Rumors were swirling for months before it was officially announced that Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck. The former couple got married back in 2022 after famously rekindling their early 2000s romance, and they had a lavish Georgia wedding that attracted heavy media attention. All the attention seems like it could’ve also been partially responsible for the split, as many believe Affleck was uncomfortable with the public nature of it. This was highlighted when the divorce announcement made the Oscar winner’s viral comments about privacy resurface again, as people have noted how he responded to JLo sharing their private letters.
Ben Affleck’s Private Love Letters Made Public
Some of Affleck’s discontent was noted when he participated in a documentary called The Greatest Love Story Never Told. The documentary, which was produced by Lopez, chronicled her journey in creating a movie based on her album This Is Me…Now, which was heavily inspired by her love for Affleck.
During the creative process, the musician shared a book with her team that contained the love letters the Argo director wrote to her over the years. In the documentary, Affleck admitted to being uncomfortable with this being shared, saying:
I went down there and my book that I had given her was down there and she was like ‘I’ve been reading and the people — this is kind of the inspiration — I’ve been showing them the book.’ And I was like, ‘You’ve been showing all the musicians all those letters?’ And she was like ‘Yeah we call you Pen Affleck!’ and I was like ‘Oh my god.’ I did really find the beauty and the poetry and the irony in the fact that it’s ‘The Greatest Love Story Never Told,’ and you’re making a record about it…that it seems kinda like telling it.
This quote and others have resurfaced since the couple’s divorce was announced. Reports have claimed that Affleck has frequently been vocal about his desire for privacy and dislike of the intense media attention that his personal life attracts.
Lopez, however, seems to have a different approach to fame, where social media and how she brands herself is a key part of her career, and her decision to divulge details about her marriage in this documentary and through her music is a part of her image.
If this contrast wasn’t a red flag at the beginning, a source claimed that it seems to be now.
An Insider Claims The Former Couple Was Not On The ‘Same Page’
Affleck’s response to his private letters being shared seems to correspond with recent reports behind the couple’s split. A source told Entertainment Tonight that this incident was apparently indicative of their different approaches to their marriage, fame and creative process. The source alleged:
Ben thought Jen was on the same page as him, but realized they weren’t when she wanted to share private conversations and letters he wrote her.
This incident occurred even before Lopez shined an even brighter spotlight on the relationship between the documentary and allegorical film.
Affleck did participate in both of these projects. However, it did admittedly seem it was in an effort to be supportive of the Hustlers star’s passion project, as he was reportedly resistant to the cameras capturing their personal life.
It’s also important to note that Lopez participated in projects where Affleck was the focus as well, including Dunkin Super Bowl commercials and a movie titled Unstoppable, which stars Lopez and was produced by Affleck. It is unclear whether any creative collaborations will continue now that the duo has ended their relationship.
Bennifer may be over, but you can still revisit the Greatest Love Story Never Told documentary now with an Amazon Prime subscription. Unstoppable will also be premiering at TIFF this year, and is expected to be on the 2024 movie schedule in the near future.
