Jennifer Lopez has opened up about her recent split from Ben Affleck, calling their divorce “the best thing that ever happened to me".
In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the singer and actress, 56, spoke candidly about the emotional toll of her breakup with the Gone Girl star and how it became a surprising source of personal growth.
“Because it changed me,” she said. “It helped me grow in a way that I needed to grow.”
“Back home, it was not great”
The 'On The Floor' singer is currently promoting her passion project, Kiss of the Spider Woman, a musical film she was shooting while her marriage to Affleck was coming to an end.
“It was a really tough time,” she recalled. “Every moment on set, every moment I was doing this role, I was so happy, and then it was like, back home, it was not great. And it was just like, ‘How do I work inside of this?’”
A source told PEOPLE in August that Lopez is now in a “very happy” place, adding: “She’s come a long way since. She’s very happy and just grateful for her life.”
A rekindled romance that didn’t last
The former couple first got engaged in 2002 during their early 2000s romance, but broke up before walking down the aisle.
Nearly two decades later, they rekindled their relationship in July 2021 and married in Las Vegas in July 2022. A second ceremony followed the next month in Georgia, surrounded by family and friends.
However, court documents later revealed the pair had separated in April 2023. Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024, and the proceedings were finalized by January this year.
Both Affleck and Lopez reportedly settled quickly through mediation in September 2024. Though most financial details remain sealed, sources say both stars kept what they earned during the marriage.
They also came to an agreement about their $61 million Beverly Hills mansion, though the details have not been made public.
The 'Jenny From The Block' musician also legally dropped “Affleck” from her name once the divorce was finalized.
Kiss of the Spider Woman marks Lopez’s first movie musical and stars Diego Luna and Tonatiuh.
Based on the 1993 Broadway classic - itself an adaptation of Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel - the film hits theaters on October 10.
During a Q&A at Sundance, Lopez said: “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” and shared that the film is also a tribute to her mother, Guadalupe Rodríguez.
"When you talk about the importance of musicals, the reason that I even wanted to be in this business was because my mom would sit me in front of the TV... we'd come on once a year, West Side Story on Thanksgiving," she shared.
"I remember I was just mesmerized. And I was like, 'That's what I want to do.' And that was always my goal. And this is the first time I actually got to do it. This crowd made my dream come true!" she added.