It was the news we all saw coming – it was just a matter of when, not if, they pulled the plug. But still, Jennifer Lopez’s decision to file for divorce from Ben Affleck last week, poignantly choosing the second anniversary of their lavish Georgia wedding ceremony to do the deed, still hit deep. After all, it was only in 2021 that they’d made all our Hollywood fairytale dreams come true, reuniting against the odds after 17 years apart. The warning signs that it wasn’t such a happy ever after have been growing apace ever since, reaching boiling point over the past few months, with insiders confirming they were living separate lives; and yet, we still wanted to believe they’d somehow make it through.

Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be, and – according to sources – both Jen, 55, and Ben, 52, are resolved to that fact. Indeed, while it was Jen who ultimately pulled the trigger, we’re told it was Ben who checked out of the romance first; and though Jen fought hard for a while to repair the wounds, even cancelling her summer world tour in a bid to focus on her family, she simply couldn’t turn things around. They may have kept up appearances after they first severed ties in April, but now, it’s clear to both of them that there’s no going back. 

Still, our insider tells us that the matter of what’s next for the pair is contentious. While Jen, as ever, is explicitly aware that the world’s eyes are watching right now and is therefore determined to do things as picture-perfect and uncontroversial as possible, we’re told that Ben isn’t feeling so worried about the opinions of others, especially when it comes to his love life. His soon to be ex-wife may be urging him to show restraint, but – apparently – the actor is hurling himself full-force into the dating pool and is keen to see what else is out there in the world of online dating and hobnobbing among showbiz’s most eligible bachelorettes. And, needless to say, Jen is outraged by his would-be friskiness.

“Ben always said he wouldn’t date again until they were officially divorced, but there are plenty of women interested in him,” says an insider close to the estranged couple, who didn’t sign a pre-nup when they first eloped to Las Vegas in July 2022 to say “I do”, before doubling down on their love with a second wedding the following month. “He’s feeling really confident and is raring to get out there and live his life again and prove that he’s still got it. Jen is well aware that Ben’s name is being talked about as a new, eligible bachelor on the Hollywood scene, and she’s steaming mad. She wants him to keep his promise and play nice while they figure out the logistics. It’s a delicate process that requires level-headed communication and respect being shown on both sides, so the idea that he’s out there trying to sow his wild oats again is beyond the pale, and way out of line, as far as she’s concerned.”

Like any massively successful couple, there are obviously monetary logistics to sort out – including the sale of their $60m LA mansion, which is currently on the market. But more than that, since reuniting, both Ben and Jen have formed close relationships with each other’s children and have become interwoven into each other’s lives and careers. Extricating themselves from that as delicately as possible takes time, especially with the world watching, which is why – we’re told – Jen is desperate for them to focus on the split, and not get sidelined by dating other people. But Ben is apparently not listening to her words of warning; as far as he’s concerned, he’s waited long enough – ever since they officially separated on 26 April (as confirmed in Jen’s divorce filing). Having made several photocalls with Jen to stave off the scrutiny – including the last time they were seen together in public, amicably kissing on the cheek at his son’s basketball game in June – he now considers himself a free agent, single and ready to mingle. 

“Ben’s not fussed about Jen’s anger, and the more fuss she creates and stamps her feet, the more he’s convinced they’ve made the right choice to split,” we’re told. “At the end of the day, he’s not going to live out his life like a monk, and he’s in the best shape of his life right now, physically and mentally. Ben’s priorities are taking care of his family and himself, wrapping up his divorce, and then looking forward to the future. He’s trying to play nice with Jen and be cordial, which is why he’s going to try his best not to rub anything in her face, but he’s raring to get out there.”

Finally, the former couple, who first got together in 2000 and married four years later, squared off in court, with Kevin, 69, lamenting that “This is a horrible place to be” and later telling the judge that he couldn’t keep up with Christine’s “inflated” demands. Despite winning his bid to pay a lower monthly allowance of $63k, Kevin eventually came to a private deal with his ex, which they later said was “amicable and mutually agreed”. In December, the actor was linked to Jewel, after he was pictured cosying up to her on Richard Branson’s private Necker Island, but he’s since rubbished those claims, saying in an interview in June, “We don’t have a romance and we’ve not dated. She’s beautiful and smart enough for all those things, it just has never happened for us.” But while the actor has been focused on directing, co-writing, producing and starring in his  Western franchise, Horizon: An American Saga – a four-part series that he’s ostensibly poured all his money and creative energy to – insiders say he’s craving companionship. And this time, he wants to meet his match, financially, as well as emotionally. 

As news of Bennifer’s divorce went public last week, Ben was pictured without his wedding ring – just one day after he was seen landing back in LA with his first ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, after dropping their daughter, Violet, 18, off to begin her studies at Yale University in Conneticut. The former couple, who are also parents to Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, have been spending time together with their kids – having previously reunited at a “small birthday celebration” for Ben at his LA home the week prior. Notably, J-Lo also “stopped by” the event, but all evidence suggests that she and Ben won’t be able to sustain the kind of friendship he has with the mother of his kids, nor that she has with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, with whom she shares twins Max and Emme, 16. 

But while close friendship is probably a no-go, the question still remains as to whether Ben and Jen will be able to keep things civil moving forwards – and that all hinges, we’re told, on how Ben behaves. If he holds back and doesn’t immediately sign up to Raya, while flaunting his revived love life in front of Jen and the world, the odds are they’ll be able to keep things pleasant. But if he doesn’t, it’s safe to say it will be all out war. 

“Ben is on notice from Jen that if his goes back onto the dating apps immediately or goes too far down the path of chasing tail, then the gloves will come off and he won’t know what’s hit him,” says our source. “Even if all she can do is warn everyone that he should come with a health warning because of the way he messed with her head. There’s a big part of her that feels like if she can’t have him, then no one should.”