New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on federal bank fraud charges after prosecutors alleged she lied on a mortgage application to obtain favorable loan terms on a Virginia property she later rented out.
The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, centers on a single-family home in Norfolk, Virginia, that James co-purchased in August 2020 for roughly $137,000. Most of the purchase was financed with a $109,600 loan that prohibited the home from being used as a rental or investment property, according to prosecutors.
By misrepresenting the property as a second home, James received a lower interest rate and saved “approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan,” prosecutors said in a five-page filing.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte referred the case to the Department of Justice earlier this year, prompting a criminal probe that led to Thursday’s indictment.
According to financial disclosure forms reviewed by the
New York Post, James repeatedly listed the Norfolk property as an “investment” from 2020 through 2023 in filings with the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. In 2024, she changed the classification to “real property,” just weeks after the FHFA referral was made.
“The indicted attorney general also estimated the value of the property anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000,” the Post reported.
Despite the loan’s clear prohibition against rental use, prosecutors allege James used the property as a rental investment and earned thousands of dollars in income that she failed to report on multiple disclosure forms.
In her 2020 disclosure, James did list an “investment real property” in Norfolk that generated between $1,000 and $5,000 in revenue, but it is unclear if that referred to the same home named in the indictment.
According to prosecutors, James agreed to a “Second Home Rider” when taking out the loan, which required her to occupy the home as her secondary residence and forbade any rental or shared ownership arrangement.
“Despite these representations,” the indictment reads, “the Norfolk property was not occupied or used by James as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property.”
Prosecutors also said James made false statements on her homeowners’ insurance application, claiming the home would be “owner occupied,” and on her federal tax filings, where she classified the house as “rental real estate” and reported “thousand(s) of dollars in rents received.”
The federal indictment charges James with two counts: bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. If convicted on both counts, she faces up to 60 years in prison and fines totaling as much as $2 million.
The judge presiding over James’ mortgage fraud case on Friday rejected a motion seeking to compel federal prosecutors to maintain a log of all their communications with the media.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell had filed the request last week, following James’ arraignment on charges of bank fraud and making false statements. The motion cited a report alleging that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan exchanged a series of encrypted Signal messages with a reporter regarding the case,
the New York Post reported.
“[T]he defendant does not demonstrate that it is necessary for the Court to order the government to track communications with the media in any particular form,” wrote US District Judge Jamar Walker in his six-page order.
“The defendant’s request that the government be required to keep a communication log is DENIED,” the Biden-appointed judge ruled.
Walker further wrote that while Halligan’s Signal chat with Lawfare senior editor Anna Bower earlier this month was “unusual,” he nevertheless declined to offer an opinion “on whether they were improper in any sense, either legal or ethical.”
Halligan’s Signal messages to the reporter were configured to automatically disappear after eight hours, The Post reported.
The judge did not address whether Halligan’s communications — which reportedly disputed a New York Times story revealing that James’ grandniece told a grand jury she had never paid rent on the Norfolk, Va., property at the center of the case — constituted material subject to discovery requirements.
James pleaded not guilty last week to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
House Republicans are exploring legal and constitutional strategies to block New York City mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani from being sworn into office if he wins Tuesday’s election, citing the Constitution’s post–Civil War “insurrection clause,” according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
The effort, first reported by the New York Post, is being led in part by the New York Young Republican Club, which argues that Mamdani’s past statements calling to “resist ICE” and his ties to left-wing organizations could qualify as “giving aid or comfort to the enemies” of the United States — language drawn directly from Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
That provision, enacted in 1868, bars from public office any person who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States, or who has provided “aid or comfort” to its enemies.
The clause was originally intended to prevent former Confederate officials from holding office but has recently re-emerged in political debates over ballot eligibility.
“There is a real and legitimate push to see the insurrectionist Zohran Mamdani either a) removed from the ballot or b) removed from office if he is to win on Tuesday,” said Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club.
Several House Republicans are said to be reviewing whether the clause could be enforced through new legislation or congressional action following next week’s election. The idea mirrors the legal arguments used in Colorado last year to try to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot — a move the Supreme Court ultimately overturned, ruling that Congress, not individual states, has the constitutional authority to enforce Section 3.
The Court’s decision has emboldened some GOP lawmakers who believe the ruling effectively places responsibility for such enforcement in the hands of Congress, where Republicans currently hold a narrow 219–213 majority in the House.
According to two congressional aides, Republican leaders may consider holding a post-election vote to declare Mamdani ineligible for office under the clause. Such a measure would face significant procedural and legal hurdles, including a likely filibuster in the Democrat-controlled Senate and near-certain court challenges.
In addition to the potential 14th Amendment challenge, House Republicans are pressuring the Justice Department to review Mamdani’s path to U.S. citizenship, claiming he may have violated the terms of his naturalization oath.Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to investigate what he described as “statements inconsistent with the oath of allegiance required of new citizens.” Ogles cited Mamdani’s 2018 naturalization and accused him of “refusal to disavow violent anti-American rhetoric.”
He reiterated those allegations in a post on X, claiming Mamdani “came to the U.S. from Uganda to turn America into an Islamic theocracy.”
In his letter, Ogles argued that Mamdani’s past remarks and political affiliations amount to a “broader pattern of conduct inconsistent with the oath of allegiance.”
He urged the Justice Department to examine whether denaturalization proceedings are warranted, referencing existing immigration law that prohibits membership in communist or totalitarian organizations for new citizens.
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) also joined the campaign, accusing Mamdani of omitting material information from his citizenship application, including membership in the Democratic Socialists of America and comments defending the “Holy Land Five,” a group of Palestinian-American leaders convicted in 2008 for funneling money to Hamas.
“New York City falls to communism next week, and they will have nobody but themselves to blame,” Fine wrote on X, referencing the upcoming mayoral election.
Mamdani, currently a member of the New York State Assembly representing Astoria, Queens, denied the accusations and said Republican lawmakers are trying to weaponize the law against a political opponent.
“No matter how many times these Republican Congress members or the president of this country calls me a Communist, it doesn’t make it true,” Mamdani said in comments to The Post last weekend.
A Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed receipt of Ogles’ letter but said responses to congressional correspondence have been delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
“The Department does not comment on the status of ongoing or potential investigations,” the spokeswoman said.
Jennifer Lopez, widely known as J.Lo, has enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning music, film, television, fashion, and business. Even after more than thirty years in the spotlight, her influence continues to be significant. From headlining stadium tours to starring in major films and launching successful ventures, Lopez remains a prominent figure admired for her talent, style, and work ethic. Alongside her professional accomplishments, her personal life—including her relationships—often draws public interest.
Recently, there has been public curiosity regarding Lopez’s personal life, following her previous relationship with Ben Affleck. Observers have noted occasional sightings of Lopez in Los Angeles with companions, prompting discussions online. However, no official statements have confirmed any new romantic relationship.
It is important to differentiate between casual public appearances and verified personal news. A coffee outing or being accompanied by security personnel does not constitute evidence of a romantic involvement. Lopez’s bodyguards, like those of other global celebrities, perform professional duties rather than play personal roles.
Lopez has openly shared her approach to love and independence in interviews, emphasizing self-fulfillment and personal growth. She has highlighted the importance of focusing on her own happiness and well-being, demonstrating that her priorities include family, creative projects, and personal development.
Her past relationships—including those with Sean Combs, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, and Marc Anthony—have been well-documented and shaped public perception of her life. However, Lopez continues to redefine her own path, balancing her career, family responsibilities, and personal autonomy.
The public’s fascination with her love life reflects her iconic status and relatable experiences. Yet Lopez maintains clear boundaries between her professional achievements and private life, choosing to share selectively. Her focus on inner peace, creativity, and family underscores her dedication to authenticity.
At this stage, whether Lopez is pursuing a new relationship or embracing singlehood, her fans continue to support her. Her story demonstrates resilience, growth, and a commitment to living life on her own terms—qualities that remain at the heart of her public and personal journey.
Their romance started nearly two decades ago
Before there were Marc Anthony and Alex Rodriguez, before Jennifer Garner and Ana de Armas, there was Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.
Bennifer was the It couple of the early ’00s. Though the two went their separate ways in 2004, 17 years later they resurrected one of Hollywood’s favorite romances. After being spotted on multiple loved-up outings and at red carpet appearances together, they finally got married in 2023.
Ahead, we take a stroll down memory lane and track Ben and Jen’s relationship history, from how they met to the stunning pink diamond Affleck proposed with in 2002—and the new love story they’re creating now that they’re together again.
The Hollywood actors—then at arguably the height of their fame—first met on the set of 2003 rom-com Gigli. Not helped by its strange title (pronounced JEE-lee), the movie flopped, but sparks flew between the leading stars.
At the time, J.Lo was still married to her second husband, dancer Cris Judd; she and Affleck went public with their relationship soon after her divorce from Judd. (The divorce was finalized in 2003.)
In 2016, the actor and singer reflected on the beginning of her relationship with Affleck in an interview with People. “We didn’t try to have a public relationship,” she said. “We just happened to be together at the birth of the tabloids, and it was like ‘Oh my God.’ It was just a lot of pressure.”
She also revealed her first impression of Affleck. “I felt like … ‘Okay, this is it,’” she said. “[But] sometimes I feel like what you think people are and how you see them when you love them is different than when they reveal later.”
The now-iconic music video features a steamy moment from Bennifer. With J.Lo in a hot-pink bikini and Affleck in a white tank, the lovebirds sunbathe on a boat while the Good Will Hunting writer and star lovingly engages in some PDA with J.Lo’s bottom (a part of her body the media obsessed over back then). The video also made tongue-in-cheek reference to the tabloids’ obsession with the relationship, including surveillance camera footage and pap photos of the two.
In 2010, J.Lo talked about the pressures the media put on their relationship during a guest appearance on The Graham Norton Show. “I love Ben, he’s a great guy, but it was a lot for both of us to be under that type of siege for two years straight,” she said. “We were on the cover of every magazine, every week, it was just a weird thing. … Our relationship, I think, did suffer because of that. That’s not the only reason … but I think it definitely played a part in the dynamic of our relationship.”
J.Lo confirmed the happy news in an interview with Diane Sawyer. “It’s the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen,” she said of the 6.1-carat pink diamond from Harry Winston that Affleck gave her. The rock reportedly cost him $2.5 million.
J.Lo played the dead wife of Affleck’s character in Jersey Girl, a dramedy that was slated for a 2003 release, but got pushed to the following year. Also starring Liv Tyler, the film ultimately underperformed at the box office, grossing only $36 million.
Days before the two were set to officially tie the knot, they released a joint statement announcing the ceremony’s postponement:
On January 22, 2004, the two ended their engagement. J.Lo confirmed the sad news through her spokesperson.
“I am confirming the report that Jennifer Lopez has ended her engagement to Ben Affleck,” the statement said at the time, per MTV. “At this difficult time, we ask that you respect her privacy.”
In June of 2004, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer married singer-songwriter and longtime friend Marc Anthony. The two welcomed twins, daughter Emme Muñiz and son Max Muñiz, in 2008. They separated in 2014.
In her 2014 book, True Love, J.Lo reflected on the turbulent period between announcing her split from Affleck and marrying Anthony. “Ben and I split up at the moment when I thought we were committing to each other forever, it was my first real heartbreak, it felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest,” she wrote, per Page Six. “I sought out comfort in another person, tried to find someone who could make me feel loved and wanted in my loneliest hour. … Marc came back into my life three days after I should have been at the altar saying ‘I do’ to another man.”
She added that their romance may have been her attempt at a quick fix for her heartbreak. “Thinking back, maybe deep down I knew that this was a Band-Aid on the cut, that my wound hadn’t been stitched or healed,” she wrote. “But I pushed all that to the back of my mind. Because life takes unpredictable twists and turns, right? And you’ve just got to go with what you feel is best in the moment.”
Affleck, too, soon moved on. He married Garner in 2005, and the new Hollywood couple welcomed three children together over the years: daughters Violet and Seraphina Affleck, and son Samuel Affleck. The couple divorced in 2018.
After J.Lo ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez and Affleck split from Ana de Armas, the two were spotted hanging out again. Page Six reported on April 30 that Affleck was photographed visiting Lopez’s Los Angeles home multiple times.
“Security picks him up at a nearby location and drops him off after spending a few hours at her house,” said a source, who insisted on the platonic nature of Affleck’s visits. “They are friends,” the insider said. “They’ve never not been.”
Nearly two decades after they called it quits, Lopez and Affleck headed to Montana for a weeklong vacation. This followed their appearances together at Lopez’s L.A. mansion the day of their departure, and at Global Citizen’s Vax Live benefit concert, per People.
An insider confirmed the getaway to E! News.
“They really care for each other and they picked up right where they left off,” a source told E!
“[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town,” another source added. “They have a strong connection. It’s all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy.”
“They have been in touch here and there throughout the years,” said an additional insider close to the singer. “Ben reached out to her to see how she was doing and they had dinner together a few times within this last month. It’s natural between them and the chemistry is unreal. They picked up where they last left off and are enjoying each other’s company right now.”
People reported that Lopez and Affleck were determined not to let distance affect their reunion and that Lopez seemed to be in a good place following her recent split from Alex Rodriguez. “Jennifer is doing well. She seems very happy and excited about her future,” a source told the outlet.
According to People, the singer flew out to Los Angeles to spend more time with her former fiancé. “Jennifer was just in Los Angeles for a couple of days,” said the source. “She spent time with Ben. They have kept in touch every day since their Montana trip … It’s a tricky situation since they live so far from each other, but they both seem committed to making things work.”
Weeks later, Affleck also reportedly took a flight to J.Lo’s residence in Miami to spend more cozy, quality time with her. A separate source told E! News that Affleck’s demonstrated investment toward their rekindling romance amid both stars’ work obligations and coastal commutes had been nothing short of impressive to Lopez, even adding that such efforts by Affleck had made her feel “giddy.”
“It’s comforting to her and she is smitten,” said the insider. “They are giddy together and you can tell she’s really happy.”
“Ben has been making the effort to make it work with their schedules. He’s really making a huge effort,” the source added. “J.Lo thinks Ben has really stepped up and loves this version of him.”
Lopez and Affleck let fans know they were in it for the long haul. Per People, Bennifer began “slowly starting to talk about the future” a few months after their reunion.
“This is not a casual relationship,” a source said. “They are taking it seriously and want it to be long-lasting.”
The pair were also determined to make the long distance work, the source said. Affleck was based in Los Angeles at the time, while Lopez often worked out of Miami.
“They will continue to travel back and forth between Los Angeles and Miami,” the source said. “They are very happy together.”
Entertainment Tonight reported that Lopez and Affleck were feeling positive about their choice to romantically reunite.
“J.Lo and Ben are very much a couple and have been telling friends that they’re together,” a source told the outlet. “When they first reconnected, they had to see if the spark was still there because it had been a while. It was, so now they are both fully in it.”
Apparently, the two had also talked through their past.
“[They] talked about the past and why things didn’t work out,” the source said. “They are both hopeful about their relationship this time around and putting the effort in. They have both matured and are on the same page and it has been easy.”
Unlike in Lopez’s relationship with Alex Rodriguez, this time around, the superstar opted to keep her professional and personal lives separate.
“J.Lo and A-Rod were always investing together and mixing business with their relationship, and Ben is less into that,” the source added. “They are just genuinely enjoying each other’s company and having a great time. Jen is very supportive of Ben and his career, but she is also connected, successful, and has her own life.”
Lopez’s and Affleck’s families began to bond more, according to E! News. Following weeks of rendezvouses between the pair, Affleck finally joined Lopez and her children at a family birthday party, and the two brought their kids together for a trip to Universal Studios. Over the July 4 weekend, Affleck also joined Lopez and her teenaged twins for some “low-key” time at her Hamptons home.
“J.Lo and Ben seemed to enjoy being on the East Coast and spending time at her beautiful home,” a source told E! News. “It was a nice change of scene for them and a great time with friends and family.”
By now, Bennifer were moving full speed ahead with their romance. According to Entertainment Tonight, close friends of the pair said they “wouldn’t be surprised” if the rekindled power couple “move in together and ultimately end up together.”
“They’re spending all of their free time together and making each other a priority. J.Lo falls hard and has certainly done the same with Ben again this time around,” a source told ET. “Ben is a guy’s guy and does his own thing, which J.Lo loves. He has his own life and is famous in a different way than she is and is not trying to compete with her by any means. They just support and love each other.”
In photographs obtained by Page Six, Affleck was seen glancing at engagement rings while popping by a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store at a local shopping mall. Affleck was joined by his son, Samuel Affleck, and his mother, Chris Boldt, for the shopping excursion. The actor’s outing came after spending more time not just with Lopez, but with her children and his, as they slowly worked to blend their families.
“Since Jennifer and Ben are in it for the long run, it’s just a natural step that they all spend time together with the kids,” a source told People.
In an exclusive video published in her personal fan newsletter, Lopez announced that she and Affleck had gotten engaged, a year after reuniting. Per People, the video featured Lopez beaming as she showed off her new engagement ring—an emerald-cut, pale green diamond. Fans also quickly took to social media sharing the news and congratulating Bennifer 2.0.
In addition to posting a teaser clip with the caption “Major Announcement!!!!” Lopez also added a diamond ring emoji to her Twitter name.
In a new edition of her newsletter, On the JLo, Lopez revealed that Affleck proposed to her for the second time while she was taking a bubble bath.
“Did you ever imagine your biggest dream could come true?” she wrote. “Saturday night while at my favorite place on earth (in the bubble bath), my beautiful love got on one knee and proposed. I was taken totally off guard and just looked in his eyes smiling and crying at the same time trying hard to get my head around the fact that after 20 years this was happening all over again, I was quite literally speechless and he said, ‘is that a yes?’ I said YES of course that’s a YES.”
Lopez and Affleck tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas wedding at midnight on July 17. The singer confirmed the news on her newsletter, On the JLo, saying that a low-key ceremony in a chapel was exactly what the two wanted.
She also confirmed the changed her last name to match her husband’s and shared a sweet photo of her in bed with her wedding band.
“They were right when they said, ‘all you need is love’. We are so grateful to have that in abundance, a new wonderful family of five amazing children and a life that we have never had more reason to look forward to,” Lopez wrote in her post. “Stick around long enough and maybe you’ll find the best moment of your life in a drive through in Las Vegas at twelve thirty in the morning in the tunnel of love drive through, with your kids and the one you’ll spend forever with. Love is a great thing, maybe the best of things-and worth waiting for.”
The pair jetted off to Paris for a sunny summer holiday after their surprise nuptials, and brought along their kids—Lopez’s twins Max and Emme, and Affleck’s daughters, Violet and Seraphina.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Affleck were seen enjoying romantic park walks and intimate dates throughout their stay in the city.
Just a few weeks after their whirlwind Vegas nuptials, the couple tied the knot in a second wedding party, a private ceremony on the Good Will Hunting star’s Riceboro, Georgia estate, per Page Six.
Celebrity guests included Affleck’s longtime collaborator and close friend Matt Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso; and director Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes. In photos obtained by Page Six, guests appeared to all be dressed in white for the lavish nuptials.
Lopez and Affleck embarked on a honeymoon in Italy, where they visited Milan and Lake Como. They were “really soaking up” the sites and “walking around, mingling, walking in and out of shops and of course [giving] lots of loving attention to each other,” an insider told People. “Every day, they are more in love.”
While shopping at the city’s bevy of luxury stores—like Cartier, Bottega Veneta, and Valentino—the source said, “They were very kind and available with all their fans.”
A source opened up to the Daily Mail about the status of the couple’s relationship, months after they officially became husband and wife.
“Ben and Jen are still in their honeymoon phase,” the insider said. “They are very head over heels for each other.”
The source added that their union has only strengthened their existing relationship. “Becoming husband and wife hasn’t changed their relationship much, except for the fact that it solidified what they had,” they said. “They’re looking at homes to purchase together and hoping to find one they’re both happy with. It’s been an ongoing process.”
Affleck was taking care of their blended family while Lopez tackled a new project. “Jen is hard at work filming, and Ben has been taking over daddy duty and helping out with the kids a lot,” the insider explained. “She adores the fact that he is such a great father and she can always rely on him. He’s been very supportive of her and has visited her on set, which she loves.”
The kids also “enjoy spending time together as an entire family.”
Ahead of the release of her forthcoming album, This Is Me … Now, and in honor of the 20th anniversary of her third studio album, This Is Me … Then, Lopez sat down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music to talk about her latest musical venture. During their conversation, she opened up about how Affleck inspired her to get into the recording studio in both instances—20 years ago and now.
“That album, This Is Me … Then, really captured a moment in time where I fell in love with the love of my life. It’s all just right there on the record and I didn’t even realize what was happening or what I was doing. It was just everyday going from the set to the recording studio, doing the thing, being in love, him coming into the studio,” she reflected. “When I listen to the lyrics now, I didn’t even realize that I was writing some of our story that would happen, which was sick. … I didn’t even realize it was kind of prophetic in a way.”
She added, “When he came back into my life, again the same thing happened where I felt so inspired and so overtaken with emotion that it was just pouring out of me. When I feel good, I write music. And I wrote music and I got in the studio in I think May, and by August when we got married, it was done.”
Lopez also spoke candidly about her initial breakup with Affleck back in 2004. “It was so painful after we broke up. Once we called off that wedding 20 years ago, it was the biggest heartbreak of my life. And I honestly felt like I was gonna die,” she said. “It sent me on a spiral for the next 18 years where I … couldn’t get it right. But now, 20 years later, it does have a happy ending. It has the most, would-never-happen-in-Hollywood ending. They would be like, ‘That would never happen so we’re not gonna write that because nobody would believe it’ ending.”
Speaking with Today, the singer described the milestone year that was her 2022.
“We moved in together, the kids moved in together, so it’s been like a really kind of emotional transition,” she said. “But at the same time … all your dreams coming true, it’s just been a phenomenal year.”
She added that 2022 was the “best year, I think, since my kids were born.”
Mr. and Mrs. Affleck arrived at the 65th Grammy Awards in elegant coordinating ensembles. The “Let’s Get Loud” singer looked dazzling in a navy and silver crystal-embellished gown by Gucci and matching accessories. The actor, next to her, looked dapper in a classic black suit, vest, crisp white shirt, and black tie.
During a guest appearance on Live With Kelly and Mark, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer opened up about her and her husband’s blended family.
“That’s almost five teenagers. The youngest is 11, so he’s not quite [a teen], but preteen,” Lopez said, referring to Affleck’s son Samuel, whom he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. “He’s an angel.”
She added, “The teenage years are tough. They start challenging you and everything. You have this baby for a while and then it’s like your best little friend who loves being with you all the time, and all of a sudden they’re like, ‘Get out of my room.’ ”
Still, Lopez described the teen years as a period of required growth for their kids.
“It’s the time when they are individuating and they are challenging everything you say and everything you do and everything you are. And that’s what it is. And you have to kind of just ride the waves,” she said. “I feel like it’s like surfing. I’m just riding the waves—whoops, just got knocked over. Now, I’m back! I’m back!”
Jennifer Lopez opened up about her marriage to Ben Affleck at the premiere of her film The Mother. “This whole entire year has been so special, since getting married last year and having a lot of firsts this year together so, it’s been beautiful,” she told Access Hollywood on the red carpet.
A source opened up to Entertainment Tonight about the couple’s relationship as they approached their one-year wedding anniversary.
“Ben and Jen are doing phenomenally. They are closer than ever before, and both of them are elated. They’re feeling united and are in very positive spirits,” the source said. “Ben loves how talented, intelligent, and loyal Jen is. They lean on each other and are supportive of one another.”
The insider also spoke about their plans for the summer, adding that the stars had been coordinating their kids’ schedules ahead of the season. “Ben and Jen Garner are figuring out their kids’ upcoming schedules,” the source said. “As for Jen and Marc Anthony, there are no issues when it comes to co-parenting.”
During a press conference for forthcoming movie musical, inspired by the songs from her ninth studio album of the same name, Lopez discussed how Affleck helped boost her confidence and pushed her to finish the script.
“I was like, ‘I don’t write, I don’t do this.’ He was like, ‘You do, you write, you direct, you produce, you choreograph, you do all the things. Start stepping into that, start owning a little bit of who you are,’ ” she said.
She added that her rekindled romance with Affleck was what inspired her to get back in the studio. “When Ben and I got back together, it was just like, ‘I want to make music again, I want to get back in the studio,’ ” she said. “I was very, very inspired.”
She continued, “It ended this 20-year journey about a lot of questions that I had about love and being myself, a hopeless romantic, and what it means to really enter into a kind of healthier, more self-accepting phase for myself. Now what will happen from that, I hope, will be even more wonderful things that I have been so privileged to live up until this point.”
In Lopez’s Amazon Prime documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, she and Affleck open up about their initial breakup and what they’ve learned to compromise on in the years since.
“Ben and I broke up three days before our wedding, and we crumbled under the pressure. You think you’re doing okay, so you shrug it off,” Lopez says. “I had a broken heart once I lost the love of my life, my best friend, and I couldn’t talk for so many years, and that was the hardest part.”
Elsewhere in the doc, Lopez tells Affleck, “I think I was angry at you for a long time. But that heartbreak set both of us on a course to figuring ourselves out, to being better people. I think I’ve forgiven you all the way. I think I need to forgive myself [for] some things.”
When they eventually reunited in 2021, Affleck says, he initially asked that their relationship not appear on Lopez’s social media at all.
“Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media,’ ” he says. “Then I sort of realized it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’ ”
Lopez adds, “I don’t think [Ben] is very comfortable with me doing all of this. But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist, and he’s gonna support me in every way he can, because he knows you can’t stop me from making the music I made … he doesn’t want to stop me. But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse.”
The two make a low-key appearance at a school play to support their kids, marking their first public appearance together in 47 days. (They were last sighted holding hands in New York City on March 30.) In a video published by In Touch, Lopez wears a beige button-down, frayed wide-leg jeans, and large gold hoop earrings. Meanwhile, Affleck can be seen opening the car door for her from the driver’s seat.
The appearance comes amid widespread rumors that the two have separated, with some outlets even alleging that Affleck has moved out of their shared home. Reps for the couple did not respond to People’s request for comment.
Multiple sources tell People that the two are currently living under separate roofs, with Affleck staying at one of their other properties as he films The Accountant 2. Over the weekend, paparazzi photos showing Affleck without his wedding ring fuel the separation rumors.
Amid continued widespread speculation over the status of their marriage, the two head to a movie theater in Los Angeles to attend a film event with Jennifer Garner and their mixed brood, including Affleck’s kids Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, as well as Lopez’s 16-year-old Emme, per the Daily Mail.
The two celebrate the national holiday on opposite sides of the country, with Lopez vacationing in the Hamptons and Affleck remaining in Los Angeles. Of how Lopez is faring, a source tells People, “She seems fine.”
Lopez rings in her milestone birthday (which actually falls on July 24) with an extravagant Bridgerton-themed bash in the Hamptons with her close friends and family, including her mom—but Affleck fails to show up, People reports.
While no explanation is given for the actor’s absence, we do know that Affleck has recently passed on attending major events like the Met Gala and the premiere of her J.Lo’s film Atlas due to production on his upcoming film The Accountant 2—reportedly the same reason he has been living in a Los Angeles rental without his wife.
Days after Affleck reportedly bought a new estate in Los Angeles, Lopez is spotted house hunting—this time looking for a place by herself.
A source tells People that Lopez “hasn’t seen Ben for weeks.”
“They’re moving on separately. Jennifer is trying to find a new home to start fresh,” the insider says. “Considering everything that’s going on, Jennifer is having a good summer. She’s been off and able to focus on what’s next. She’s enjoyed spending time with her kids, family and friends.”
They add, “She always has good attitude even when things are not perfect.”
TMZ reports that Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck in L.A. County Superior Court, citing April 26, 2024 as the date of separation.
In a candid chat with comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview magazine, Lopez opens up for the first time about her divorce from Affleck, and how she’s come to the realization that she would rather be single.
“The pain you just went through, you do not regret,” Glaser says to Lopez.
“Not one second. That doesn’t mean it didn’t almost take me out for good. It almost did. But now, on the other side of it, I think to myself, ‘Fuck, that is exactly what I needed. Thank you, god. I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m sorry that you had to do this to me so many times. I should have learned it two or three times ago. I get it. You had to hit me really hard over the head with a fucking sledgehammer. You dropped the house on me. Don’t have to do it again,’” the singer and actor says.
“You finally got it,” Glaser responds.
“I finally got it! And by the way, that doesn’t mean I have everything figured out,” Lopez continues. “Now I’m excited, when you say you’re just going to be on your own. Yes, I’m not looking for anybody, because everything that I’ve done over the past 25, 30 years, being in these different challenging situations, what can I fucking do when it’s just me flying on my own? What if I’m just free?”
Elsewhere in the interview, J.Lo says she finally learned her lesson when it comes to romantic relationships, and she would rather follow her dreams by herself, and make herself happy, than put herself through more pain just because she feels like she needs a man to grow old with.
In a new interview with Amazon/MGM, Jennifer Lopez shares that she had to “let go of her ego” while playing character Judy Robles in her latest film, Unstoppable. The sports biopic, produced by Lopez’s ex-husband Ben Affleck (as well as Matt Damon), follows the success of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg.
“It was an honor to be a part of Anthony’s story and to play Judy,” Lopez says in the interview, wearing a satin beige blazer. “I approached the role with a complete lack of ego where you have to go in there and have so much respect for the person you are playing because it’s her story.”
According to the actor, there was “no J.Lo” on set. “I disappeared, there was no Jennifer, no J.Lo—that person on the screen is just Judy,” she adds. “Luckily I got to spend time with her and see who she was alone and as a mother.”
In a very rare, candid interview for GQ’s April 2025 issue, Affleck said that he does not want to explain why he and Lopez split, as it feels “embarrassing.”
The actor insisted “there’s no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue” behind the breakup—some things simply don’t work out, no matter how much people want them to.
“The truth is, when you talk to somebody, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, there is no, ‘This is what happened,’ ” he noted. “It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do.”
Affleck said that as he gets older, he realizes that “there is no ‘So-and-so did this’ or ‘This was the big event.’ ” Instead, him trying to rationalized the split wound sound “more like a couple’s therapy session, which—you would tune out of someone else’s couple’s therapy after a while.”
“For one thing, you start going, ‘Okay, clearly this person has got these issues. Clearly they have these issues.’ And the reason I don’t want to share that is just sort of embarrassing. It feels vulnerable,” Affleck added.
Affleck and J.Lo still remain on friendly terms, and have often reunited at events to support their kids.