Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck

"Bennifer 2.0 represented a fantasy of reuniting with the one that got away"

(Image credit: Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)

What happened

Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck this week, exactly two years after the celebrity couple celebrated their marriage at a lavish party in Georgia. They had legally wed in Las Vegas a month earlier, in July 2022. The divorce petition was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the listed date of separation was April 26, 2024.

Who said what

Lopez and Affleck — know as "Bennifer" since they first coupled up in 2003 — had "two engagements, two weddings and headlines too numerous to count," The Associated Press said. And now their relationship is over, "or at least the second installment of it." Their 2004 engagement was called off right before the wedding, and both stars went on to marry other people, have children, and divorce.

Then, in 2021, "Bennifer 2.0 was born at the perfect moment, about a year into Covid-19, when people desperately needed a distraction," The Washington Post said. To some fans, The New York Times said, "Bennifer 2.0 represented a fantasy of reuniting with the one that got away."

What next?

Bennifer is "headed for another sunset, taking most of the dream with it, but perhaps not all," the Post said. "Check in 20 years from now."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.