It was a family affair for Jennifer Lopez at the New York City premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman — quite literally! The entertainer was joined not only by her film's co-star Tonatiuh and her 17-year-old twins Max and Emme, but also her ex-husband Ben Affleck. The Oscar-winning actor and writer happens to be a producer on the movie through his company Artists Equity with best friend Matt Damon. It's the first public reunion for the exes since filing for divorce last year after two years of marriage, finally ending their on-again off-again relationship spanning over two decades.
The reunion quickly went viral, with many dissecting the exes' dynamic on the carpet, especially given how complimentary they've been of each other while promoting the movie, and their glowing reviews of their former spouse. Speaking exclusively to OLBG, body language expert Inbaal Honigman shared with HELLO! as well that their reunion couldn't have been warmer, despite some apparent residual nerves.
"Ben, who is famed for his authentic and honest facial expressions even when exhausted or fed up, is absolutely proud of Jennifer, and entirely enchanted by her," she noted. "There's awkwardness in their pose, and when they put their arms around each other, they're not squeezing, and some distance remains, but there is still a lot of affection there, evidenced in their facial expressions."
She credits a bit of professional Hollywood magic to their comfort on the carpet too, however, saying: "Both stars pose side by side, gazing forward at the cameras. Jennifer, ever the pro, maintains her bright starry smile which doesn't drop for a moment, her cheeks rounded and her lips full."
"It's not exactly an authentic facial expression, it is rather a red carpet pose that claims her status as a bona fide superstar," Inbaal adds, although still spots some signs of support like them leaning toward one another, even sticking their chins out, which is "as if to say that it's their own private business whether or not they're an item."
She also notices Ben "can't help but gaze at [Jennifer] admiringly, throwing little adoring glances at his beautiful ex," noting that "we see the pair making direct eye contact at close range which reveals that they still feel close. They tilt their heads as they exchange some words which tells us that they're still keen to listen to one another."
Jennifer has been candid in recent interviews about her appreciation for her ex-husband and Matt's work on the movie, and taking it on as a production company, repeating the sentiment that "if it wasn't for Ben, the movie wouldn't have gotten made." She was announced to star in the movie in December 2023, while Artists Equity had boarded the project by March 2024, reuniting the duo while initial reports began to circulate that they were living separately. Jennifer filed for divorce in August of 2024, exactly two years after their wedding in Georgia.
The film, which releases in theaters on October 10, is a remake of the stage musical of the same name, which in turn originated from the 1976 Manuel Puig novel. It is also the second cinematic version of the story, following the 1985 Brazilian film starring William Hurt, Raul Julia and Sônia Braga (winning William an Oscar for Best Actor). The newest version stars Jennifer with Tonatiuh and Diego Luna.