The Truth Behind Bennifer Divorce Rumors: They Have “Very Different Approaches” to Fame

Two years after walking down the aisle, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are dealing with marital issues due to their “very different approaches” to fame and attention from the media, sources say.

Amid ongoing rumors of divorce and news that the two are living under separate roofs, multiple sources talked to People about the tension plaguing the couple’s relationship.

“They just have very different approaches when it comes to media attention. Ben hates all attention and it makes him very uncomfortable. Jennifer has always had a different approach,” one insider said.

A source in the film industry explained that Affleck has “always been impressed” by Lopez’s work ethic and success. Still, “always sharing her life is not his way.” The source added: “Even though he admires that about her, it doesn’t make him happy and causes stress in his life and then in hers. There is no question their different styles clash.”

Another insider, from the music industry, offered a similar perspective, saying that Lopez “needs that expression, but Affleck simply is not comfortable with it.”

“After a while it causes tension in the relationship,” the source said. “He is more introspective and private. She likes to open her heart to her fans and to the world. This makes them considerably different, and it has been difficult in the day-to-day relationship.”

Despite that, the source said, the two stars’ love for each other has endured through those obstacles: “There have always been clashes in their styles, how they handle issues, and their actions, but nothing has stopped their love over the years. This is a great love story.”

Lopez and Affleck rekindled their romance in 2021, nearly 20 years after they famously called off their first engagement.

Affleck had hinted at their clashing outlooks on privacy in The Greatest Love Story Never Told, an Amazon Prime documentary released in February that tracked the making of Lopez’s latest album, This Is Me … Now.

“Getting back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media,’ ” the Air director said. “Then I sort of realized it’s not a fair thing to ask. It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, ‘Well, I don’t like the water.’ ”

Lopez shared a similar sentiment elsewhere in the doc. “He loves me, he knows I’m an artist, and he’s gonna support me in every way he can because he knows you can’t stop me from making the music I made. But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse,” she said.

Last week, People reported that Affleck is not currently living at the Bel Air mansion he and Lopez bought together last year. Instead, he is staying at one of their other properties as he films The Accountant 2. Rumors of a split were exacerbated when Affleck was spotted on various outings over the weekend without his wedding ring.

Despite the alleged tension, the two have been photographed attending family events together multiple times over the last week. They most recently went to a film event at a Los Angeles theater on Sunday, accompanied by Affleck’s ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and their kids.

As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers’ rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.