Ben Affleck shed light on the "underlying factors" behind his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, setting the record straight. Their divorce was finalized in January, approximately two years after they tied the knot at Affleck's Georgia mansion. The star of "Argo" acknowledged that, while the public has speculated wildly about the reasons for his split from JLo, the truth was far more mundane than anyone might have imagined.
Following the premiere of Lopez's documentary, "The Greatest Love Story Never Told," some suggested that their differing approaches to fame had caused their breakup. However, the director of "Air" stressed that it "wasn't the source of a major rift."
In a cover story for GQ magazine, Affleck explained, "Part of it was, ‘OK, if I'm going to be a part of this, I want to do it honestly and in an interesting way.’ I found it to be a fascinating exploration." He continued, "Many people, including Jennifer, handle celebrity more skillfully and adeptly than I do. My temperament leans towards being more reserved and private than hers. In relationships, people don't always share the same perspectives on these matters. So, I thought, 'This is intriguing; how do you reconcile that?'"
"I love and support this person. I believe in them. They're amazing. I want people to see that," he elaborated. "Regarding the documentary, what I said was, ‘You don't marry a ship captain and then complain about going out to sea.’ You need to own what you knew before entering any relationship. And it's crucial to clarify that it wasn't the cause of a significant breakdown. Watching that documentary won't give you insights into their issues."
Later, the actor revealed that there was no dramatic moment that ended their marriage. "I have immense respect for Lopez. There's often a tendency to analyze breakups and seek root causes. But honestly, the truth is far more mundane than people might believe or find interesting," he said.
Affleck emphasized that his divorce from Lopez involved "no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue." "When you ask someone, ‘Hey, what happened?’ there's often no clear answer," he stated. "It's just a story about individuals navigating their lives and relationships in ways that are quite ordinary. As you age, this becomes true for most people. There's no single incident or event. It's more like a couple's therapy session, which you'd eventually tune out if it were someone else's."
"You start thinking, ‘OK, clearly this person has these issues. Clearly, they have those problems.’ And I don't want to share that because it's embarrassing. It feels vulnerable," he added.
Since the beginning of his career, particularly after his breakthrough role in "Good Will Hunting," Affleck has grappled with fame. He still doesn't understand why the public is so fascinated by his everyday life. "I'm aware that it's absurd and ridiculous. There's nothing newsworthy about my daily activities or conversations captured in photographs," he said.
He often feels like the media tries to create a narrative by linking unrelated events. "The big trick is to say, ‘So-and-so did this amid that,’ implying a connection between two things. Whether it's a global event or something happening in someone's life, and look, here they are frustrated with a parking meter. I'm definitely aware of the cosmic joke," he noted.
"What I focus on is that I know what's happening in my life, and more importantly, my kids know. My ex-wife [Jennifer Garner] and I had a rule: when they saw something on a supermarket tabloid, we'd say, ‘You know this isn't true because if it were, you'd have 15 siblings from all the stories claiming your mom was pregnant,’" he explained.
The actor described the constant attention as "more of a headache than anything else, and certainly not the worst thing." He also praised Garner, whom he married in 2005, stating, "I'm fortunate to have a fantastic co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids' mom. She's wonderful, and we work well together."
Affleck and Garner announced their separation in 2015 but didn't finalize their divorce for another three years. During that period, Affleck underwent rehab twice, and they both attended marriage counseling. After his divorce from Garner, Affleck rekindled his romance with Lopez. Their marriage lasted approximately two years, from their wedding in 2022 until their divorce was finalized in January 2025.
