Why did Jennifer Lopez divorce Ben Affleck?

We can’t help it – we all root for a happy ending. Blame it on Disney or all the rom-coms, but Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were due their happily ever after. So, what happened?

Lopez and Affleck, aka Bennifer, were the ‘It’ couple of the early 2000s – until they weren’t. Lopez is one of the most influential Latin performers, while Affleck is an A-list actor, with two Oscars. Their relationship was the perfect portrayal of a Hollywood power couple. It didn’t last but, several romances, marriages, and kids later, they found their way back to each other.

Bennifer reunited in April 2021 and it looked like it was for forever. They went from dating to getting serious quickly and the couple married in 2022. However, on Aug. 20, Lopez filed for divorce.

Why is Bennifer over again?

The rumors about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s alleged divorce started when JLo was working on her documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. She released the two documentaries about her personal life and the inspiration behind her latest album, This Is Me… Now. Rumors claimed Affleck, who is notorious about his privacy, struggled with Lopez’s need for attention.

Rumors intensified in late May after the two hadn’t been spotted together for a long time. Shortly after, they begrudgingly stepped out together to keep up appearances but the media didn’t stop. The coverage around them – one of the reasons that led to their original split – was incessant, until things turned pretty serious as Affleck moved out and the couple put their multi-million mansion up for sale.

Jennifer Lopez spent her summer and birthday away from her husband, and filed for divorce on Aug. 20, a date that has a special meaning – it was the second anniversary of their second wedding in Atlanta, Georgia, after tying the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022.

The reason why JLo filed for divorce was allegedly because Affleck wasn’t trying hard enough. “She tried really hard to make things work, and is heartbroken,” an insider told PEOPLE. Another source echoed the same thing, noting that, although Lopez is “very disappointed and sad,” she is ready to move on and “look out for herself.”

As for the emblematic date, another source said “She was done waiting and the date she did it speaks a ton.” In being the one to file for divorce she got “control of the process.”

So far, neither Jennifer Lopez nor Ben Affleck publicly addressed the split but, considering the last couple of months, that might not happen any time soon.