he pretended to be mad.
‘I have resting hard face. People are projecting onto me something that I don’t feel about myself at all.’
Lopez shares twins Max and Emme, 16, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while Affleck shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 (pictured in March)
The divorce filing came exactly two years after the couple’s extravagant second wedding in Georgia on August 20 2022
Meanwhile, Lopez is reportedly feeling ‘disappointed and sad’ after filing for divorce from Affleck but she knew it was ‘time to move on’.
The superstar was engaged to the Hollywood actor Ben in the early 2000s and the pair famously reconciled in 2021 before tying the knot in two ceremonies in 2022.
A new report suggests Jennifer felt the time was right to start moving on with her life. A source told PEOPLE: ‘[She knows] it’s time to move on’ for various reasons
‘She’s very disappointed and sad, but Ben hasn’t given her any signs that he wants to continue their marriage. He hasn’t shown any commitment and interest in making their marriage work. It’s gotten to the point that she just needs to look out for herself.’
The divorce filing came exactly two years after the couple’s extravagant second wedding in Georgia on August 20 2022 – and an insider told the publication the significance of the date wasn’t lost on Jennifer.
They said: ‘She was done waiting and the date she did it speaks a tonne … [The divorce filing] gives her control of the process … It’s good that she did it …
‘She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken.’
The source went on to insist the former couple’s blended family is taking priority, adding: ‘The kids are a top priority, as they always have been.’
The singer/actress wrote a whole album – ‘This Is Me … Now’ – inspired by the pair’s reignited love affair and even made a film version.
