Ben Affleck has responded to rumors that he's struck up a new relationship soon after splitting from Jennifer Lopez.
Lopez, 55, officially filed for divorce from 52-year-old Affleck, on Tuesday, August 20.
The couple’s separation comes two years after they first tied the knot in a private ceremony in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, followed by a lavish wedding celebration in Georgia on August 20, 2022.
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Lopez personally submitted the divorce papers to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the cause for their breakup.
She listed April 26, 2024, as the official date of separation, according to TMZ.
Following the split, there is speculation about a potential romance between Affleck and 36-year-old Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, which surfaced over the weekend.
However, such rumors have been quickly dismissed.
“The rumors are not true,” Affleck’s representative, Jen Allen, told Fox News Digital.
The rumors began circulating after multiple sources informed PEOPLE that Affleck and Kennedy, one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s six children, have been "spending time together" since early spring.
One insider even suggested that Kennedy had long harbored feelings for the actor. “Kick’s celeb crush has always been Ben,” the source revealed.
Kennedy, who has previously been linked romantically to Harper Simon, the son of musician Paul Simon, and the late billionaire banking heir Matthew Mellon, has yet to comment on the speculation.
In a December 2022 interview with Vogue, Lopez expressed her pride in being Mrs. Affleck and explained her decision to legally adopt her husband’s last name.
“We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that. I don’t think that’s a problem,” she said at the time, adding: “People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez, but my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we’re joined together.”
The couple’s relationship was further highlighted by the engraving on Lopez’s engagement ring, an 8.5-carat radiant-cut green diamond with two half-moon accent diamonds.
Affleck had inscribed the words "not.going.anywhere" on the ring, a phrase he often used in emails when they rekindled their romance.
“Because that’s how he would sign his emails when we started talking again,” Lopez explained to Zane Lowe of Apple Music One. “Like, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.’”
A source told PEOPLE that Lopez made significant efforts to save the marriage but ultimately could not make it work.
“She tried really hard to make things work, and is heartbroken,” the insider shared, adding: “The kids are a top priority, as they always have been.”
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