Hollywood sweethearts Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck finally got married two years ago, only to call the whole thing off.
News broke this week that “The Wedding Planner” star had filed for divorce from her husband, to whom she was engaged in 2002 but did not marry until 20 years later. The two actors have a well-documented romantic history, especially their breakup decades ago before they each got married to different people—Lopez to singer Marc Anthony and Affleck to actress Jennifer Garner.
But on Tuesday August 20, Lopez submitted a request for divorce in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. The move was made two years to the day from their wedding in Georgia. But the news was not a complete shock, as the public has speculated there might be a split for the past several months.
In June, sources revealed that Lopez was residing in a $60 million mansion in Beverly Hills and her husband in a nearby rental spot. They were reportedly trying to sell the home, after he began “moving out a while ago,” one source said at the time. The same informant revealed that “Jennifer is heartbroken” but the marriage “is completely over.”
Affleck was reportedly focusing on his work, including roles in acting, producing, and directing with his business, Artists Equity. 20 years after meeting on the set of “Gigli,” the couple got married in an “intimate” Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022. At the time, Lopez described it as “the best possible wedding.”
In August, a backyard wedding ceremony was hosted for friends and family to attend. This took place at a Georgia mansion worth $8 million, which was bought by Affleck two decades ago, when they first dated. But the sparks and vows were apparently not enough motivation to sustain the commitment.
Lopez has two kids, twins Max and Emme, whom she shares with Marc Anthony, and Affleck had three kids, Violet, Seraphina, and Sam, with Garner. The couple had no children together, but their kids from previous marriages were standing by them two years ago when they said their vows.
The two actors were reportedly in love at the beginning of the century, meeting on set and getting engaged in 2002. Their original wedding date of September 2003 was postponed until they ended up calling it quits in early 2004. Affleck, who proposed to Garner in 2005, said he was in love with her since 2002—when he was engaged to Lopez.
In 2016, after having three children together, the “Good Will Hunting” star parted ways with his wife. Their divorce was finalized in 2018. Lopez, for her part, has been in and out of multiple marriages. From 1997 to 1998, she was with Ojani Noa. A few years later, from 2001 to 2003—overlapping with her engagement to Affleck—she was married to Cris Judd, a backup dancer.
Her marriage before Affleck was to Anthony in 2004, but they also split in 2016, after having twins in 2008.
