SITTING on a golden throne on her 55th birthday, a beaming Jennifer Lopez had the regal air of a queen ruling the showbiz world. But nothing could have been further from the truth at the extravagant Bridgerton-themed bash last month. The actress and singer, who told her fans on January 1 that “2024 is our year”, has suffered one disaster after another in the past eight months.
The announcement she had filed for divorce on Tuesday from her fourth husband, Ben Affleck , is just the latest one. No matter how many times the New Yorker puts on a brave face and a glitzy dress, there is no hiding from the reality of her annus horribilis. A huge arena tour was cancelled following reports of poor ticket sales; her album, This Is Me .
. . Now, peaked at number 55 in the UK charts; her two movies were panned by critics; and even her beauty line is struggling.
On top of that, she suffered what pals described as the “humiliation” of husband Ben’s public displays of unhappiness. There were rows in the street and intense frowns from the Oscar winning actor on the few occasions Ben, 52 , was seen by his wife’s side in public. Yet in the face of constant rumours that all was not well, Jennifer told the world, “We’re so happy in love” on the release of her movie, T his Is Me .
. . Now: A Love Story , in February.
And after Ben moved out of their marital home in May, the couple were spotted holding hands. Now the Dance Again singer has admitted in divorce papers filed in a Los Angeles court that they split on April 26. There are even suggestions they were barely speaking on their honeymoon in romantic Lake Como in Italy two years ago.
Having faced a drip, drip of sniping from people backing Ben, alleging that J-Lo’s oversharing about their relationship had driven a wedge between the pair, her side is now hitting back. It was, some say, the recovering alcoholic who didn’t prove to be the changed man he promised to be. And rather than let herself be defeated by one setback after another, Jenny From The Block is determined to bounce back.
One insider told The Sun: “Jennifer’s label are looking for songs she could use which express her feelings about the break up. “She’s been through a very difficult time, but some of her team think this could be a real moment for her. “They are looking for songs for her to work on as a comeback when the time is right.
” There is little doubt Jen found artistic inspiration in her on-off romance with Ben. In 2002, she released album This Is Me, with tracks dedicated to the Batman and Good Will Hunting actor. But their planned wedding was called off in September 2003 after reports the groom-to-be had partied with strippers.
Ben went on to marry Hollywood star Jennifer Garner and Jennifer got hitched to her third husband, Marc Anthony. After those unions ended in divorce, Bennifer MK II became a possibility. In the spring of 2021, Ben and J-Lo started dating again.
And, having seemingly learned nothing from their previous whirlwind romance, in April 2022 Ben proposed with a £4million diamond engagement ring with the words “not going anywhere” inside. Having previously wrestled with personal demons and been treated for alcohol addition, the now sober star was said to be a new man. Ben, who has children, Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, and Jennifer, who has 16-year-old twins Max and Emme, were planning a “blended family”.
One insider told the New York Post that J-Lo was convinced by these protestations of devotion, adding: “She’s furious. He has humiliated her. He was the one who initiated getting back together.
” That humiliation has been compounded by how much stock the superstar performer put in their romance at the start of this year. Released in February, This Is Me . .
. Now was the singer’s first album in ten years. J-Lo told journalists that her love for Ben had “inspired me to go in and make music again”.
But none of the singles charted in the UK and by March she’d cancelled seven of her tour dates, with reports of poor ticket sales. All 30 other planned dates were ditched in May, with ticket giant Live Nation announcing “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends”. It was to be her first tour in five years with big production values.
Some people in the business felt her team had over-estimated the number of fans willing to shell out huge sums to see a singer who hadn’t had a UK No1 single since 2011, when she topped the charts with On The Floor. This was a massive fall from grace for a star who has sold over 80million records. The reaction to her movie, This Is Me .
. . Now: A Love Story on Prime Video, wasn’t much better.
One critic described the bizarre sci-fi flick, based on J-Lo’s troubled love life, as “a series of music videos”. The self-funded release starred Jane Fonda as an intergalactic love guide and Affleck as a TV host. Reviewers were even less kind about her Netflix artificial intelligence action film, Atlas, in May.
The New York Times called it “cheap, dark, plasticky and fake”. There was also a backlash when a Ukrainian soldier claimed the £80million movie used footage which appeared to be from a real attack on the city of Mariupol during the war with Russia. Lopez, though, remained a strong draw on movie streaming platforms and it was the most viewed film on Netflix on its release.
The businesswoman, worth an estimated £360million, has plenty of other revenue streams. They include a skincare range called J-Lo Beauty. But, earlier this year, the multi- national retailer Sephora said it was removing products from its shelves and the J-Lo beauty website is currently offering many items at knockdown prices.
Alongside these major professional setbacks, there were even greater issues on the home front. In May, Ben moved to a rental property in Brentwood, California, leaving their £45million Beverly Hills pad behind. A month later, he was nowhere to be seen as Jennifer snapped selfies on the back of a speedboat off the coast of the glamorous resort of Positano in southern Italy.
Last month, J-Lo put on a brave face during her extravagant Bridgerton-themed birthday party. As she blew out candles on a tiered cake in a Regency style dress in the upmarket Hamptons on the US east coast, her husband was on the opposite side of the country. Having sat regally on the throne, she posted on Instagram that “a splendid evening was had by all”.
On Tuesday, the anniversary of their Georgia wedding, she filed for divorce, ending any pretence that all was well. How she presents this fourth marriage break-up on any future songs will have keen Bennifer watchers deciphering the lyrics carefully. The question is how much blame the singer will lay at Affleck’s door.
Sources close to her camp have commented on how difficult Ben was during the marriage. He looked bored sitting next to her at award ceremonies and, last year, they got into what appeared to be a heated argument during a car journey. According to one insider, speaking anonymously to Page Six in the US, they were at loggerheads on their honeymoon in August 2022.
They said: “They would barely speak to each other during what was supposed to be the happiest time of their life. "He sold her on him being a changed man, and that lasted a very short time.” Another theory is that the more private Ben tired of J-Lo’s demand for attention.
There is evidence of that in the documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, where he was unhappy his “sacred” love letters to her had been shared with others. Time will tell if the break-up can be amicable. There is no prenuptial agreement to prevent either trying to get hold of the other’s fortune.
Next month, the couple’s movie, Unstoppable, is due to premiere at the Toronto film festival in Canada. In it, J-Lo plays the mum of real life wrestling champ Anthony Robles, born without a right leg. If the film’s producer Ben turns up on the red carpet with her, there is a chance this tumultuous year might end relatively calmly.
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