Schrodinger’s Divorce – Are Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Calling It Quits?

Rumors have been swirling around Hollywood that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s marriage is all but over. It started May 17 when Lopez attended the Met Gala alone one day after the two were spotted together at Affleck’s son’s school play. His absence could very well have been due to scheduling obligations on his new film, but that didn’t stop In Touch Weekly from firing the first shot of turmoil.

So, how did we get here?

When the Romance Started

Affleck and Lopez first met in 2002 on the set of Gigli. The movie may have bombed, but their love affair became a blockbuster of epic proportions. So much so, they were labeled “Bennifer”, igniting the trendy pop-culture-name mashup craze.

The hottest couple around was engaged later that year, but the spark soon fizzled. After calling off their 2003 wedding (supposedly because of “excessive media attention”), their separation became official in January 2004.

Both seemed to move on quickly, though. Lopez married Marc Anthony in 2004; a year later, Affleck married his new girlfriend, Jennifer Garner.

Relationships Crumble

Lopez and Anthony were the first to call it quits, ending their marriage in 2014. Affleck and Garner lasted another four years before their divorce was finalized in 2018. Both then moved on to new suitors for a brief period. But as Affleck’s flirtation with Ana de Armes fizzled and Lopez’s engagement to baseball phenom Alex Rodriguez ended in 2019, the door was finally open for Affleck and Lopez to rekindle their tabloid flame.

A Second Chance at Love

The Bennifer hurricane swept through the rumor mill once again when Affleck and Lopez separately attended the Vax Live concert. They were then spotted together several times over the next few months.

Their newfound love quickly flourished into another engagement, this time culminating in marriage at a 2022 Las Vegas ceremony at the A Little White Wedding Chapel.

What About Their Kids?

Even though Affleck and Anthony only have visitation rights to see their kids, both Affleck and Lopez share joint legal custody with their respective exes, and all parties feel the same when it comes to the health, safety, and education of their children.

An US weekly source has stated, “They have a mutual respect for each other as parents and know how well all their kids get along. They want to foster and nurture those relationships and will do whatever it takes to show their support.”

What now?

Neither Affleck nor Lopez has confirmed or denied these rumors. That hasn’t stopped sources from revealing the couple doesn’t see eye-to-eye on parenting and finances, nor does it negate the fact that Affleck has moved out of their home. It doesn’t help, either, that Lopez canceled her This Is Me… Live tour, citing the need to spend more time with her family to be “absolutely necessary.”

This still isn’t enough to know if the marriage is over. Until an official announcement is released, we can assume this is nothing more than a Schrodinger’s cat situation — Affleck and Lopez are both happily married and filing for divorce.

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