Jennifer Lopez Drops Ben Affleck’s Last Name, Cites Reason Behind Their Divorce in Court Documents
Jennifer Lopez filed to drop Ben Affleck’s last name in their impending divorce as well as citing the reason for their split as “irreconcilable differences,” according to documents obtained by In Touch.
The “Let’s Get Loud” singer also requested that neither she nor Ben, 52, receive spousal support. J. Lo, 55, filed the documents on Tuesday, August 20, two years after their wedding ceremony in Georgia.
Many people didn’t realize that the Hustlers star legally changed her name to Jennifer Lynn Affleck as she continued to go by Jennifer Lopez in the public eye. However, J. Lo once gushed about the importance of changing her last name to match Ben’s.
“People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we’re joined together,” Jennifer told Vogue in an interview published in November 2022. “We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that. I don’t think that’s a problem.”
The Maid in Manhattan actress also revealed that she and Ben never considered changing his last name to Lopez.
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“It’s not traditional. It doesn’t have any romance to it. It feels like it’s a power move, you know what I mean? I’m very much in control of my own life and destiny and feel empowered as a woman and as a person,” J. Lo told the publication. “I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that’s okay, too. But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it’s romantic. It still carries tradition and romance to me, and maybe I’m just that kind of girl.”
As for why Jennifer was the one to officially file divorce documents instead of Ben? A source told In Touch that the Armageddon star simply “gave up.”
“Ben left the filing and the divorce in Jen’s hands, almost like a parting gift,” the insider revealed to In Touch on Wednesday, August 21. “He really doesn’t care and gave up long ago.”
The divorce filing came three months after In Touch first reported that Jen and the Good Will Hunting star’s marriage was crumbling.
“The writing is on the wall – it’s over. They’re headed for a divorce – and for once, [Ben’s] not to blame!” a source revealed on May 15. “He’s focusing on his work and his kids now. Ben already moved out and they’ll likely have to sell the dream house they spent two years searching for. They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her. There’s no way it could have lasted.”
The summer months saw the former couple spending time on opposite coasts. Jennifer stayed on the East Coast and was spotted enjoying the warmer months while biking in the Hamptons, taking in Broadway shows and celebrating her 55th birthday with friends. Ben opted to stay in Los Angeles.
However, some believed that Jen was simply smiling for the cameras in order to make her seem as though she was unbothered by her marital troubles. The Hills alum Whitney Port even accused the Marry Me star of orchestrating paparazzi shots.
“Candy Kitchen in Bridgehampton … is so special that I’m pretty sure J. Lo the other day was riding her bike to get a scoop of ice cream for a paparazzi shot,” Whitney, 39, said during an episode of her “With Whit” podcast.
Whitney’s husband, Tim Rosenman, claimed that Jennifer “didn’t even go in” to the ice cream shop and was “just there for the exterior shot.”
“That’s her vibe. She’s popped everywhere,” the former reality TV star added. “Her continually looking hot in cute settings is what keeps the machine going.”
