Jennifer Lopez News: This Is Me…Now Singer Files for Divorce from Ben Affleck
August 20 has become a significant date for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, now marked by contrasting events. Two years ago, they celebrated their wedding with family and friends after tying the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022. However, it is also the day that signifies the end of their marriage, as Lopez recently filed for divorce from her fourth husband.
Their two-year marriage represents the couple’s second attempt at love. Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, were initially engaged in late 2002, just months after they met, but called off their wedding until reuniting 20 years later. Together, they blended their families, which includes Lopez’s twins with ex-husband Marc Anthony and Affleck’s three children from his previous marriage to Jennifer Garner.
Throughout their relationship, Lopez has often expressed her feelings through her music. A notable example is her latest album, This Is Me…Now, which was released in February. Alongside the album, she launched 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, both of which featured Affleck.
Who Is Jennifer Lopez?
Jennifer Lopez, widely known as J.Lo, is an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer with a successful entertainment career that dates back to the 1990s. Born in the Bronx, New York City, Lopez began her Hollywood journey as a dancer on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 biopic Selena, subsequently establishing herself as a leading actress in critically acclaimed films such as Out of Sight, as well as popular romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan. More recently, she starred in the film Hustlers.
Lopez’s music career has also flourished, spanning nine albums, including the chart-topping record J.Lo from 2001. Her discography features numerous hit songs, including “Let’s Get Loud,” “Jenny From The Block,” and “If I Had Your Love.” Lopez has been married four times, notably to salsa icon Marc Anthony and actor Ben Affleck.
Early Life
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx. Her mother, Guadalupe “Lupe” Rodríguez, worked as a teacher, while her father, David Lopez, was a computer specialist. Both parents hail from Puerto Rico and raised three daughters, with Lopez being the middle child.
Growing up in a modest household, Lopez shared a bedroom with her sisters. Despite their limited resources, her parents instilled a strong work ethic and sense of independence in their children. “My dad worked nights, and I was aware of how much he was doing for us,” Lopez recalled in a 2013 interview with W Magazine. “My mom was a Tupperware lady and also worked at the school. I always felt that I couldn’t let them down.”
Lopez attributes her determination to her upbringing in the Bronx. “Growing up in the Bronx really did shape me because I grew up with not a lot,” she stated in November 2020. “Everything about me, my kind of grit… it is the heartbeat inside of me that is the Bronx and my upbringing that continues to drive me.”
She attended Catholic schools, including Holy Family School for her elementary education and the all-girls Preston High School. While she excelled in athletics, her true passions were music and dance. Lopez received dance training at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Ballet Hispanico, with her mother playing a significant role in nurturing her interests. “I am an entertainer because of my mom,” Lopez remarked in a Rolling Stone interview.
Despite her parents’ initial resistance, Lopez made the bold decision to drop out of Baruch College after one semester to pursue a full-time dance career. At 18, she moved out of her family home and spent time sleeping on the couch of her dance studio. “I was homeless, but I told [my mom], ‘This is what I have to do,’” she recounted. Her early earnings came from various dance performances, occasional teaching gigs, and stage musicals abroad.
It was not long before Lopez’s perseverance began to pay off, paving the way for her future success.
Movies
In 1990, Jennifer Lopez achieved recognition by winning a national competition, which led to her dancing as one of the “Fly Girls” on the popular Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color. The following year, she relocated to Los Angeles for the show, which was hosted by creator Keenen Ivory Wayans and featured notable stars like Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Lopez appeared in the show’s third and fourth seasons while simultaneously building her career as a backup dancer for renowned artists such as Janet Jackson and New Kids on the Block, alongside landing minor acting roles. Her film debut came in 1995 with the critically acclaimed drama Mi Familia, followed by performances in Money Train (1995) alongside Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, and Jack (1996), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Robin Williams.
Selena
Lopez’s breakout role came in the 1997 biopic Selena, where she portrayed the Tejano pop singer Selena Quintanilla, who was tragically murdered by a fan two years prior. The casting decision sparked controversy as some critics noted that Lopez, of Puerto Rican descent, was not Mexican American like Selena. However, Lopez dedicated herself to authentically representing the late singer by studying archival footage and visiting Selena’s hometown and family. Her performance received widespread acclaim, earning her a Golden Globe nomination and marking her as the first Latina actor to earn $1 million for a film role. Selena grossed over $35 million worldwide and was added to the National Film Registry in 2021, underscoring its cultural significance. Reflecting on the role’s impact, Lopez noted in 2015, “I decided right after that movie to make my first record, and I did.”
Thrillers: Anaconda, Out of Sight, and The Cell
As she ventured into music, Lopez continued her acting career, primarily in thriller genres. In 1997, she led the cast of Anaconda, featuring Ice Cube and Jon Voight, despite the film’s lackluster reception, which nonetheless resulted in several sequels. That same year, she appeared in Blood and Wine, opposite Jack Nicholson. Her role as federal marshal Karen Sisco in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight (1998) solidified her status as a bankable movie star. Based on an Elmore Leonard novel and co-starring George Clooney, Out of Sight remains one of Lopez’s most critically acclaimed performances. In the summer of 2000, she starred in the science fiction thriller The Cell, portraying a child psychologist tracking a dangerous serial killer. Although the film received mixed reviews, it grossed over $104 million worldwide.
Romantic Comedies: The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and More
Lopez’s multifaceted talents reached new heights in early 2001 when her film The Wedding Planner topped the American box office for its first two weeks. Simultaneously, her album J.Lo debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This achievement made her the only performer to hold both a No. 1 movie and a No. 1 album for more than two decades, a feat only matched by Bad Bunny in August 2022. In The Wedding Planner, Lopez played Mary, a wedding planner opposite Matthew McConaughey’s character, ushering in a new era of romantic comedies for her career. Subsequent films included fan favorites such as Maid in Manhattan (2002) with Ralph Fiennes, as well as less successful titles like Gigli (2003) and Jersey Girl (2004), both co-starring Ben Affleck. She also appeared in Monster-In-Law (2005) with Jane Fonda, who portrayed her challenging future mother-in-law.
In the mid-2000s, Lopez drew on her dance and music background in a pair of notable roles. She played a ballroom dance instructor assisting a bored lawyer (Richard Gere) in the 2004 remake of Shall We Dance?, and co-starred with her then-husband Marc Anthony in El Cantante (2006), a biopic about famed salsa singer Hector Lavoe, where she portrayed Lavoe’s wife, Puchi.
Returning to romantic comedies in the following decade, Lopez starred in The Back-up Plan (2010), which follows a woman embarking on a solo motherhood journey. She later joined an ensemble cast in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012), featuring Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, and Chris Rock. Lopez also lent her voice to family-friendly films like Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016), as well as the animated movie Home (2015).
Hustlers and Beyond
Between 2013 and 2015, Lopez starred in several thrillers that received mixed reviews, but found more success with the light-hearted career drama Second Act (2018), alongside Leah Remini and Vanessa Hudgens. However, her defining role came in 2019’s Hustlers, where she played a cunning stripper. This performance garnered critical acclaim, leading to a Golden Globe nomination, although she was notably overlooked for an Academy Award nomination.
In 2022, Lopez starred in the romantic comedy Marry Me, co-starring Owen Wilson. The film premiered simultaneously in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service, where it became the platform’s top movie among similarly released titles. Lopez contributed to the movie’s soundtrack, recording the duet “Marry Me” with singer Maluma.
Her more recent projects include Shotgun Wedding (2023), a rom-com with Josh Duhamel, the Netflix thriller The Mother (2023), and the sci-fi action film Atlas, also on Netflix, released in May 2024.
Music
Already a successful dancer and actor, Lopez sought to establish herself as a certified triple threat in the late 1990s. This ambition materialized with the release of her debut Latin pop album, On The 6, in June 1999. Named after the New York City subway’s 6 train, which traverses the Bronx, where Lopez grew up, the album was propelled by the success of the No. 1 single “If You Had My Love” and achieved platinum status within two weeks. Lopez quickly emerged as a significant figure representing the growing Latin cultural influence in pop music. On The 6 earned Lopez her only two Grammy nominations to date for “Let’s Get Loud” and “Waiting For Tonight,” both competing for Best Dance Recording. The latter reached the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10, peaking at No. 8.
Her second album, J.Lo, released in January 2001, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking Lopez’s only No. 1 album to date. The album’s release coincided with the box office success of The Wedding Planner. Lopez remains the only woman to achieve a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 movie. J.Lo sold 3 million copies by November 2001, with two of its tracks, “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny,” both featuring Ja Rule, reaching the Billboard Hot 100’s top spots. Additional hits from the album included “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” and “I’m Gonna Be Alright” featuring Nas.
In December 2002, Lopez continued her successful trajectory with the release of This Is Me…Then, coinciding with her starring role in Maid in Manhattan, although the two did not replicate the prior year’s success. Nevertheless, This Is Me…Then, inspired by her relationship with actor Ben Affleck, became a double-platinum album, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It also produced her fourth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “All I Have,” featuring LL Cool J. The album included the iconic track “Jenny From The Block,” showcasing her journey from the Bronx to global stardom.
Lopez continued to release new music throughout the mid-2000s and 2010s, including her first Spanish album. Notable releases included the platinum album Rebirth (2005), Como Ama Una Mujer (2007), Brave (2007), Love? (2011), and A.K.A. (2014). Her significant hits during this period included “Control Myself,” an LL Cool J track, and “On The Floor,” a collaboration with Pitbull from Love?
In 2019, Lopez honored Motown at the Grammy Awards and was selected to co-headline the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami in 2020 alongside Shakira. Lopez remarked, “I love that the Super Bowl has two women performing this year, that they have two Latinos performing this year. It’s the marker of a new time, not just for the NFL but for this country. It sends an important message.” The performance was a high-energy display, featuring Lopez’s pole dance inspired by Hustlers and a duet with her 11-year-old daughter, Emme, celebrating Latin pride.
In February 2024, Lopez released her first new album in a decade, This Is Me…Now, serving as a sequel to 2002’s This Is Me…Then. The self-funded project, costing $20 million, featured two video elements: an original musical film titled This Is Me…Now: A Love Story and a documentary chronicling the album’s creation, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which was later acquired by Amazon for an undisclosed amount. Heavily influenced by her rekindled romance with Affleck, Lopez viewed this album as a deeply personal reflection on her growth and changes over the past two decades.
Television
In addition to her success in film and music, Lopez has made numerous television appearances, earning critical acclaim as a judge on American Idol from 2011 to 2016, where she showcased her expertise and contributed to the show’s vibrant energy. In 2022, she joined the cast of the Netflix series The Mother, which she also produced. Beyond acting, Lopez launched her own production company, Nuyorican Productions, in 2001, securing deals with major networks and contributing to projects such as Shades of Blue (2016–2018) and the docuseries Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again (2013).
Lopez’s impact on the entertainment industry is profound, as she continues to inspire with her dedication to music, film, and cultural representation. Her ability to break barriers and redefine what it means to be a multi-talented artist has left a lasting legacy.
Ex-Husbands and Other Past Relationships
In addition to her marriage to Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez has been married three times: to Ojani Noa, dancer Cris Judd, and singer Marc Anthony. Throughout her career, she has also been involved in several high-profile relationships, including a notable engagement to former baseball player Alex Rodriguez.
- Ojani Noa
- Sean “Diddy” Combs
- Cris Judd
- Marc Anthony
- Casper Smart
- Alex Rodriguez
Children
Jennifer Lopez shares twins with her ex-husband Marc Anthony. She welcomed a son and a daughter, Maximilian (Max) and Emme, on February 22, 2008. The twins were just three years old when Lopez and Anthony separated in 2011. As part of their 2014 divorce settlement, Lopez was awarded primary custody, while Anthony was granted visitation rights for seven days each month.
Now in their teenage years, Emme made a memorable appearance alongside Lopez during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. Lopez frequently shares glimpses of her children on social media, showcasing their special moments together.
Net Worth
Jennifer Lopez’s extensive career has resulted in substantial financial success. As of August 2024, her net worth is estimated at $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In addition to her accomplishments in music and acting, Lopez generates income as a television and film producer through her production company, Nuyorican Productions, which entered into a multi-project deal with Netflix in 2021.
Lopez has also made significant strides as an entrepreneur. She began her foray into the beauty industry in 2002 with the launch of her fragrance, Glow, which has expanded to nearly 24 different scents in partnership with Designer Parfums. In January 2021, she introduced her skincare line, JLo Beauty. Moreover, Lopez has secured endorsement deals with various brands, including DSW and Coach, further contributing to her impressive financial portfolio.