Jennifer Lopez breaks silence amid Ben Affleck divorce: ‘In bloom and unbothered’

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Published Sep 02, 2024  •  4 minute read

Jennifer Lopez strikes a pose. Photo by Jennifer Lopez /Instagram

Jennifer Lopez has broken her silence after filing for divorce from her estranged husband Ben Affleck.

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In a series of photos shared to her Instagram page, the pop star and actress gave fans a peek at how she spent her summer vacation. The carousel post included photos of JLo licking an ice cream cone, striking a pose in a pair of slim-cut black jeans, modelling a backless swimsuit, and showing off a selfie in a T-shirt that read “dream.”

But the photos didn’t stop there: one slide featured a woman wearing a T-shirt with the message, “She’s in bloom and unbothered out of reach and at peace,” while another message read, “Everything is unfolding in divine order.” 

She also showed one of her two children — she shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex-husband Marc Anthony — smiling at the family cat, posed with her sister Lynda, gave a glimpse of her bubble bath routine, and posted a glam look, in which she paired a red leather purse and heels alongside a cream dress and slicked back hair.

“Oh, it was a summer,” Lopez, 55, captioned the photos, which were liked by more than 1.5 million people.

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Lopez’s photos generated hundreds of supportive comments with Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale dropping a string of heart emojis onto her post.

“Can’t wait to see you back where you belong: On stage and on top of the world,” one fan wrote, with another suggesting, “I think the T-shirt quote has to be the title of your next album!!! ‘She’s in Bloom, Unbothered, Out of Reach and at Peace.’ Amazing.”

After months of speculation over the status of their relationship, Lopez cited “irreconcilable differences” when she filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on Aug. 20 — which was two years to the day that the pair married. TMZ reported further that Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024. The website added that she did not mention any prenuptial agreement.

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“The timing of the divorce was a big f— you to Ben,” a source told Us Weekly .

Describing the deterioration of their relationship in recent months, an insider told PEOPLE that the Oscar-winning actor/director would go from “being incredibly happy and warm” to “the deepest, darkest behaviour.”

“It’s really hit her hard,” a source told PEOPLE of Lopez’s reaction to the pair’s split. “She’s very upset and disappointed with Ben.”

In the lead-up to their split, the couple had been living apart and were only photographed a handful of times since March.

One person close to the couple told PEOPLE in May that the two buckled under the intense media scrutiny surrounding their high-profile marriage.

“They just have very different approaches when it comes to media attention. Ben hates all attention and it makes him very uncomfortable. Jennifer has always had a different approach,” the source told the website.

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A second person told the publication that while Affleck was appreciative of his wife’s success, he didn’t embrace her need to share intimate details from their life together.

“Even though he admires that about her, it doesn’t make him happy and causes stress in his life and then in hers. There is no question their different styles clash,” they said at the time.

In July, the pair listed their palatial Beverly Hills mansion for sale — just over a month after reports emerged that the couple were preparing to unload the property.

With Affleck already plunking down $20 million on a new mansion, Lopez isn’t comfortable living in the home they bought together last year for $60,805,000. According to a PEOPLE source, “She and Ben bought the house for the whole family. It’s way too big for her and filled with too many memories as well.”

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The twosome started dating in the early aughts and were engaged in 2002. Dubbed “Bennifer,” the pair’s romance was tabloid fodder highlighted by glitzy movie premieres and a 6.1 carat, pink diamond engagement ring. But the couple called off their wedding at the last-minute in 2003 and ended their relationship a few months later, with each finding love with new partners.

Lopez went on to have twins with singer Marc Anthony, while Affleck went on to father three children with actress Jennifer Garner. Both unions ended in divorce.

After almost 20 years apart, the two rekindled their romance in 2021 after Lopez broke off her engagement with retired baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez.

But a source told Us Weekly last month that it was their incompatibility that ultimately led to their separation.

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“It was more and more apparent they weren’t a good match,” the confidante said, revealing that the two tried to “make it work” by going to therapy. “It boiled down to (the fact that) they are two different people.”

Despite reports they had tried couples therapy, Lopez “was done waiting” for things to work out, another person with ties to the couple told PEOPLE.

“She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken,” they said of the split.

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