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Over the past month, Hollywood A-listers Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have made headlines over speculation the two are on their way to Splitsville, USA. The rumors were fueled over Memorial Day weekend as both halves of the married couple chose to spend the holiday apart from each other.
Affleck was seen solo supporting his daughter Violet at her post-commencement party on Monday, May 27, days after she graduated from high school graduation.
Page Six photographers captured him casually dressed in jeans, a white button-up shirt, a beige jacket, and black boots, while his wife spent the holiday with her friends.
The 54-year-old Bronx native was seen arriving at a friend’s residence in Beverly Hills rocking a dazzling Gucci crop top and baggy white pants, accessorized with gold sunglasses, hoop earrings, and a sleek high ponytail.
Jennifer Lopez was spotted enjoying Memorial Day at a friend’s house in Beverly Hills. pic.twitter.com/H2bOnEIgPp
— Bennifer Updates (@BenniferUpdates) May 28, 2024
J.Lo did throw the paparazzi a bone. Visible on her finger as she coyly placed it outward-facing as she grabbed her Louis Vuitton bag and an iPad was her rare 16-cut green diamond engagement ring — possibly signaling that the two were still a couple.
TMZ caught up with Affleck and noticed he used a blue sweater to cover his ring hand as he was picking up his son, Samuel, from school on May 23.
Fans seemed not to be super concerned about Lopez not being with her partner but commented on her looking upset as cameras clicked away.
“Again she is totally pissed off at being followed – just leave her and Ben alone,” one X post read.
Another spectator wrote, “Ok JLo just announce the separation already !! There’s a reason why you guys didn’t get married the first time you should have left it there. I may eat my words but I think you guys are donzo.”
ben affleck’s son taking pictures of the paparazzi filming them is the funniest thing i have ever seen pic.twitter.com/2UFeYIfaOc
— nick (@lovechazelle) May 24, 2024
Lopez and Affleck first dated between 2001-2002 and later reunited in 2021 after separate marriages to other people. They tied the knot themselves in July 2022. The media, on the other hand, has been abuzz with speculation regarding their relationship over the past month.
Folk have been speculating that the two appear to be living separately, with Affleck photographed in Brentwood on May 16 by TMZ after Lopez was seen apparently house-hunting on May 14.
Despite these signs, the couple colloquially known as “Bennifer” was spotted together on May 17 at a school performance for one of Affleck’s children, temporarily quelling some of the rumors.
On a May 22 panel discussion about her lead role in the movie “Atlas,” Lopez was directly asked about the rumors concerning a possible separation between her and Affleck. A video shows J.Lo checking the reporter who asked what was true about the rumors saying, “You know better than that.”
Days later the conversation heated up after Lopez posted a video on social media visiting a new Netflix billboard promoting the Netflix film on May 24. Her “Good Will Hunting” hubby was nowhere in sight.
Adding fire to the flames, according to a timeline provided by Forbes, on the same day, Affleck was seen alone in another part of Los Angeles.
Gossip sites are reporting that people close to Affleck are saying he feels like he has gone crazy.
“If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would. He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream, and he’s come to his senses now and understands there is just no way this is going to work,” an unnamed purported insider told Page Six.
Conjecture about the couple’s potential separation has been accompanied by speculation about the division of their substantial assets.
If a divorce were to occur, a significant issue would be the division of the properties acquired during their marriage, especially given their combined estimated net worth of $550 million.
This could include their $60 million Bel Air home that they recently purchased after their marriage on July 22, 2022.
Lopez, whose net worth is around $400 million, and Affleck, worth $150 million, previously considered marriage in 2003 and reportedly drafted a prenuptial agreement with a “no-cheating” clause to protect Lopez’s assets. It remains unclear if a similar agreement was in place for their current marriage.
If the couple, who reunited 22 years after their first engagement, were to divorce, it would add to the statistic provided by Forbes that nearly 46% of American adults aged 55 to 64 experience divorce.
While the world watches, only time will reveal whether this Hollywood fairy tale will have a happily ever after.
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