A lot can change in 365 days – just ask Jennifer Lopez. This time last year, the singer was still dining out on her fairy tale with fourth husband, Ben Affleck. The pair had defied all the odds when they got back together in 2021 – after 17 years apart – and married the following year. They may have encountered some stumbling blocks along the way, which included several arguments in front of the paps, but that was simply put down to their fiery love affair. As they walked arm in arm on a New Year’s getaway to the Caribbean island of St Bart’s and rang in 2024, it truly seemed like Jen had found her happy ending.
Sadly, that wasn’t meant to be – and her year from hell only got more hellish as her ambitious work ventures also crashed and burned. Not only did her highly-anticipated album This Is Me… Now, which she released last February, prove to be a monumental flop, peaking at number 38 on the US Billboard before dropping off the charts completely, her accompanying visual album and its making of documentary were also trashed by critics. The superstar poured $20m of her own money into the so-called ‘vanity project’ – and, behind the scenes, her willingness to expose her and Ben’s very intimate moments for the small screen ultimately added to their marriage breakdown.
After announcing her US summer tour, This Is Me…Now: The Tour to muted interest, it seemed the superstar couldn’t do right. Amid reports of poor ticket sales, she finally announced in May that she was cancelling the whole thing – stressing she was doing so to focus on her family. Months of rumours followed that her marriage was in jeopardy – and that was confirmed in August when she filed for divorce. Unsurprisingly, insiders say that, as she puts 2024 behind her Jen is feeling full whiplash from the year that’s been.
‘Jen went into the year feeling on top of the world,’ says an insider close to the 55 year old, who shares twins Emme and Max, 16, with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony. ‘She and Ben were totally in love – or, at least, she thought they were, when they rang in the new year in St Barts. They talked about the incredible year they were going to have, and made all kinds of plans. She was so excited about her big album, documentary and tour. Never in a million years would she have predicted that it was all going to turn into such a massive disappointment. But then, a few months in, it all started to fall apart.’
Never one to let her mask slip in public, Jen continually put on a brave face – even as her work was panned and rumours spread that Ben had fully checked out of their marriage. In July, she hosted a Bridgerton ball for her 55th birthday – but with Ben, 52, nowhere to be seen, it was clear she was fighting a losing battle. As an eternal romantic, we’re told that was a bitter reality to face.
‘The whole time, Jen hung on to this hope that Ben would come to his senses and change his mind if she just tried harder,’ says our insider. ‘Of course, that did not happen, and she's now had to adjust to the reality that her dream marriage really is over and that she’s 55 and single again. She’s tried to soldier on, when – in reality – she’s just wanted to lay in bed and cry.’
Adding to Jen’s stresses has been the scrutiny surrounding her former relationship with Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, whom she dated between 1999 and 2001. The disgraced rapper is currently in prison awaiting trial, with shocking allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and abuse stacked against him. Obviously, there’s no suggestion that Jen was ever privy to his historic criminal activity, but having her name associated with her ex’s nefarious dealings has been yet another cause for concern over the past 12 months.
And so, as 2024 comes to a close, we’re told, ‘Jen is praying that 2025 will be a better year - she doesn’t know how much more heartbreak she can take.’
Here’s hoping she puts this annus horribilis far behind her, and Jenny from the Block is back on top in no time.