While they’re yet to make an official announcement, rumours that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are headed towards divorce have been rife for weeks. And sources close to the actor have revealed that he’s already planning a “freedom party” to mark the end of their relationship – and risks facing the wrath of J-Lo by jetting off to the place they tied the knot.
“Ben just wants to get away from it all and enjoy himself again, and he wants to take his close friends with him. He’s talking about arranging a big blow out at his place in Georgia, which is pretty ironic since that’s where he and J-Lo had their big wedding. There’s also some talk of doing it in Las Vegas as he still loves to play poker and a lot of his friends do too – but that’s where they legally got married!” an insider tells heat.
“No matter where he chooses to have this party, even if it’s somewhere that has no connection to his marriage, like Mexico, it’s going to be hurtful for J-Lo because this will be seen as him essentially celebrating escaping their relationship.”
Speculation that their marriage was on the rocks first surfaced in May after reports that Ben, 51, had moved out of the Beverly Hills home he shares with J-Lo, 54. It’s believed he’s now staying at a rental property in Brentwood, California, while they quietly try to sell their mansion. And despite several public appearances at family events, the couple – who wed in July 2022, 18 years after they called off their first engagement – have done little to dispel the rumours.
Earlier this month, the singer, who is mum to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, set tongues wagging when she enjoyed a solo trip across Europe. She was seen relaxing on a boat in Italy and visiting the same restaurant she and Ben dined at during a loved-up trip three years ago, before jetting to Paris.
Meanwhile, Ben, who has been pictured with his wedding ring off and on, has raised eyebrows after hanging out with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, the mother of his children Samuel, 12, Seraphina, 15, and Violet, 18. And in a sure sign that things could be drawing to a close, J-Lo was recently spotted heading to Ben’s offices in Los Angeles for a “three-hour showdown”.
While Ben’s upcoming getaway plans will no doubt leave J-Lo feeling furious, our source adds that he has insisted it’s purely a chance to let his hair down and spend some quality time with his pals.
“From his point of view this would just be a way to show some appreciation to his friends that have supported him through a really tough time. He hasn’t been himself these past few months, he’s been so consumed with this break-up, and even before that he went MIA because he was in his bubble with J-Lo.
"He regrets that and wants to make it up to his friends, and he wants to cut loose and have some fun, he’s been really struggling, and he needs to have some fun and just relax,” the insider continues.
“Ben has missed his friends so much. When he was with J-Lo he hardly got to spend any time with them because she would always complain or get moody when he wanted to hang with the guys. He hated upsetting her or dealing with drama, so his solution was to include her. But unfortunately, his friends never really clicked with her, so it was always awkward and eventually became more of a hassle than it was worth.
"Even his brother Casey stopped coming around and their relationship suffered big time. Ben’s putting the blame on himself and admits he had such love blinders on when he was in the honeymoon stage with J-Lo that he neglected a lot of relationships in his life.”
But now, he’s said to be looking forward to “establishing his own identity again” and is on a mission to “make up for lost time”. The source adds, “He’s so grateful for the way everyone has stood by him during this whole break-up nightmare. He felt pretty sheepish having to admit that things weren’t working out, but none of them judged him or rubbed it in his face.
"He’s sworn he won’t ever take them for granted again and has said he wants to set up a weekly night that’s dedicated to a guys’ night and is non-negotiable, no matter what’s going on in his life.
“But the first thing he wants is to have this party to show his appreciation and unwind. Back in the day Ben was famous for his parties, he planned everything and went all in. Now that he’s sober his idea of a good time is a lot different, so things won’t be as wild. The main thing is that he wants quality time with the guys, to bond with them again and show his appreciation for all they’ve done for him and all they put up with.”
It comes after heat previously revealed that J-Lo – who fuelled further speculation when she cancelled her greatest hits concert tour and took time off “to be with her children, family and close friends” – has been leaning on her exes in the wake of the split rumours.
A separate source revealed that she’s been back in contact with her ex Drake, 37, who she dated for a few months from 2016 to 2017, and has been speaking to him “almost daily”.
They told us earlier this month, “Jen’s been leaning on Drake over the last few weeks after he reached out to offer his support. He’s helping her get through what’s been one of the toughest times in her life. Drake’s been vocal about his mental health struggles and is currently taking some time out to focus on his own wellbeing, so knowing how in tune he is with his emotional health makes Jen feel very comfortable about being vulnerable and open with him.”