Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's second act — billed "Bennifer 2.0" — has been a rollercoaster ride from the start, and this week, it officially came to an end with Lopez filing for divorce from the Massachusetts-raised actor.
Lopez filed the papers in Los Angeles on Tuesday, confirming rumors that have swirled for months that the couple was on the cusp of a breakup. The divorce filing revealed that they have been separated since April, according to media reports.
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The divorce came after two years of marriage for Affleck and Lopez, who wed in a small ceremony at a Las Vegas wedding chapel shortly after midnight in July 2022. They hosted a larger ceremony at Affleck's Georgia home the following month, exactly two years prior to Lopez's divorce filing.
Affleck, who was born in California but raised in Massachusetts, was previously married to Jennifer Garner, whom he has three children with. Garner and Affleck were married from 2005 until their divorce in 2018.
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Lopez has had three other marriages. She's had two broken engagements, as well — one with former MLB player Alex Rodriguez in 2021, and a prior engagement with Affleck that was called off in 2004.
Affleck and Lopez do not share any children together.
Media outlets and the public have speculated for months that there was trouble for the couple — between ring-less paparazzi shots, real estate re-shuffling and photos where the couple looks less than pleased with each other.
The two have kept busy professionally throughout their second go around. They even starred in two SuperBowl Dunkin' commercials, the first of which was shot at a Medford Dunkin' location where Affleck himself was serving customers at the drive-thru. Lopez drives up as the commercial concludes, seeming annoyed and asking if this is what her husband means when he says "he goes to work all day."
The follow up advertisement debuted during the 2024 SuperBowl, and featured Affleck showing up to Lopez's studio session decked out in a "DunKing" outfit alongside fellow Massachusetts legends Tom Brady and Matt Damon.
Another Massachusetts native, "The Office" star Mindy Kaling, gave Affleck a shout-out at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, encouraging him to "Hang in there!"
Meanwhile Lopez's ex, Rodriguez, seemed to hint at the situation on his Instagram story the day the divorce was filed, writing, “You either go one way or the other, you might as well be the one deciding the direction.”
It seems to have been a tough year for Lopez professionally, as well.
Her first studio album in 10 years, released in February, did not fare well on the charts, and its supporting tour was canceled. Titled "This Is Me... Now," the album was almost entirely about her romance with Affleck, including songs that reference their relationship like "Midnight Trip to Vegas" and "Greatest Love Story Never Told."
It was a follow up to her 2002 blockbuster release, "This Is Me... Then," which spawned mega hits like "Jenny From the Block" and "All I Have" amid her first relationship with Affleck.
Her 2024 release coincided with a documentary about her love story, which received mixed reviews. In the film, Variety reported at the time of its release that Lopez's friend, Jane Fonda, expressed concerns over the optics of her and Affleck's marriage.
"Like, it feels too much like you’re trying to prove something instead of just living it. You know, every other photograph is the two of you kissing and the two of you hugging," she told Lopez.
Affleck was back in New England this week, seen moving his daughter into Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, for her freshman year of college.
