There were two notable dates in Jennifer Lopez’s calendar for the month of July. First, it was the anniversary of her wedding to Ben Affleck, which fell on July 16th, marking two years since they tied the knot during a surprise ceremony in Las Vegas. Then, it was Lopez’s 55th birthday on the 24th July. To celebrate, the singer hosted a lavish Bridgerton-themed birthday party in the Hamptons where she was surrounded by friends and family, including her mother Guadalupe Rodríguez. For both of these significant life events, however, there was one notable attendee missing: her husband.

The couple, who picked their romance back up in 2021 after ending their first engagement in 2004, has been living on opposite sides of the country for some weeks now – and hasn’t been photographed together since June 12th. Whilst Lopez has been regularly photographed in the Hamptons this summer, often seen solemnly riding her bike, Affleck, 51, has been living some 3000 miles away in Los Angeles, indeed on the weekend of Lopez’s birthday party he was photographed without his wedding ring.

The couple, whose marital status has been the subject of much speculation since divorce rumours first broke in May, are now living separate lives. In fact, it was reported last week that Affleck has now bought his own $20.5 million home in the Pacific Palisades area of LA, just weeks after it was reported he had moved all of his belongings out of their marital Beverly Hills mansion which is now being sold. By all accounts, that these two have called it quits has been said to have been a done deal for some time – with notable gossip column Page Six claiming last month that the couple had actually decided to split as far back as March.

So, if Affleck and Lopez are seemingly living on opposite sides of the country, and choosing not to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries as a couple, why has there been no statement from either of them about divorce proceedings? Grazia’s source says there are many elements at play here, one of the most important being their blended family. Affleck has three children — Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 — with Jennifer Garner, while Lopez is mum to 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Lopez is said to be committed to remaining close with Affleck’s children, indeed she was spotted with Violet two weeks ago, as they spent time together in the Hamptons. ‘Their priority has been keeping things as smooth as possible for the children,’ said the source.

Also complicating things rather is the matter of their upcoming film project, sports drama Unstoppable, starring Lopez and produced by Affleck and Matt Damon – the film is still set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month, with both Affleck and Lopez listed as attendees. ‘Ever since they first met in the noughties, Ben and Jen have loved to collaborate professionally,’ said the source. ‘This project means a lot to them and the timing has been tricky.’

Much has been made now of the couple’s reluctance to make any official statement about their relationship but, according to Grazia’s source, it has by no means been a straightforward situation, like any normal relationship, and there is a lot of emotion still to unpick. ‘Jen was initially the one who was reluctant to throw in the towel, but she now seems to have accepted a fresh start,’ said the source. ‘Ben was never happy with the level of fame and attention they had as a pair, and he’s now laying as low as possible. Their priority is being a stable presence for their blended family. Everything else comes second.’