Jennifer Lopez has revealed that her divorce from Ben Affleck profoundly reshaped her life, saying she intentionally paused everything to process the end of their second attempt at marriage.
On March 11, 2026, the 56-year-old singer and actress told “Good Morning America” anchor Juju Chang that after filing for divorce from Affleck in August 2024, she took an unprecedented year away from work and canceled her planned summer tour to focus on healing and introspection.
In a clip from her “Nightline” interview that aired Wednesday, Lopez said she put her whole career on hold. She said she scrapped tours and “just decided to be home and sit in what had happened” instead of distracting herself with work or a new relationship.
The move represented a major change for the constantly active star, who in May 2024 announced she was canceling her “This Is Me… Live” tour to spend more time with her children, family, and close friends.
Lopez is the mother of 18-year-old twins Maximilian David and Emme Maribel Muñiz, whom she had with ex-husband Marc Anthony. The teens — affectionately called Max and Emme — turned 18 in February and are preparing for college, making them Lopez’s top focus during the difficult period. Lopez told Chang she “needed to be home” with her children, calling them her “priority at that time.”
The break gave Lopez space to examine recurring patterns in her adult life. She admitted she had rarely been truly single, moving directly from one relationship to the next without time to learn about herself. She said she reached a moment of self-questioning and realized she couldn’t fault others because “that’s not where the lesson is.”
Lopez and Affleck, 53, married in Las Vegas in July 2022, almost twenty years after their first high-profile engagement ended in January 2004. They rekindled their relationship in 2021, raising hopes their second chance would stick.
The divorce was finalized in February 2025, ending their two-year marriage. Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in October 2018, and he shares three children with Garner: Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel.
In a September 2025 conversation with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Lopez described the split as “the best thing that ever happened to me.” She said shooting “Kiss of the Spider Woman” during the breakup highlighted the contrast between her professional fulfillment and personal pain.
Affleck acted as an executive producer on the film through his company Artists Equity. Lopez credited him with helping get the movie made, saying he funded it after she told him it was the role she was meant to play.
The film, directed by Bill Condon, stars Diego Luna as political prisoner Valentin Arregui and newcomer Tonatiuh as his cellmate Molina, with Lopez portraying classic screen star Ingrid Luna.
Now fully embracing being single, Lopez told Chang she isn’t interested in dating. When asked if she was “dating up a storm,” she laughed it off and said she didn’t want to “ruin anything” because things feel good right now.
The shift is a clear break from her previous habits. Lopez said she had “always had a boyfriend” and that being single once terrified her. She admitted she wasn’t sure she could handle being alone and often avoided trying.
Today, Lopez says she’s happy, healthy, and grateful. She juggles roles as a mother preparing to send her kids to college, an entertainer, actress, and businesswoman. She recently started a new Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace as she returns to work.
“I am happy, and I am healthy, and I’m grateful. That’s who I am today. And I’m surrounded by love, which is the best part,” Lopez said.
Affleck commented on the split in a March 2025 interview with GQ, calling it “pretty adult” despite tabloid attention. He said there was “no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue,” and described the real reasons for their breakup as far more ordinary than rumors suggested, praising Lopez and saying he has “nothing but respect” for her.
He added that the factual account of their breakup would likely seem dull to most people, lacking the dramatic elements tabloids implied.
Lopez’s experience with divorce has shifted her views on relationships, achievement, and self-worth. The year of reflection helped her cultivate trust and self-appreciation instead of constant self-criticism. She said she now truly trusts and values herself more, rather than being so hard on herself all the time.
