Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Marriage Has Reportedly Been “Over for Months”

Two weeks shy of their second wedding anniversary, the latest news doesn’t bode well for the Lopez-Affleck union surviving into year three.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As the couple’s second wedding anniversary approaches two weeks from today, news isn’t looking great for the marriage of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck (and we hate to hear it). Though the public caught on to potential trouble in paradise only after Affleck skipped the Met Gala on May 6 with his wife—who was one of the event’s co-chairs—according to Page Six, the Lopez-Affleck union has been “over for months.” The marriage apparently dissolved as far back as March, just one month after Lopez released her album/musical film/documentary homage to their marriage in February.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

So much has changed for the couple since they were seen here on February 13, premiering their love story to the world on the big screen.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to the outlet, the two “have tried their best to put on a united front,” but it has been over for some time. Affleck, for his part, is “very protective of Jennifer,” according to a source speaking to the publication, and it’s unknown what the next steps are or how the two will mark their July 16 anniversary, which is quickly approaching.

The Cut writes that “a recent confluence of events suggests the early aughts’ most over-the-top couple is in trouble for real,” adding that, “Though Ben tends to walk around with a severe case of resting divorce face, both of them have been looking kind of miserable lately.” The outlet adds that reports indicating the two “are hurtling toward divorce are getting harder and harder to ignore,” and cites reports that have sources saying “they waited almost two decades to get back together, but in the end, they just couldn’t make it work.” 

Jennifer Lopez

Back in L.A. after a European getaway, Lopez looked downcast this past Saturday, June 29.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ben Affleck

Affleck, seen here on June 13, is rarely (read: never) excited to see the paparazzi.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you’ve been following the narrative of the dragged out breakup, here’s some of the  more recent occurrences in the saga: Affleck moved out of their $60 million Beverly Hills mansion, which they bought just last year, and into a Brentwood rental; Lopez vacationed to Europe—alone—after canceling her summer tour; Affleck chastised paparazzi and “actually got out of his car to admonish the photographers,” The Cut writes; and the wedding bands have stayed on, then gone off, then come back on again.

While we hope there’s still a way to work it out, the writing seems to be a bit on the wall: “They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her,” a source said. “There’s no way it could have lasted.”

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.