While Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck Tuesday, if you were really paying attention, there have been signs that this break up was coming for months.
According to court records obtained by Newsweek, Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, August 20—the two-year anniversary of her and Affleck's second wedding ceremony in Georgia in the summer of 2022.
The actor and singer first tied the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022. They previously dated for a few years in the early 2000s but called off their first engagement in 2004.
Rumors circulated for months that the couple, once dubbed "Bennifer," were planning to split. Here, Newsweek has detailed all the signs that were leading up to this moment.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Lopez and Affleck for comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.
Solo Appearance at Met Gala
Fans previously pointed out that the pair had been spending a lot of time apart and attending events without each other. One particular moment that shocked people the most was when Lopez was spotted at the Met Gala by herself on May 6.
People were especially surprised that Affleck wasn't in attendance as Lopez was co-chairing the glamorous fundraising gala, and many thought he would support his wife during the event.
A representative for Affleck told E! News that the reason he wasn't at the Met Gala was because he was filming The Accountant 2 in Los Angeles.
Living Separately
Earlier this year it was reported that Affleck had moved out of the home he shared with Lopez and the singer was spotted looking at other houses.
Lopez was seen at a property in Beverly Hills without the Gone Girl actor, according to TMZ on May 14. Two days later on May 16, the actor was seen leaving his Brentwood, California, residence as opposed to the house he shared with Lopez.
The couple listed their 12-bedroom, 38,000-square-foot estate in Beverley Hills, California, for sale in July. According to a report from CNN, the home was put on the market for $68 million. Lopez and Affleck purchased the estate in 2023 for just over $60.8 million.
Lopez Cancelled Her Tour
The same month, Lopez canceled her summer tour, This Is Me...Live, and said at the time it was to "be with her children, family and close friends."
"Please know that I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel that it was absolutely necessary," Lopez said in a statement. "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..."
She Liked a Cryptic Post
Also in May, Lopez fueled speculation that she and Affleck had split by "liking" a cryptic post about relationships on Instagram.
In an upload shared by relationship coach Lenna Marsak (@yourcourageouscomeback) in March, five slides depict traits of a partner unable to form healthy relationships.
"You can't build a healthy relationship with someone who…lacks integrity & emotional safety…doesn't respect your time, doesn't think it's important to call/text back in a reasonable time frame…lacks effective communication skills = silent treatment, withdraws, refuses to communicate unless it's on their terms…doesn't know who they are or what they want," the five slides read.
It also included an explanation on each as to why these characteristics aren't conducive to a healthy romance.
The caption reads: "You can't build a relationship with someone who is disconnected from themselves. We can't expect someone to see us when we can't even see themselves. Getting in a relationship is the easy part. Nurturing & fostering it is a different story. After all, love is not a feeling, it's action ❤️."
Affleck Absent From 'Atlas' Red Carpet
As the month progressed, there were multiple occasions where the couple were seen without each other. One example is when Lopez attended both the L.A. premiere and the Mexico City fan event for her Netflix movie Atlas without her husband.
Lopez was probed with questions about the breakup rumors by an interviewer at the event in Mexico City, with a clip being shared online by El Gordo y la Flaca.
The "Let's Get Loud" singer laughed off the question before saying: "You know better than that."
No Birthday Appearance or Shout-Out
On July 24, Lopez celebrated her 55th birthday with a lavish Bridgerton-themed party in the Hamptons. Affleck wasn't present at the event, instead being pictured in Los Angeles.
When it was Affleck's 52nd birthday on August 15, Lopez didn't commemorate the occasion with a shoutout on social media. However, she was seen visiting Affleck's rental home in Brentwood, according to photos obtained by Page Six.
Lopez and Affleck famously reunited in 2021—years after they called off their original engagement.
While the "Waiting for Tonight" singer went on to marry Marc Anthony in 2004 (with whom she shares teenage twins) and the Oscar winner wed Jennifer Garner (with whom he shares three children), they found their way back to each other years after their respective divorces and soon after Lopez called off her engagement to baseball star Alex Rodriguez.
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