'Hardest time of my life': Jennifer Lopez addresses crumbled marriage with Ben Affleck, social media hate

Jennifer Lopez may have had a sad girl summer but Jenny on the Block is ready to dance again. Despite facing a cancelled tour, the end of her marriage to Ben Affleck, and a barrage of online criticism, JLo, known for her resilience and determination, remains an unshakeable force. In a recent interaction, Lopez candidly disclosed how her world 'exploded' this year following her divorce and the personal growth that followed. JLo filed for divorce from Ben in August this year but the couple was living separate lives since April.

Jennifer Lopez reflects on her self-growth journey after divorce

In an interview with comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview Magazine, the multi-hyphenate opened up about her self-growth journey, surviving in the challenging showbiz industry, and picking herself after her marriage with Ben Affleck crumbled.

The singer explained, ¡°You have to be complete if you want something more complete. I thought I¡¯d learned that, but I hadn¡¯t. This summer, I realised I needed to go off and be on my own." Without directly referring to her breakup with Affleck, Lopez added, ¡°Being in a relationship doesn¡¯t define me. I can¡¯t be searching for happiness in others. I have to find happiness within myself.¡±

Lopez says her 'whole world exploded' after divorce

Lopez also addressed the end of the tumultuous marriage with Ben Affleck, revealing that although it wasn't what she expected, she believes it was for the best. JLo admitted that her "whole f---ing world exploded" when the divorce started. Despite the emotional turmoil that follows after a breakup, the singer-actor does not regret anything at all. ¡°Not for one second. It almost took me out for good, but now I see it was exactly what I needed¡±, she said.

'I'm focused on flying solo'

JLo is committed to prioritising herself and is taking a break from dating. During the interview, The Wedding Planner star made it clear that she's not looking for anyone special, saying "There's no new bar because I'm not looking for anybody. I'm focused on flying solo."

JLo addresses social media hate.

Divorce itself is hard but going through it in the public eye can be brutal. Given the history of her highly-publicised relationship with Affleck, JLo knew what was coming her way and she was almost prepared for it.

She said, "I know that everything that¡¯s being written and said about me, and all the conjecture of who I am as a person, is not who I am. I learned that a long time ago," adding, "And social media, because it came along after I had been in the public eye for a while, I don¡¯t take it as seriously as everybody else. I know I¡¯m a good person. I know I¡¯m a good mom. I know who my friends are. I know my friends know who I am, my mom, my dad, all that stuff."

Jennifer Lopez on her cancelled tour

In May, amid the speculations related to her separation from Ben, JLo cancelled her This Is Me... Live tour to "take time off to be with her children, family and close friends." Her move was met with severe criticism but JLo said she had to dig down deep into things that were happening in her life.

"I can¡¯t wait to get back out there. I have the most understanding and loving fans in the world. Some fan bases can be spicy. Mine are just a bunch of lovers. I was so devastated to let anybody down, but I just needed to be with my kids and myself," Lopez told Glaser.

She continued: "And I¡¯m glad I did because it was a really difficult time for me. Probably the hardest time of my life, but it was also the best time because I got to do that work on myself."

A Brief History of Bennifer

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck met on the set of Gigli in 2002. At the time, Lopez was married to her second husband, Cris Judd. JLo and Ben got engaged in November, 2022, months before her divorce was finalised from Judd. However, their romance was short-lived as the couple cancelled their wedding and eventually broke up following a tabloid frenzy.

The couple rekindled their romance in 2021 and were married in Las Vegas in 2022. Just one year into marriage, reports of trouble in paradise began surfacing, with Ben moving out of their marital house. On August 20, Lopez filed for divorce citing 'irreconcilable differences'.