Two years ago, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were at the height of their fairytale reunion romance, and more in love than ever. 20 years after the couple first got engaged – a betrothal they would call off two years later – the pair had reunited, and officially tied the knot in Las Vegas on 16 July.
But fast forward 24 months, and all memories of the love-drenched summer of 2022 are gone. For months, the couple have been plagued by divorce rumours, and while neither J Lo, 54, or Ben, 51, have officially commented, new reports have claimed that the pair have been over since March. They haven’t been seen together publicly since the end of June.

When reports of the couple’s rumoured split first emerged in the spring, many were sceptical. After all, Jennifer had spent February promoting her poorly received (and self-funded) romantic musical film This Is Me… Now, which centred on the ‘Jenny From The Block’ singer’s love of all things, well, love. 

But in the months since, the couple have barely been seen together, and the rumours ramped up. Fans noticed that Ben wasn’t by Jennifer’s side at the Met Gala in May, despite Jennifer being one of the fashion event’s chairs, or at the premiere of her Netflix film Atlas. Then, when Jennifer shared that she was cancelling her tour This Is Me… Live, in order ‘to be with her children, family and close friends’, it felt like a further clue. ‘Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary,’ she said.

And last month, the split was all but confirmed as the couple quietly put their £47m Beverly Hills mansion, which they bought in 2023, on the market. Initially, the pair hoped the sale attempt would go unnoticed, but the desperation to sell has clearly reached new levels, as the house was put up for public purchase last week. It suggests the pair are less desperate to hide the end of their marriage now; reports have claimed that Ben was ‘never happy’ at the spacious California property and is in a ‘rush’ to get rid of it.

With so many hints dropped, many have questioned why the pair are yet to comment and why it’s taken them so long to confirm one way or another. The anniversary of both their intimate wedding in Vegas, and their subsequent three-day blow-out ceremony in Georgia, will likely be playing a role.

Insiders also tell Grazia that there are ‘many loose ends to tie up’ for the pair, and that the legal situation is stretching the process out. An insider tells Grazia, ‘The situation is heartbreaking for all those involved. This week will mark the two-year anniversary of their wedding. For Jennifer it feels sad that she’s likely to be spending it hashing out a legal compromise with lawyers. The priority is to do this as amicably and seamlessly as possible.’

Behind the scenes, Jennifer and Ben, who have a blended family with their five kids from previous relationships, are trying to keep a relatively low profile while they figure things out. The couple have largely continued wearing their wedding rings, with Jennifer most notably sporting hers last month on her solo trip to Italy.

It’s been important for the pair that things remain as normal for their children as they can. Last week, as Ben was seen riding a motorbike in Los Angeles, Jennifer was seen arm in arm with his daughter Violet, 18, in the Hamptons. Ben also shares Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 12, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, while J Lo has twins Max and Emme, 14, with ex-Marc Anthony.

For Jennifer and Ben, ‘damage control’ has been the priority until the practicalities of divorce are ironed out and the pair are ready to go public with the split to ‘make sure the kids are as unimpacted as possible’. ‘The fact it’s taking so long has them both very stressed,’ the insider says. ‘The sooner it’s resolved and they can both move on, the better.’