Jennifer Lopez is speaking candidly about how her divorce from Ben Affleck profoundly altered her life, saying she intentionally paused everything to process the end of their second attempt at a relationship.
On March 11, 2026, the 56-year-old singer and actress told “Good Morning America” that she took an unprecedented year away from work after filing for divorce from Affleck in August 2024, canceling her planned summer tour to concentrate on healing and self-reflection.
In a preview of her “Nightline” interview that aired Wednesday with anchor Juju Chang, Lopez said she effectively put her career on hold, canceling tours and choosing to stay home and sit with what had happened rather than escaping the pain through work or a new relationship.
The move represented a major change for the constantly busy entertainer, who had announced in May 2024 that she would cancel her “This Is Me… Live” tour to spend more time with her children, family, and close friends.
Lopez is the mother of 18-year-old twins Maximilian David and Emme Maribel Muñiz with ex-husband Marc Anthony. The teens, whom Lopez affectionately calls Max and Emme, turned 18 in February and are heading to college, making them her top focus during the difficult time. Lopez told Chang she “needed to be home” with her children, calling them her “priority at that time.”
The break gave Lopez a chance to address long-standing patterns in her life. She admitted she had rarely been truly single, moving from one relationship into another without taking time to understand herself. She said she reached a point of asking what was happening and recognized she couldn’t place the blame on others because “that’s not where the lesson is.”
Lopez and Affleck, 53, were married in Las Vegas in July 2022, nearly 20 years after their first high-profile engagement ended in January 2004. They rekindled their romance in 2021, giving fans hope their story would have a different outcome the second time around.
Their divorce was finalized in February 2025, ending the two-year marriage. Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 until their divorce in October 2018; he shares three children with Garner: Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel.
In a September 2025 interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Lopez called the divorce “the best thing that ever happened to me.” She said working on “Kiss of the Spider Woman” amid the breakup highlighted the contrast between her professional satisfaction and personal turmoil.
Affleck served as an executive producer on the film through his company Artists Equity. Lopez credited him with enabling the project, saying he financed it after she told him it was the role she was meant to play.
The film, directed by Bill Condon, stars Diego Luna as political prisoner Valentin Arregui and newcomer Tonatiuh as his cellmate Molina, with Lopez portraying classic screen actress Ingrid Luna.
Now embracing single life, Lopez told Chang she isn’t interested in dating. When asked if she was “dating up a storm,” she laughed off the idea, saying she didn’t want to “ruin anything” because things feel very good at the moment.
The response marks a clear change from her past habits. Lopez acknowledged she had “always had a boyfriend” and said being single used to terrify her; she didn’t know if she could cope with being alone and was afraid to try.
Today, Lopez says she is happy, healthy, and grateful. She juggles roles as a mother preparing to send her children to college, an entertainer, actress, and entrepreneur. She recently launched a new Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace as she returns to work.
“I am happy, and I am healthy, and I’m grateful. That’s who I am today. And I’m surrounded by love, which is the best part,” Lopez said.
Affleck commented on the split in a March 2025 interview with GQ, calling the situation “pretty adult” despite sensational media coverage. He said there was “no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue,” describing the reality of their breakup as “much more quotidian” than people assumed and praising Lopez, saying he has “nothing but respect” for her.
He suggested the real story behind their split would likely bore most people, lacking the drama tabloids portrayed.
Lopez’s experience with divorce has shifted her view on relationships, achievement, and self-worth. The year of reflection helped her build self-trust and self-appreciation instead of constant self-criticism. She reflected that she now truly trusts and appreciates herself more, rather than being so hard on herself all the time.