Ben Affleck has spoken publicly for the first time about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, which happened just two years after they got married.
The couple, famously called “Bennifer” in the early 2000s, had a short-lived romance that led to an engagement before they broke up and moved on with their lives. Nearly 20 years later, they found their way back to each other and had a surprise wedding in Las Vegas in 2022. Fans were thrilled, believing their love story had finally come full circle.
But things didn’t go as planned. By early 2024, rumors started spreading that their marriage was in trouble. Speculation grew that a separation was inevitable.
By August, Lopez officially filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The couple had already been living apart for some time. While their busy schedules could explain why they weren’t seen together often, many had already guessed their relationship was ending.
Neither Affleck nor Lopez had publicly shared much about their split—until now. In a recent interview with GQ, Affleck finally opened up.
When asked about his last conversation with Lopez, the 52-year-old actor said, “I hope I was clear about how much I respect her. People may try to analyze our different views on public and private life, but I don’t want it to come across as negative. I have nothing but respect.”
He continued, “People often try to find a big reason for breakups, but the truth is much simpler than they think.”
Later in the interview, Affleck admitted that the situation had been “embarrassing.”
“There’s no scandal, no drama. If you ask what happened, there isn’t a single big event,” he explained. “It’s just two people trying to figure things out, like anyone else. As you get older, you realize relationships don’t always have clear answers.”
In an October 2024 interview, Lopez compared the end of their marriage to a house burning down.
“When everything falls apart, you ask yourself, ‘How do I make sure this never happens again?’” she said. “Then you start looking at what went wrong, what you ignored, and what lessons you need to learn.”