Nearly 20 years after calling off their first engagement, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's relationship is on the rocks again. The Hollywood power couple, who officially tied the knot in the summer of 2022 after reigniting their romance, has reportedly decided to take "some space to work out whether or not the relationship is right for both of them," with Affleck recently moving out of their $60 million Beverly Hills mansion to stay at a rental in Brentwood. Now, RadarOnline.com is looking at how things went so wrong for the couple in just 22 months.
According to a source close to Lopez, things between the Shotgun Wedding actress and Affleck began coming to a head a few months ago. "Jennifer had started ramping up her work commitments and prepping for her tour," an insider told Us Magazine. "She's very focused on work and overextends herself.”
Lopez is set to kick off her 30-date This Is Me…Now Tour on June 26 in Florida. The source said Affleck “doesn’t agree with Jennifer’s lifestyle” and has felt “worn down” by the marriage. “He’s been checked out,” the insider said, noting that the pair are on “two completely different pages most of the time. The honeymoon phase has worn off.”
A second Lopez source said the couple’s work commitments have also caused friction at home. “Both have demanding careers that often require them to be in different cities,” the source explained. Lopez was recently in NYC filming the upcoming musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, while Affleck, who’s started shooting The Accountant 2, stayed in L.A. The scheduling, the source said, “highlighted the emotional and physical distance between them.”
Communication is an additional source of contention. “Over time, Jennifer and Ben found it increasingly difficult to communicate effectively,” explained the source, “and small misunderstandings grew into significant arguments.” The source said Lopez prefers to talk things out when conflicts arise, while Affleck tends to withdraw. “They have fundamentally different approaches to conflict.”
There are basic personality clashes as well. Lopez is known for being an open book, sharing intimate details of her life with her fans in interviews and via social media. She reflected on her past relationships — and her reunion with Affleck — in February’s $20 million self-financed musical film, This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, and its accompanying documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
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In the doc, Affleck himself mused on their differences, saying, “Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media. Then I sort of realized it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain, and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water,’” he said. “[We are] two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise.”
The source close to the couple said that rumors of Lopez being high-maintenance are inaccurate, adding that the pair’s issues are “complex.” The second Lopez source said disagreements over things like finances and parenting “have exacerbated” their issues.
Lopez shares twins Emme and Max, 16, with ex Marc Anthony; Affleck shares Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and 12-year-old Samuel with ex Jennifer Garner.
