Their second shot at love had all the trimmings of a Hollywood fairy-tale, but instead of a happily ever after, Ben Affleck was left living a ‘nightmare’.
The Hollywood star, 52, rekindled his romance with Jennifer Lopez, 55, in 2021, much to the delight of fans, nearly 20 years after they called off their engagement.
Fast forward four years and the couple, who showcased their love with not one but two weddings in 2022, have settled their divorce and will officially end their short-lived marriage today.
But despite being left ‘exhausted’ by the break-down of their failed union, Affleck is tentatively opening himself up to dating again after support from his family and his ‘sobriety circle’.
‘This weight is lifted from him and he is ready to move on and date again – if the right woman comes along,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively.
‘He is taking a minute because this has taken a toll on him. He is staying close to his family and his sobriety circle.
Ben Affleck is tentatively opening himself up to dating again after support from his family and his ‘sobriety circle,’ insiders have told DailyMail.com
It comes as Affleck, 52, and Jennifer Lopez, 55, have settled their divorce. They will officially end their short-lived marriage today – February 20 (pictured together in Octber 2021)
‘He’s not been left fragile so much as exhausted by it all.’
Reports surfaced that the singer and Oscar-winning director were reconnecting after Lopez split from former MLB star Alex Rodriguez in 2021.
Their initial two-year romance in the early 2000s was highly publicised and the intense scrutiny was difficult for the couple to handle.
But they confirmed on Instagram in July 2021 that they were giving it another go before making their red carpet return at the Venice Film Festival.
They subsequently exchanged vows at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022 and again the following month at a lavish star-studded nuptials at Affleck’s estate in Georgia on August 20.
Exactly two years to the date, Lopez filed for divorce, citing their date of separation as April 26, 2024.
In January, Lopez filed documents to Los Angeles Superior Court, asking for a judge to finalise the breakup.
The pair settled the divorce through mediation with lawyer to the stars Laura Wasser. Each party will walk away with what they individually acquired during their marriage.
‘This weight is lifted from him and he is ready to move on and date again – if the right woman comes along,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively (pictured in Januuary 2024)
Documents also show Lopez has chosen to drop Affleck as her last name.
Despite an amicable split, Affleck will not remain close to Lopez like he did Garner.
‘You will likely not see them hanging out or having exes lunches,’ the insider said. ‘He will never be close to her like he is to Jennifer Garner.’
Affleck and Garner were married for 13 years until their divorce in 2018. The couple are parents to Violet, 19, Fin, 16, and Samuel, 12.
Whenever the filmmaker moves on, he will have the full support of his ex-wife, who acted as a ‘marriage counsellor’ when his marriage to Lopez started to crumble.
‘Jen will always support anything that makes Ben happy,’ the insider added. ‘She supported his romance with JLo despite her personal feelings because it made him happy and kept him healthy.’
DailyMail.com previously reported that Affleck struggled with the ‘tough’ fallout from their split, which served to show him how important it is for him to never jeopardise his sobriety.
‘Ben has not given up on relationships and finally feels ready to move forward and start dating again,’ an insider said in October.
The Hollywood star rekindled his romance with Lopez in 2021, much to the delight of fans, nearly 20 years after they called off their engagement (pictured in 2002)
‘He only wants to date someone who is sober or in recovery. These past two years have been tough for Ben and as he begins to heal, one thing is very clear: his recovery comes before anything. He is not going to put his sobriety in jeopardy.’
The actor is said to have taken measures to avoid all mention of Lopez, going as far as installing a filter on his phone to block any stories about her and their split.
Garner has also reportedly chosen to distance herself from the singer-turned-actress and is keeping any interactions focused solely on the children within their extended family.
Lopez is mother to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, 56, which lasted from 2004 to 2014.
‘Jen no longer wishes to have communication with JLo unless it is do with the kids,’ a separate source told DailyMail.com in November.
‘Her friends feel she shouldn’t have allowed herself to get so involved in helping JLo to fix her marriage to Ben.’
