Ben Affleck decided to hand over his share of a $60 million Beverly Hills estate to Jennifer Lopez without asking for a dime in return, according to court documents filed in April 2026. The Oscar winner simply signed over his stake in the sprawling property and walked away from roughly $26 million in equity.
The move might sound like an act of extraordinary kindness, but the reality behind the gesture tells a different story. The Beverly Crest mansion, known as Crestview Manor, has been bleeding money for months while sitting unsold on the market. With ongoing costs to maintain the Beverly Hills estate exceeding $283,000 per month, Affleck’s decision looks less like generosity and more like a calculated exit strategy.
One source put it plainly: “This isn’t him giving anything. This is him paying to be done. That house is the last tie, and he wants it gone, fast.”
Affleck and Lopez purchased the 38,000-square-foot French château for $60.85 million in cash back in May 2023. The property sits on five acres and features 12 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, a 12-car garage, and an indoor sports complex complete with a boxing ring, gym, and pickleball court. There’s also a 5,000-square-foot guesthouse, a caretaker cottage, a two-bedroom guardhouse, and parking for 80 cars. The place is described as “a tasteful stunner.”
But stunning doesn’t always mean sellable. The property’s original owner had listed Crestview Manor back in 2018 for $135 million. After five years and four price reductions, it eventually dropped to $75 million before Affleck and Lopez bought it. They invested millions more in renovations, then tried selling it starting in July 2024 at $68 million — marking it up about $8 million from their purchase price.
The market refused to cooperate. By May 2025, they slashed the price to $59.95 million, essentially guaranteeing a loss even if someone bought it immediately. They pulled it off the market two months later, then relisted it in September 2025 for $52 million. That represented a $16 million drop from the initial asking price, yet still nobody made an offer.
The timing made the situation even more frustrating. A Wall Street Journal report noted the luxury market was thriving in 2025, with homes above $10 million selling briskly. The average Beverly Hills property was moving in just 95 days. By January 2026, the couple had pulled Crestview Manor off the market for a second time.
Property taxes alone were running about $1,100 daily, translating to over $400,000 annually, according to the New York Post. Every month without a sale meant someone needed to cover nearly $300,000 just to keep the place running. For Affleck, that monthly reminder came with his ex-wife’s name attached.
The mansion represented the final major shared asset linking Affleck and Lopez financially after their divorce was finalized in January 2025. Their settlement was mediated by Laura Wasser, Hollywood’s prominent divorce attorney nicknamed the “disso queen,” and structured to function like a prenup since the couple never signed one before marrying.
Gossip columnist Rob Shuter reported in his Substack that Affleck’s decision centered on “cutting the last financial cord” rather than making any romantic gesture. Peace of mind mattered more to him than profits from a sale that might never happen at a reasonable price, based on the property’s track record.
The couple initially filed their property settlement when their divorce was finalized in January 2025. On April 9, 2026, they filed an updated stipulation and order modifying those terms. Lopez signed the updated agreement on March 31, with Affleck signing the following day, April 1.
The court paperwork describes the transaction as a “transfer of property among spouses incident to divorce for federal income tax purposes.” Both parties remain responsible for any taxes resulting from the transfer, but the agreement makes Lopez solely responsible for all future property-related expenses, including broker commissions, closing costs, and applicable taxes. She’ll receive any upside if the property eventually sells, but she also owns every dollar of future losses.
Meanwhile, Lopez never actually moved out. She continued living at Crestview Manor even after the divorce was finalized and while the house was actively listed for sale. She posted Instagram photos from inside the estate while simultaneously trying to unload it. She’d already purchased a new property in Hidden Hills for $17.5 million in February 2025 and was renovating that home while still occupying the Beverly Crest mansion.
A source told the Daily Mail that “Jennifer is renovating the home to her satisfaction. She is spending a lot of money because it’s big: there is the main house, the pool house, and a guest house.” The Hidden Hills property measures about 8,600 square feet with five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a guesthouse, pool house, and a five-stall barn with a private equestrian arena — significantly smaller than the 38,000-square-foot château.
Affleck had already secured his own new residence by August 2024, purchasing a $20.5 million home in Pacific Palisades less than two weeks after the mansion was listed and right before Lopez filed for divorce. His new place features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, an open floor plan with a chef’s kitchen, high ceilings, and garden views. It’s located a 10-minute drive from Jennifer Garner’s Brentwood house, convenient for co-parenting their three children — Violet (20), Seraphina (17), and Samuel (14).
Affleck and Garner have maintained a strong co-parenting relationship since their divorce. They were spotted together in February hosting a paintball party at Combat Paintball Park in Castaic for Samuel’s 14th birthday. The proximity to his children clearly took priority over maintaining ownership of an unsellable Beverly Hills property.
The Bennifer 2.0 saga unfolded rapidly. Affleck and Lopez originally dated from 2002 to 2004, then rekindled their relationship in spring 2021 after 17 years apart. They got engaged in April 2022 and held a surprise Las Vegas wedding at the Little White Chapel on July 16, 2022, followed by a three-day celebration at Affleck’s Riceboro, Georgia estate on August 20, 2022.
By early 2023, they were searching for a home together, reportedly touring 80 properties before settling on Crestview Manor. Three other deals fell through before they closed in May 2023. Lopez listed their separation date as April 2024 and filed for divorce on August 20, 2024 — exactly two years after their Georgia wedding. She cited irreconcilable differences and dropped Affleck from her name, reverting to Jennifer Lynn Lopez.
They owned the $60 million mansion for less than three years — shorter than most car leases.
Lopez now holds complete ownership of Crestview Manor. Sources told TMZ that because she received this “huge gift,” she’ll likely still turn a profit whenever a buyer finally appears, even at a reduced price. Whether that proves accurate depends entirely on how long she’s willing to absorb those monthly costs and what the final sale price turns out to be.
Affleck called the property a “white elephant.” The description fits. But at least the white elephant now belongs entirely to someone else.
