Jennifer Lopez has opened up about how she handled discussing her separation from Ben Affleck with her twins, Emme and Max.
Discussing a divorce is undoubtedly a challenging topic, especially when it involves children, making it essential to approach the conversation with sensitivity.
In August of the previous year, news surfaced that Lopez and Affleck were heading towards divorce two years after their marriage.
Lopez mentioned their separation date as April 26, 2024. Both she and Affleck have remained private about the specifics of their relationship in recent months.
She filed for divorce at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’.
Both Lopez and Affleck have participated in interviews recently where the topic of their divorce was brought up.
In a recent discussion, Lopez explained how she shared the news of the breakup with her children, Emme and Max, whom she shares with Marc Anthony.
She told El País: “I had a really tough year. Unexpected things happened. And so, I read a lot of books. I did a lot of self-introspection.
“I did meditation. I prayed a lot. I wanted to improve my relationship with God. I wanted to kind of really solidify the family unit that is me and my two children, my twins.”
Lopez expressed: “I said, ‘I promise you, this is a difficult time, but you’re going to see that I’ll come out the other side stronger and better’. I promised them that and I did it.
“And they feel it now. That gives me a great sense of peace in my life.”
Following the divorce, Lopez has been concentrating on enhancing both her own wellbeing and that of her family.
She further explained to El País: “I read a lot of books on childhood, marriage, relationships, different styles of love, the brain, science … And over the years, I’ve done individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy. I’ve had everything, I’m always kind of searching.
“I think it’s all about learning about yourself. It’s all about knowing yourself. You have to be ready for that. And you have to want it. And, even when you want it, it’s hard to change certain things. But you can.”
Despite the complexities that come with divorce, Lopez remains optimistic.
“Everybody goes through hard times in their life. And it’s what you do in those moments that really does define you,” the singer reflected.
“Not the relationship, not the man: what defines you is what you’re doing with the experiences that you’re faced with. I take those experiences — whether they’re good or bad — and I bind them.”
Affleck previously admitted feeling ‘embarrassed’ about discussing the issues he and Lopez faced, noting that it ‘feels vulnerable’.
The couple initially met in 2002 while filming the movie Gigli, which was released the following year.
By November of that year, Lopez and Affleck were engaged after meeting in March.
Lopez described Affleck during their engagement as ‘brilliantly smart … loving. Charming. Affectionate’.
The two were deeply in love.
They decided to call off their wedding initially, eventually separating in early 2004.
Lopez’s spokesperson at the time stated: “Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck. At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.
“I am not going to confirm anything about his personal life. We don’t want to get dragged into quicksand. Everybody wants a war. It’s not happening from our side.”
Maintaining contact over the years, the pair rekindled their relationship in April 2021 and went public with their romance on Instagram in July of that year.
Three months after re-engagement, Lopez and Affleck married at a private Las Vegas ceremony.
“It’s a beautiful outcome that this has happened in this way at this time in our lives where we can really appreciate and celebrate each other and respect each other,” Lopez remarked.
After two years of marriage, Lopez filed for divorce in August of the prior year, which was finalized in January 2025.
“She tried really hard to make things work, and is heartbroken,” a source close to Lopez told People.