It took four months for Jennifer Lopez to file for divorce from Ben Affleck.
When the 55-year-old singer filed divorce papers for her marriage to the 52-year-old “Justice League” actor on Tuesday, she also announced the official date of the separation.
According to Lopez, the couple separated on April 26, 2024.
The mother of two was photographed that day in New York City.
She wore a beige sweater, large sunglasses and gold earrings. She carried a black handbag with her during the trip.
After filing for divorce, a source told PEOPLE of Lopez, “She has really tried everything to make it work and is heartbroken.”
Ten days after the couple announced their separation, Lopez attended the 2024 Met Gala in New York alone, sparking rumors that the two had split.
They were last seen together on March 30, 2024 in New York City.
The next time the “Gigli” co-stars were photographed together was 47 days later, on May 16, 2024. They both attended an event in Los Angeles to support one of their children, although they traveled separately. Both stars wore their wedding rings during the outing.
At the time, however, it was reported that Affleck was living in a different house than Lopez and she was seen house hunting without her husband.
On May 20, a report on Page Six claimed that the “Argo” director had “come to his senses” regarding his failing marriage to Lopez.
“If there was a way to get a divorce on the grounds of temporary insanity, he would do it,” the insider claimed. “He feels like the last two years have been a fever dream and now he’s come to his senses and understands that it’s just not going to work.”
While divorce rumors persisted, both Lopez and Affleck avoided discussing the status of their marriage.
Lopez even dodged a reporter’s direct question about her marital problems at a press conference for her Netflix film “Atlas” on May 22 in Mexico City.
“You know better than that,” she told the reporter bluntly.
Even after summer officially began, Lopez and Affleck continued to spend time apart.
Lopez traveled to Italy and France, then spent the Fourth of July weekend in the Hamptons while her husband stayed home in LA. They were also apart to celebrate Lopez’s “Bridgerton”-themed 55th birthday party and the second anniversary of their wedding in Las Vegas, both in July.
The A-list celebrities officially put their $60 million Beverly Hills marital home up for sale in mid-July.
Later that month, Affleck purchased a $20.5 million mansion for himself in Los Angeles.
On August 5, TMZ reported that Lopez and Affleck were no longer speaking in person or on the phone.
The outlet also reported that the couple had their business administrators handle the finances of their divorce rather than hiring lawyers.
A week before Lopez filed for divorce, the “Hustlers” actress reunited with Affleck at his LA rental home on August 11.
Lopez also visited Affleck at his home on his 52nd birthday on August 15, which was apparently one of their last dates before the divorce. She was later spotted dancing to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” at his concert in LA.
Lopez and Affleck were originally together from 2002 to 2004.
They called off their engagement in January 2004 after postponing their wedding “due to the excessive media attention” surrounding the couple at the time.
After splitting, they married and had children with other partners before reconciling in 2021. They married in Las Vegas in July 2022 after a three-month engagement period and later had a more lavish ceremony in Georgia.
