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jennifer lopez and ben affleck red carpet© Christopher Polk/Golden Globes 2

Jennifer Lopez reveals reason for Ben Affleck divorce

JLo listed their date of separation as April 26, 2024

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
August 23, 2024
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Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck this week after months of speculation that their two-year marriage was over.

While she listed their date of separation as April 26, she waited until the second anniversary of their Georgia wedding to file the papers.

Jennifer reportedly filed the divorce papers herself in LA County Superior Court on Tuesday without an attorney present.

According to the court documents, she cited the reason for her and Ben's split as "irreconcilable differences", reports Page Six.

The documents also state that Jennifer requested that neither she, nor Ben, be awarded spousal support.

According to TMZ, the former couple do not have a prenuptial agreement, meaning their individual earnings from the past two years could be considered community property during the divorce proceedings.

Ben Affleck, wearing Gucci, and Jennifer Lopez, wearing Gucci, attend the 2023 LACMA Art+Film Gala, Presented By Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for LACMA)© Getty
Jennifer cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for their split

It was claimed earlier this week that Jennifer reportedly asked in the divorce filing that 'Affleck' be dropped from her surname.

This would mean her legal name would change from Jennifer Lynn Affleck to Jennifer Lynn Lopez, after she took Ben's last name following their Las Vegas wedding in July 2022.

In a previous interview with Vogue, Jennifer called taking Ben's surname "romantic" and "traditional".

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attend the Ralph Lauren SS23 Runway Show at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens on October 13, 2022 in San Marino, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)© Getty Images
Jennifer has asked neither she nor Ben receive spousal support

"People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we're joined together," she told the publication in November 2022.

"We're husband and wife. I'm proud of that. I don't think that's a problem," she added.

In the same interview, the "Jenny from the Block" singer admitted that she and Ben never entertained the idea of him taking her last name instead.

ben affleck jennifer lopez mother la premiere 2023© Getty Images
Jennifer wants to legally drop 'Affleck' from her surname

"It doesn't have any romance to it," she stated. "It feels like it's a power move, you know what I mean? I'm very much in control of my own life and destiny and feel empowered as a woman and as a person," she added.

"I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that's OK, too. But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it's romantic. It still carries tradition and romance to me, and maybe I'm just that kind of girl."   

   
jennifer lopez ben affleck wedding© Jennifer Lopez
Ben and Jen first married in Las Vegas

Jennifer and Ben, affectionately known as 'Bennifer,' first captured the public's imagination in the early 2000s.

Their whirlwind romance began in 2002, and they quickly became one of the most talked-about couples in Hollywood.

Ben Affleck and fiancee Jennifer Lopez, wearing Harry Winston jewelry, attends the 75th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on March 23, 2003 in Hollywood, California.  (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)© Getty Images
The couple dated in the early 2000's

Their first engagement, however, ended in 2004, leaving fans heartbroken. In a twist worthy of a Hollywood script, the pair reconnected in 2021, nearly two decades after their initial split.

After a short three-month engagement, the couple surprised fans by announcing they had tied the knot in a low-key Las Vegas wedding at the Little White Chapel on July 16, 2022.

ben affleck and jennifer lopez wedding© Jennifer Lopez
They had a bigger wedding in Georgia

They then hosted a more lavish, three-day wedding party at Ben's estate in Georgia on August 20, 2022.

Speaking of her wedding day, which took place 18 years after they called off their first engagement, the Marry Me actress wrote in her On the JLo newsletter: "Some old wounds were healed that day and the weight of the past finally lifted off our shoulders. Full-circle — and not at all the way we planned it. Better."

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