5 interesting facts about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s divorce

The actress went to court alone without a lawyer and decided to represent herself.

AUGUST 22, 2024 11:21 AM EDTAUG 22, 2024, 11:21 AM EDT

The end of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's love story has officially happened. The 55-year-old superstar has filed for divorce from the 52-year-old actor on the second anniversary of their Georgia wedding. The Bronx diva filed the petition on Tuesday, August 20, in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The documents reveal various points to consider, including a critical one: she was the one who took the first step.

Lopez listed her and Affleck’s initial date of separation as April 26

JLo filed for divorce on August 20, but Lopez listed her and Affleck’s date of separation as April 26, just days before Lopez attended the MET gala alone as a co-host. Since mid-May, rumors of their separation have lingered over the couple, following a period of more than 47 days without photos of them together. When Jlo went on vacation with Emme, there was no sign of Ben, who had moved to another house; speculations continued, and the artist canceled her world tour 'to be with her family'.

The filing date marks the two-year anniversary of the pair’s second wedding ceremony

The couple first celebrated their nuptials in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, with their children as witnesses. On August 20th, they renewed their vows in the presence of their family and friends at the actor's house in Hampton Island. This is a place that held so much meaning for the couple, as the star of Argo acquired this property when he first got engaged to Lopez, and two decades earlier they had planned to get married.

Lopez went to court alone

According to TMZ and People, the singer went to court alone without a lawyer and decided to represent herself. She filed the document 'pro per', which means she did it herself and did not use a lawyer.

Lopez and Affleck didn’t sign a prenup

The media reports indicated that Lopez, who had legally changed her last name to Affleck, did not include any details of a prenuptial agreement in her divorce petition, and various sources told TMZ that there isn't one. Perhaps Jennifer and Ben were convinced that this second chance would be the final one and did not consider the possibility of protecting their fortune in case of a breakup.

Lopez wants judge to deny Affleck spousal support

She has not requested alimony. Jennifer waived spousal support and asked the judge to also deny spousal support to Ben. However, without a prenuptial agreement, the earnings obtained in the last two years belong to both. The former couple has yet to reach an economic agreement, potentially leading to a protracted divorce battle over financial issues. TMZ reported that 'they have been trying to reach an agreement for months, and those discussions continue but have become increasingly bitter.'

The court record indicates that López or his attorney must provide Affleck with a copy of the divorce petition to dissolve their marriage, and the report submitted to the Superior Court of Los Angeles specifies that both must share their financial information, including their incomes, expenses, properties, and current debts. The document states that they are both required to disclose any changes in their finances "until a final agreement is reached on all financial issues in their case".

JLO has 60 days to submit a financial statement and Affleck will have another 60 days after submitting his information to do the same. If either of them fails to do so, they could be sanctioned by the court.