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Despite their recent split, Jennifer Lopez is making headlines for her role in the upcoming film "Unstoppable" and her ex-husband Ben Affleck's surprising praise for her performance. The film, which Affleck co-produced, has been a shared professional milestone for both stars.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Affleck expressed admiration for Lopez's work in the film, calling her performance "spectacular." Affleck praised each actor's dedication to the film by reflecting on the movie's cast—including heavy hitters like Don Cheadle, Jharrel Jerome, and Bobby Cannavale. "Unstoppable is a very different movie than this, but in a way, it's similarly rooted in the passion of really talented artists," he shared. "Billy Goldenberg, Jennifer, Don Cheadle, Jharrel [Jerome], and Bobby Cannavale were all passionate about this film."
Affleck, speaking alongside his longtime friend and collaborator Matt Damon and actor Cillian Murphy, emphasized that an actor's passion for a story is critical to success. "It speaks to a certain kind of thing I guess we're drawn to," he explained. "We really believe in the power of storytelling when the people involved in it are deeply connected to the story." For Affleck, this connection to the project led him to select Lopez and the rest of the cast as they began developing the film. "We believed in the right people, and 'Unstoppable' is another example of that."
Affleck's warm words about Lopez underscore their professionalism and shared commitment to ensuring the film's success, even in the wake of personal changes. At the film's premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival in September, director William Goldenberg noted that despite the split, there was no tension on set. "It's always been about the movie, and that's their personal business," Goldenberg said. "We just kept it about the movie. We just kept her eye on the prize."
While Affleck has not publicly stated his ongoing divorce, Lopez addressed their separation in an interview with Nikki Glaser for Interview magazine. "You have to be complete if you want something that's more complete," Lopez reflected. "I thought I learned that, but I didn't. And then, this summer, I had to be like, 'I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that.'"
Her words echoed a newfound independence and self-assurance. "Being in a relationship doesn't define me," she added. "I can't be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself."
According to the Daily Mail, Affleck wasn’t aware that Lopez planned to discuss her personal life in a recent interview. “Ben knows she’ll talk about the breakup forever, as she’s made albums and documentaries about both of her past relationships,” a source told the British publication. “While he’d prefer she didn’t talk about it, he feels like she always will,” the source continued, suggesting that he knows that is his reality. “He didn’t get a heads-up that she would speak about their relationship, but he assumed it would eventually happen. It’s as much a part of her life as anything else, and he’s accepted that he can never really escape it.”
According to the source, Affleck “respects how Jen needs to process things” and is someone who talks about her personal life. “Everyone deals with loss and breakup in their own way, and this is what Jen needed to do—Ben just has to accept that,” the insider explained.