J.Lo Says Affleck Divorce Was ‘Best Thing’ That Happened to Her
The “Let’s Get Loud” singer said that her divorce helped her grow and become more “self-aware.”
Singer Jennifer Lopez revealed that divorcing her husband Ben Affleck was the “best thing” that happened to her.
The “On the Floor” singer discussed her split from her ex-husband with CBS News’ correspondent Lee Cowan on Sunday Morning. Cowan brought up how Lopez’s newest project, musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, was executively produced and funded by Affleck.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had a high-profile relationship as the it couple of the early 2000s.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
“I will always give him that credit,” Lopez said. “I told him that this was the role I was born to play and I wanted to do it, and he’s like okay, and he helped make it happen.”
Making the film became a “refuge” for Lopez, who was dealing with the break-up at the same time.
The pair, who endured a high-profile on-again off-again relationship, were engaged two separate times before finally tying the knot in July 2022. Lopez, 56, filed for divorce in August 2024, and their divorce was settled in the same month as Lopez’s musical Sundance premiere.
“It was a really tough time,” she recalled. “Every moment on set, every moment I was doing this role, I was so happy. And then, it was like, back home it was not great. And it was just like, ‘Oh, you know, how do I reconcile this?’”
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Despite the hardships, the Selena star has reflected on how the separation has helped her grow.
“But you get through it, and you know, honestly, I have to say, it was the best thing to ever happen to me,” she said. “It helped me grow in a way that I needed to grow, become more self-aware. I’m a different person now than I was last year, I think, a year and a half ago.”
Lopez and Affleck, 53, famously became “Bennifer,” after they started dating in the early 2000s. After they first got engaged in 2002, the pair separated. Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner in 2005, but the pair divorced in 2018. Lopez married singer Marc Anthony in 2004 and later separated in 2014.
Jennifer Lopez has been candid about her growth since splitting from her ex husband.
Xavi Torrent/Xavi Torrent/Redferns/Getty Images
Despite the rekindling and re-separation, Lopez shared her newfound peace.
“This summer was probably the best summer I’ve ever had, I had so much fun, I’m able to enjoy things more. I’m so grateful for them I’m able to enjoy them more,” Lopez reflected.
“Does it feel like you’re flying now?” Cowan asked.
“Yes. It does. It does,” she replied. “And I still feel like I want to fly higher. I want to see more. I want to do more things.”
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