Ben Affleck Dropped Subtle Hint About Jennifer Lopez Split Months Before Divorce; Actor Entitled To $40M Of JLo's Earnings
Ben Affleck may have hinted that all was not well in his marriage with Jennifer Lopez months before she officially filed for divorce.
On Tuesday, Lopez confirmed months-long rumors that she and Affleck are over by filing divorce papers in Los Angeles.
But while the split rumors began to circulate in May, the Daily Mail suggested that Affleck may have dropped a subtle clue about his crumbling marriage to Lopez while filming his appearance on Kevin Hart's Peacock show "Hart to Heart."
At one point during his interview, which aired in June but was filmed in the early months of 2024, the Oscar winner used the past tense while talking about his marriage.
The supposed hint came when Affleck recalled one of his children's reaction to Lopez getting bombarded by fans while the family was in Times Square in New York City.
The "Gone Girl" star revealed that one of his daughters liked to share potential autobiography titles with him, and the frenzy surrounding Lopez apparently inspired another possible name for her future memoir, "J.Lo Was My Stepmother."
"And I was like, alright that's a good title," Affleck recalled telling his daughter in response.
According to the outlet, the use of past tense may have been a subtle clue that his relationship with Lopez had already been experiencing some troubles by then.
It is unclear when exactly the "Hart to Heart" sit-down was filmed, but it was likely before Easter as Affleck was still sporting a full beard.
Affleck had a clean-shaven look when he was photographed celebrating Easter with Lopez in New York City on March 31.
At the time, Page Six published photos of the pair packing on the PDA as they stepped out for brunch in Brooklyn.
During that same weekend, the "Justice League" star and the "Hustlers" actress were also seen holding hands as they went house-hunting in the Big Apple.
But just weeks later, split rumors started surfacing after they were no longer spotted in public together and Affleck moved out of their marital home in Beverly Hills.
Now, Affleck and Lopez are going their separate ways after just two years of marriage.
According to TMZ, Lopez listed April 26 as their official date of separation.
She does not want spousal support for either Affleck or herself, but they still have money issues to hash out as the two stars did not sign a prenuptial agreement before tying the knot twice in 2022.
This means Lopez and Affleck's individual earnings for the duration of their marriage will be considered community property.
The U.S. Sun reported that Lopez made around $80 million since July 2022, and due to the lack of prenup, Affleck is entitled to half of her income.
Family law attorney Andrew Zashin told the outlet that based on his experience, the outcome of a divorce without a prenup in place is sometimes "an equalization of the assets."
"The sum total of the assets that each person leaves the marriage with is approximately half of the total assets earned during the marriage; for 'Bennifer,' that would include acting and production earnings, deals from licensing agreements, including endorsements, and the value of real estate and other investment," the lawyer explained.
While Affleck starred in, directed and produced several movies over the past two years, Lopez is believed to have earned more because she also has income from music, brand deals, endorsements, her beauty and skincare business and her newly launched alcohol brand.
According to the lawyer, Affleck would also be entitled to half of any increase in the value of Lopez's car collection and their shared home, which they have since put up for sale for $68 million.
"It is more than likely -- given what's at stake -- that Jennifer and Ben will consult with or retain lawyers to guide them through this process," Zashin suggested.
As of this writing, Affleck reportedly has yet to respond to Lopez's divorce filing or hire a lawyer.
