Jennifer Lopez has broken her silence on her and Ben Affleck’s divorce

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's 'The Mother'
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck officially separated in August, with Lopez filing for divorce after two years of marriage.

The A-list couple had been at the centre of divorce speculation since early 2024, following the cancellation of Lopez's 'This Is Me... Live’ tour, and their decision to put their $60 million Beverly Hills property on the market.

This week, the 55-year-old singer broke her silence on the difficult split, opening up about it for the first time in a conversation with Interview magazine.

And while admitting that it feels “sad” and “desperate”, she also stressed that “these things are not going to kill [her]”, and that she is “capable of joy and happiness all by [herself].”

"I was thinking about this time in my life, and I’m like, 'That’s not what I thought it was going to turn out like,'" Lopez explained to interviewer Nikki Glaser about the public break up. "And then I thought, 'No, this is exactly where I needed to be, to lead me to where I want to go.'

“That doesn’t mean it didn’t almost take me out for good,” Lopez continued, when explaining that she didn’t regret one second. “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.'”

"Being in a relationship doesn’t define me,” Lopez later concluded. “I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person, but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, 'No, I’m actually good.'"

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.