JLo Couldn’t Handle THIS About Ben Anymore!

The last time Jennifer Lopez saw Ben Affleck was at his rented house last Thursday. She was there to wish him a happy 52nd birthday and spend some time with his children, Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.

Jennifer has a close relationship with Ben’s children, especially Violet. The day before the birthday, she even took Samuel shopping for school supplies before dropping him off at Ben’s Brentwood home in Los Angeles.

Violet, who just started at Yale University, was seen the previous week in one of her stepmother’s dresses. This was not an intentional statement, just typical teenage wardrobe sharing.

Last year, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attended the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles together. However, their marriage woes began during their honeymoon at Lake Como, which was evident from the start.

On Thursday, the family gathered for what would be their last get-together of the summer. The atmosphere was awkward as it marked the end of their union. Just days later, on Tuesday, JLo filed for divorce at the Los Angeles Superior Court, marking the second anniversary of their grand wedding at Affleck’s Georgia estate.

Jennifer Lopez chose to file without a lawyer and has remained silent about the reasons, asking her friends to do the same. The truth, however, appears to be that Affleck did not want to save their marriage, despite Lopez’s efforts. They had been separated since April, but it became clear that it couldn’t go on any longer.

“He was impossible to be married to,” a source said. “Friends think he is selfish, sullen, and impossible to please most of the time. She was constantly trying to lift his spirits, but it was exhausting. He loves to talk, and she was always a great audience, but she isn’t as impressionable as she used to be.”

A video from one of their public appearances seems to show them arguing, with the negativity eventually becoming overwhelming for Jennifer.

People magazine reported that a source said, “She’s very disappointed and sad, but Ben hasn’t given her any signs that he wants to continue their marriage. It’s gotten to the point that she just needs to look out for herself.”

After months of speculation and public scrutiny, which she found humiliating, JLo had no choice but to acknowledge the end. She listed their separation date as April 26, and the news of their split surfaced in early May, shortly after she walked the Met Gala red carpet alone. Affleck, according to sources, felt like their relationship was a “fever dream” that he had finally awakened from.

Throughout the summer, they began to unravel their married life. Their sprawling Beverly Hills mansion, purchased for $60 million, was put on the market on July 12. Affleck’s purchase of a new home in Pacific Palisades in late July, coinciding with JLo’s 55th birthday, solidified the inevitable divorce. He did not attend her elaborate Bridgerton-themed party, although his children did spend time with her in the Hamptons.

With school back in session and Violet off to university, there was no longer any reason to delay the inevitable. The divorce is expected to be amicable, with no major disputes over money. They both have plenty and will likely leave the marriage with what they brought in.

According to one friend, “The two of them will just call it quits and be glad it’s over.” A financial statement filed with the divorce petition suggests there was no prenuptial agreement, which means they technically have to split any income or community property gained during their marriage. However, JLo has waived spousal support and asked the judge to deny Affleck any support as well.

In the near future, JLo has some public engagements, including a trip to Canada for the Toronto Film Festival premiere of her new movie, *Unstoppable*, in which she plays the mother of a one-legged wrestler. The film is produced by Affleck’s Artists Equity, although he is not expected to attend. The hope is that both can find some peace and quiet in the aftermath.

Rumors that the couple had been faking their marriage for the paparazzi are met with exasperation from friends. “They are mature, responsible adults and have been handling their separation in a way that minimizes the impact on the children,” one says.

The children, though disappointed, understand the situation. Despite being together for only two years, their five children (Jennifer has 16-year-old twins with ex-husband Marc Anthony) had built relationships with their new step-parents and each other, making this a sad moment for them.

But for Lopez, this is a deep wound. This was her fourth marriage, and it is “absolutely humiliating” that it ended so quickly and poorly, according to a source.

The end of Bennifer 2.0 is a shocking turn for Lopez, who had fully embraced their rekindled romance. In February, she released an album, a film, and a documentary about their love story, celebrating their reunion 20 years after their initial breakup.

In the documentary, Affleck reflected on their reunion, saying, “Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media.’ Then I realized it’s not fair to ask that. It’s like marrying a boat captain and saying, ‘I don’t want the water.’ We’re just two people with different approaches, trying to learn to compromise.”

Jennifer added, “I don’t think he is comfortable with me doing this, but he loves me and knows I’m an artist… and he doesn’t want to stop me.” Sources close to the couple deny that her thirst for publicity led to the end of the marriage, pointing to deeper issues instead.

However, a friend noted, “What happened between their first engagement and this new marriage was social media, and it has had a huge impact on her. JLo’s social presence has been a steady stream of fans loving her, and she cannot give it up. She loves him, but she also loves this world of fame and attention.”

There were certainly public dramas. Affleck was caught looking morose and bored at the Grammys in 2023, with JLo urging him to appear more “friendly” and “motivated.” In January, they were seen in an apparent argument outside a jewelry shop in St. Barts, with Affleck gesturing angrily. A week later, JLo reassured reporters at the Golden Globes, saying, “You don’t need to worry about Ben. He is good. He is happy.” But by June, it was clear that this was no longer true.

The couple first met on the set of the romantic comedy *Gigli* in 2001. They were seen kissing the next year, and JLo filed for divorce from her second husband, Cris Judd, after just ten months of marriage.

Affleck proposed in November 2002 with a huge pink diamond ring, but they called off the wedding in 2003, just days before the ceremony. They split for good the following year, with Affleck reportedly hating the attention their romance attracted.

There were rumors of Affleck partying with dancers in 2003, and in January 2004, he and Matt Damon were spotted with female fans at a Berlin nightclub. He later married actress Jennifer Garner, while JLo quickly married singer Marc Anthony. Both had children with their new spouses.

Affleck, whose father struggled with alcoholism, claimed to have quit drinking in 1998 but checked into rehab for alcohol abuse three years later. He and Garner divorced in 2015 after she grew tired of his gambling and drinking. In 2018, Garner took him to rehab after showing up at his home with a Bible and a lawyer.

Concerns have been raised about Affleck’s sobriety during his two-year marriage to Lopez. At the *Shotgun Wedding* premiere in December 2022, JLo was seen asking him what was in his glass and then sipped from it to check it wasn’t alcohol. Affleck’s representatives have not responded to inquiries on the topic.

JLo, for the record, barely drinks alcohol, although she does own a drinks company, Delola, which she founded before rekindling her romance with Affleck.

Though there are no suggestions of current womanizing, Affleck has had a reputation as a ladies’ man. He was rumored to have had an affair with his children’s nanny, which he denied, and in 2017, he was accused of groping a woman on set in 2003. He later apologized, admitting, “I acted inappropriately.”

In 2021, Jennifer ended her engagement to baseball star Alex Rodriguez after rumors of his involvement with another woman. Affleck, also single, began pursuing her again. They married in Las Vegas and had a second extravagant wedding at his Georgia estate.

Lopez believed this time would be different.

“We’re older now, we’re smarter, we have more experience, we’re at different places in our lives, we have kids now and we have to be very conscious of those things,” she said. “It’s a beautiful outcome that this has happened in this way at this time in our lives where we can really appreciate and celebrate each other and respect each other.”

Unfortunately, after just two years, there is little left to celebrate.