Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Celebrity News

    Ben Affleck spoke out about JLo incompatibility before divorce news

    Jennifer filed for divorce on Tuesday

    Iris Goldsztajn's avatar
    By Iris Goldsztajn
    Published 21 August 2024 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are seen on September 26, 2021 in New York City.
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Ben Affleck was aware of the differences between him and Jennifer Lopez during their marriage.

    After JLo sadly filed for divorce on Tuesday, 20 August, some of Ben's previous comments about their relationship have resurfaced, and they give us an idea of some of the challenges the two faced as a couple — though we don't know at this time exactly what led to their separation.

    "I had a very firm sense of boundaries initially around the press while Jen I don't think objected to it in the way I did. I very much did object to it," Ben said in his wife's documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, as reported by E! News. The doc came out in February.

    He continued: "I said, 'Listen, one of the things I don't want is a relationship on social media.' And then I sort of realised it's not a fair thing to ask. It's sort of like you're gonna marry a boat captain and you go, 'Well, I don't like the water.'

    "We're just two people with kind of different approaches trying to learn to compromise."

    You may like
    • Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43 Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
    • Milly Goldsmith “I’ve Never Had A Boyfriend”: Milly Goldsmith On Being “Chronically Single”
    • Caucasian woman caressing face of man - stock photo What The Invite Gets Right About Open Relationships, According to the People Living Them

    The issue of how public to be has unfortunately been an ongoing difficulty in Ben and Jen's relationship. The two originally got together in 2002, but ended up splitting up in 2004 due in part to overwhelming public scrutiny.

    "My relationship [with Affleck] self-destructed in front of the entire world," Jennifer admitted in 2017 during an interview with Vanity Fair. "It was a two-year thing for me until I picked myself up again."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    And just this June, Ben described the disparity between his level of fame and Jennifer's. Speaking on Kevin Hart's podcast, the actor said: "People are like, 'Hey, I like your movie,'" when they see him, whereas when they spot his wife: "they’re like 'AHHHH! JLO!'"

    Sadly, Bennifer's second breakup hasn't come as a surprise for fans, as divorce rumours had been following them for months now. Now, after two years married, their relationship is truly over. We wish Ben and Jen all the best as they navigate this tricky time.

    Explore More
    Ben Affleck Jennifer Lopez
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Social Links Navigation
    Freelance News Writer

    Iris Goldsztajn is a freelance news writer for Marie Claire UK. She covers celebrity and royal news, and has previously written for titles including Marie Claire US, InStlyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red.

    Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, she is especially interested in debunking diet culture and de-stigmatising mental health struggles.

    Read more
    Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43
    Life Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
    Milly Goldsmith
    Relationships “I’ve Never Had A Boyfriend”: Milly Goldsmith On Being “Chronically Single”
     
     
    Caucasian woman caressing face of man - stock photo
    Life What The Invite Gets Right About Open Relationships, According to the People Living Them
    Broken disco ball smashed to pieces on the floor. Black and white for a dramatic touch. Shiny backdrop is defocused.
    Relationships Why Do Men Ruin Your Birthday?
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in News
    New Beauty Launches Romilly Wilde / Cécred / Bobbi Brown
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Cécred Comes to the UK, Romilly Wilde Returns & £22 Skincare Gets Serious
    The Beauty Digest: New Products to Know
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: A Foundation With Infinite Shades, Diptyque Does Bodycare, and the Exhibition Every Beauty Lover Should See
     
     
    Eva Omaghomi
    Fashion After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
    New Beauty Products: The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Dyson Does Teeth, Fenty Rips Up the Rulebook (Again) and a Surprisingly Fragrant Week for Dogs
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.