Bennifer 2.0 has ended. On Tuesday, Jennifer Lopez officially filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, just two years after tying the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022, Rolling Stone can confirm.
The filing was made at the L.A. County Superior Court and done pro per, or without an attorney. The new filing also lists their date of separation as April 26 earlier this year. The date of the divorce filing falls exactly on the second anniversary of their traditional wedding ceremony on Aug. 20, 2022.
Nearly two decades after Bennifer became arguably the hottest couple in Hollywood before their year-long romance and engagement crashed out in the aftermath of Gigli, Affleck and Lopez — now divorced from their post-Bennifer rebounds, Jennifer Garner and Marc Anthony, respectively — reunited in 2021 and, following another year-long courtship, married in July 2022.
Bennifer 2.0 wed at a Las Vegas wedding chapel before having a more blown-out affair the next month in Georgia; at that wedding ceremony, Lopez performed a fully choreographed dance to a new song celebrating their union.
Lopez briefly mentioned her renewed relationship with Affleck — which she referred to as “having a second chance at real love” — in a Rolling Stone cover story. “We’ve both grown. We’re the same, and we’re different. And that’s what’s nice,” she said. “We learned a lot. We know what’s real, what’s not real. So it’s just — the game has changed.”
The marriage jumpstarted Lopez creatively, as she released the album This Is Me… Now with an accompanying film this past February, followed closely by an over-the-top documentary with the now-regrettable title, The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
Lopez explained that there was a sense of hesitancy within her team around including her relationship with Affleck in the narrative of the releases. “As artists, we have to follow our heart,” she said. “And this is me following my heart and doing something that maybe everybody didn’t think was the best idea, but I had to do it.” Songs included “Midnight Trip to Vegas,” about the Sin City nuptials, and “Dear Ben, Pt. II,” a sequel to her Affleck-inspired “Dear Ben” from her 2002 LP This Is Me… Then.
Less than a year after marrying, rumors of the pair’s impending break-up emerged, spurred by speculation that Affleck had moved out of the couple’s home and was back living on his own in Los Angeles. Lopez, meanwhile, was busy with her own film (including the release of the Netflix sci-fi flick Atlas) and music obligations, including prepping for her upcoming tour.
However, in a move that further stoked the divorce rumors, Lopez canceled the entirety of her This Is Me… Live tour on May 31, less than a month before it was set to embark. “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family, and close friends,” a Live Nation rep said of the canceled trek, denying that the nixed tour had anything to do with the reported low ticket sales that previously resulted in the quiet cancelation of seven shows.
Lopez added in her own statement to fans: “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down. Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time…”
From Rolling Stone US
