Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Had a "Fun Lunch" for Their Kids' Sake, Source Says
They're keeping things friendly.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were photographed together over the weekend for the first time since their divorce filing, as Marie Claire previously reported.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, the exes were seen out and about in Los Angeles with some of their children, and a source has now shared some extra intel on the blended family gathering.
"They all came together for a fun lunch so the kids could hang out," an insider told People. "[Jennifer's] trying to be friendly with Ben. They are still moving forward with the divorce though. They are working out financial details amicably."
The source made it clear that Lopez wanted this lunch to happen more so for the kids' sake than for her own.
"A divorce is never easy, but Jennifer doesn't want to be selfish about it," they said. "The kids always got along and have fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority."
Lopez shares twins Max and Emme, 16, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while Affleck shares children Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
The This Is Me...Now singer filed for divorce from the Gone Girl actor on Aug. 20, which happened to be one of their anniversary dates. The filing put an end to months of speculation that the two were heading for a separation after under two years of marriage.
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Prior to that, things admittedly weren't looking good: Affleck had moved into a rental home, and the two had put their marital home on the market just a year after purchasing it. They also spent much of the summer in different countries and on different coasts.
In her divorce filing, Lopez cited April 26, 2024, as the official breakup date. This was just days before the star's solo appearance at the Met Gala as one of the event's co-chairs caused some rumors to start going around.
Lopez and Affleck met in 2002 on the set of their movie Gigli. They quickly began dating and got engaged that same year, but ended up breaking up in 2004. Both went on to marry other people and have children, but in 2021, fans delighted when the two reignited their flame. Things moved quickly from there, but sadly the relationship ran into challenges that they couldn't overcome, and here we are.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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