A month has passed since Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on their two-year wedding anniversary, with the split seemingly heading for a dramatic and expensive legal battle, thanks to the lack of a prenup. But, last week, things took a surprising turn when the estranged couple met up on a family outing – and reportedly got close in the process.
J.Lo, 55, and Ben, 52, were seen out for brunch with their children at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, hinting that the couple might be able to sort their complex legal and financial situation out amicably. And, according to onlookers, the couple were even spotted holding hands while their kids sat on the next table.
Insiders tell heat that J.Lo is hoping her estranged husband will realise what he’s losing and fight to win her back for a second time. But with the former couple also pictured looking tense outside the venue and deep in conversation in the car, it’s fair to say a little light hand-holding is not going to make Ben change his mind.
A source tells us, ‘Jennifer was the one who initiated the meet-up – she insisted it was important to show they’re on amicable terms for the sake of the kids. They’ve all grown close over the last couple of years and she wants to avoid causing them any more heartache.’
The source continues, ‘While Jen has been trying to be strong in public, behind closed doors she’s less sure of herself and has admitted that she’s been missing Ben a lot. She’d secretly hoped that filing for divorce would spark him to take drastic action to turn things around and try to win her back, so the fact he still wants to go ahead with their split is heartbreaking.’
The couple also face the difficult task of dividing up their £489 million worth of joint assets – with the lack of a prenup making things even more complicated. Still, if there’s one thing J.Lo has had practise at over the past year, it’s putting on a brave face as her marriage collapsed.
The former couple rekindled their relationship in 2021, having called off their first engagement in 2003, eventually tying the knot in the summer of 2022. So, when rumours that they were on the brink of splitting emerged in the spring – mere months after Jen sung their marriage’s praises in her self-funded film The Greatest Love Story Never Told – the singer remained tight lipped.
However, evidence of trouble became harder to ignore. Ben reportedly moved out of the couple’s Beverly Hills mansion in May and the property was placed on the market, while Jennifer was spotted enjoying a solo holiday in Italy. And when Ben wasn’t present at J.Lo’s Bridgerton-themed birthday party in July, their split was all but confirmed.
Finally in August, J.Lo filed for divorce 20 years after they called off their first wedding. According to the legal documents, however, the pair officially separated in April, suggesting Jen did everything she could to make the marriage work.
J.Lo’s optimism is understandable. She and Ben have been part of each other’s lives for decades, with their reunion seen as a sign that they were now in it for the long haul. The pair had also blended their families, living with J.Lo’s twins Max and Emme, both 16, who she shares with ex Marc Anthony, and Ben’s children Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, from his marriage to Jennifer Garner.
In meeting up again, our source says that J.Lo hoped she might ‘spark something’ in Ben and make him realise what he was losing. Instead, we’re told, she’s having to come to terms with the opposite.
‘He’s showed zero interest in maintaining any sort of relationship, let alone trying to save their marriage,’ the insider says. ‘Jen’s been clinging on to something that’s very much over – she just needs to deal with it and move on.’
