Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez News: “This Is Me…Now” Singer Files for Divorce from Ben Affleck

August 20 marks an emotional milestone for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, one that now carries a heavier significance. It was on this day two years ago that the couple celebrated their wedding, having tied the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022. However, this date now also symbolizes the end of their union, as Lopez filed for divorce from her fourth husband earlier this month.

Their two-year marriage represents the second chapter in their romantic journey. Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, were first engaged in late 2002, only to call off their wedding months later. After a long separation, the couple rekindled their love 20 years later. Together, they blended their families: Lopez’s twins with ex-husband Marc Anthony and Affleck’s three children from his marriage to Jennifer Garner.

Over the years, Lopez has immortalized her relationship with the Air actor through her music. A notable example is her album This Is Me…Now, which released in February 2024. Along with the album, Lopez released a self-funded musical titled This Is Me…Now: A Love Story and a documentary about the album’s creation, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, in which Affleck made appearances.

Who Is Jennifer Lopez?

Jennifer Lopez, a multifaceted talent, has enjoyed a successful career in entertainment since the 1990s. Hailing from the Bronx, Lopez began her Hollywood journey as a dancer on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. Her breakthrough role came in 1997, portraying Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in the biographical film Selena. She soon became a sought-after leading lady, starring in critically acclaimed films like Out of Sight and romantic comedies such as The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan. More recently, she starred in Hustlers. In music, Lopez has released nine albums, including the 2001 chart-topping J.Lo, and has produced iconic hits such as “Let’s Get Loud,” “Jenny From the Block,” and “If You Had My Love.” She has been married four times, including to salsa legend Marc Anthony and actor Ben Affleck.

Early Life

Jennifer Lynn Lopez, affectionately known as “J.Lo,” was born on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx, New York City. Her parents, Guadalupe “Lupe” Rodríguez, a teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both hailed from Puerto Rico. The couple, now divorced, had three daughters, with Jennifer being the middle child.

Growing up in a modest home in the Castle Hill neighborhood, Lopez and her sisters shared a bedroom. Despite the family’s financial limitations, Lopez was encouraged to pursue her passions for dance, gymnastics, and music, attending private school and taking dance lessons. Her parents worked hard to provide for the family and instilled in her a strong sense of work ethic and independence.

Lopez credits her upbringing in the Bronx for shaping her determination and resilience. “Everything about me, my kind of grit, I’ve never thought about it or described it this way before, but it is the heartbeat inside of me that is the Bronx and my upbringing that continues to drive me,” she remarked in 2020.

Jennifer attended Catholic schools, including Holy Family School and Preston High School, where she was active in sports like track and softball. However, her true passions lay in music and dance. “Music has always been my passion,” she shared in a 2020 interview. “Along with dance, it was my first love.”

Lopez’s mother played a pivotal role in fostering her artistic talents, introducing her to musicals and diverse music genres. “I am an entertainer because of my mom,” she said in an interview.

At age 18, Lopez moved out of her parents’ house to pursue her dance career, despite their objections. She faced the challenges of living on the couch at her dance studio and supporting herself through various performances and teaching gigs, including mentoring a young Kerry Washington.

Her big break came soon after, marking the beginning of a legendary career.

Movies

In 1990, Jennifer Lopez won a national competition that earned her a spot as one of the “Fly Girls” on the popular Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color. The show, which ran from 1990 to 1994, was created by Keenen Ivory Wayans and featured stars such as Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Lopez moved to Los Angeles for the role, while simultaneously working as a backup dancer for notable acts like Janet Jackson and New Kids on the Block, alongside booking smaller acting roles. Her film debut came in 1995 with the critically acclaimed drama Mi Familia, followed by appearances in Money Train (1995), alongside Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, and Jack (1996), directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Robin Williams.

Selena

Lopez’s breakthrough role came in 1997, when she was cast as the title character in Selena, the biopic of Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla, who was tragically killed by a fan in 1995. Although Lopez faced criticism for not being of Mexican American descent, she immersed herself in the role by watching old videos and visiting Selena’s hometown and family. Her portrayal earned widespread acclaim, securing a Golden Globe nomination and making her the first Latina actress to earn $1 million for a film role. Selena grossed over $35 million globally and was added to the National Film Registry in 2021, solidifying its cultural significance.

The film also had a pivotal impact on Lopez’s career trajectory. “I decided right after that movie to make my first record, and I did,” Lopez shared in 2015, marking the beginning of her successful music career.

Thrillers: Anaconda, Out of Sight, and The Cell

As Lopez ventured into music, she continued her film career with a series of thrillers. In 1997, she starred in Anaconda, a film featuring Ice Cube and Jon Voight that, despite its lackluster reception, spawned sequels. She also starred in Blood and Wine that same year, alongside Jack Nicholson.

Her role as U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight (1998), alongside George Clooney, significantly bolstered her reputation as a leading actress, with the film earning critical acclaim. Lopez’s performance remains one of her most celebrated to date. In 2000, she starred in the science fiction thriller The Cell, where she portrayed a child psychologist tracking a serial killer. While the film was not critically well-received, it was a commercial success, grossing over $104 million worldwide.

Romantic Comedies: The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and More

Lopez’s fame reached new heights in 2001, when The Wedding Planner became a box-office hit and her album J.Lo debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Lopez was the first artist to have both a No. 1 movie and a No. 1 album simultaneously, a feat she achieved for over two decades, and remains the only woman to do so (Bad Bunny replicated this in August 2022). In the romantic comedy, she starred opposite Matthew McConaughey as Mary, a wedding planner who falls in love with her client.

Lopez continued to star in a string of romantic comedies, including Maid in Manhattan (2002) with Ralph Fiennes, Gigli (2003) and Jersey Girl (2004), both alongside Ben Affleck, and Monster-In-Law (2005), in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda.

In the mid-2000s, Lopez returned to dance and music-themed roles. She starred in the 2004 remake of Shall We Dance?, in which she played a ballroom dance instructor helping a lawyer (Richard Gere) cope with a midlife crisis. She also portrayed Puchi, the wife of salsa singer Hector Lavoe (played by her then-husband Marc Anthony) in El Cantante (2006).

Lopez’s romantic comedy roles continued into the next decade with The Back-Up Plan (2010), about a woman who seeks motherhood on her own while finding love, and What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012), an ensemble film featuring an all-star cast. She also lent her voice to family-friendly films like Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), Ice Age: Collision Course (2016), and Home (2015).

Hustlers and Beyond

Between 2013 and 2015, Lopez starred in three thrillers that did not meet expectations, though Second Act (2018), a light-hearted career drama, had a more moderate reception. However, her career was revitalized with her role in Hustlers (2019), in which she portrayed a scheming stripper. The performance was widely praised, earning Lopez a Golden Globe nomination and numerous smaller accolades, although she was notably snubbed by the Academy Awards.

Her next major film, Marry Me (2022), a romantic comedy co-starring Owen Wilson, premiered both in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service, where it quickly became the platform’s No. 1 movie. Lopez also featured heavily on the movie’s soundtrack, recording the duet “Marry Me” with singer Maluma.

Lopez’s most recent films include Shotgun Wedding (2023), a rom-com with Josh Duhamel, and two Netflix projects: the thriller The Mother (2023) and the sci-fi action film Atlas, released in May 2024.