Ben Affleck \201cHas a Darkness to Him\201d That Impacted His Marriage to Jennifer Lopez, Sources Claim
\201cShe loves him, she will always love him, that’s the problem.\201d


After Jennifer Lopez officially filed for divorce from Ben Affleck after months of rumors indicating their marriage was on the rocks, sources are continuing to give alleged insight into what went wrong with the pair's relationship.
According to friends of Lopez's who spoke exclusively to Page Six, the "big love Jennifer believes in" is "not in (Affleck's) DNA."
"Ben has a darkness to him that no other person can fix," the insider told the publication. "Jen Garner (Affleck's ex-wife) couldn't fix it, all the success in the world couldn't fix it."
The source went on to say that Lopez gave the marriage "everything she had," including her "whole heart," but, sadly, to no avail.
"She would have done anything to make this work," the source continued. "She opened herself up to criticism, ridicule and countless naysayers who told her this was a bad idea, that it was doomed, that there was a reason it didn't work the first time. But she didn't want to believe it— she truly believed love would conquer all.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Lopez filed paperwork to end her marriage from Affleck on Tuesday, Aug. 20, which coincidentally (or maybe not) was the same day as the soon-to-be ex-couple's second anniversary of their wedding celebration.
According to reports, the singer filed without the help of a lawyer and did not indicate the pair had a prenuptial agreement. Documents obtained by People also indicate that Lopez has officially requested that "Affleck" be dropped from her last name.
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Another source who spoke exclusively to People claimed that Affleck's erratic mood wings became impossible for Lopez to deal with, ultimately impacting the longevity of their relationship.
"The truth is there was a great deal of love but also unfortunately what became clear were Ben's erratic mood swings that he couldn't hide from the press, as much as he tried to,” the source told the publication. "You could see the erratic behavior, the giant mood swings."
The insider went on to claim that Affleck would go from “being incredibly happy and warm—the best light that emanated from him” to “the deepest, darkest behavior.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the premiere of 'This Is Me...Now: A Love Story' on February 13, 2024.
The same source claimed that the pair were "trying to work through" the lingering issues in their marriage, even after Affleck moved out of their marital home.
Unfortunately, Affleck's "mood wings," the source continued, make reconciliation impossible.
"When the mood swings and the big highs and big lows informed a toxicity that was pervasive, no one can help you—you have to help yourself,” the source continued. “But I would not be so bold to say there isn't love—of course there is. The world was rooting for them, but who he said he was and who he turned out to be were two different people.”

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
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