Jennifer Lopez has opened up about the advice she says helped her move on after her divorce from Ben Affleck, which she filed in August 2024 and that was finalized in January 2025.
Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship in 2021, nearly 20 years after their first high-profile split, prompting huge interest from fans when they reunited.
The pair married in Las Vegas in July 2022 before later holding a second, more elaborate celebration in Georgia with loved ones.
The marriage, however, came to an end two years later. Their divorce was finalized on January 6, 2025, though the two have seemingly stayed amicable, with Affleck later showing support for Lopez at the premiere of Kiss of the Spider-Woman in October 2025.
Discussing that chapter of her life on the SmartLess podcast with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, Lopez reflected on how much she has changed.
The 56-year-old appeared on the podcast while promoting her Netflix comedy Office Romance, which premiered on the streamer on June 5, 2026, but the conversation also turned to her personal life.
“I really got to know myself. And the person I am today is so different than the person I was even two years ago,” she said.
Lopez also shared the blunt advice she says she gave herself after the split.
“And after my last divorce, I just sat there and I was like, I canceled my tour and I sat there and I was just like, ‘You need to f****g figure yourself out. What is going on with you?”
She said that inner conversation also involved taking responsibility.
“Forget about everybody else. There’s nobody to blame here except yourself, in a certain way.'”
As she continued reflecting on the last several years of her life, Lopez explained how turbulent the period had been and how it ultimately pushed her toward healing.
“I’m also staring down, what is my life now? The past 20 years, it’s been one thing, the past five years has been a tumult, and then the last two years has been kind of the healing process from that tumult where I really got to know myself,” she added, as she continued to reflect.
Her comments come after she called off her 2024 tour, a decision that followed months of intense speculation about trouble in her marriage.
In a message sent to fans through her newsletter, Lopez wrote:
“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…”
At the time, Live Nation representatives also addressed the cancellation.
“Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends.”