Why Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's relationship is closer than ever following split

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez may have gone their separate ways twice before, but the former couple appear to be growing closer than ever in the wake of their divorce.

The duo first sparked their romance in 2002, before ending their engagement two years later. They then rekindled their relationship in 2021 and tied the knot in 2022, but parted ways in August 2024.

A major shift

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Both Ben and Jennifer have experienced major changes in their personal lives in recent months, with the actor's parents passing away and the singer's twins moving out of home to start their college careers.

Ben's mother, Chris Affleck, passed away in June following a battle with pancreatic cancer, while his father died earlier in the year.

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Meanwhile, both of Jennifer's children, Max and Oskar, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, got into their desired colleges and moved out of home in September.

These seismic shifts point to the idea that Ben and Jennifer are likely leaning on each other in their times of need, considering their 2024 breakup appeared to be an amicable one.

Steadfast support

The former couple have been seen out and about together on various occasions over the past year, including the premiere of Jennifer's film Kiss from a Spider Woman in October 2025, which saw them reunite on the red carpet and share a series of loving glances. Ben executive produced the film with his company, Artists Equity.

At the event, Ben had nothing but kind words to say about his ex-wife, and told Extra that her performance in the film was "fabulous".  

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"In this role, you get to see all of her many gifts. She's somebody that grew up watching classic musicals and [she] obviously can do contemporary dance and all that... She really does it all in this movie: the acting and singing and dancing... She's fabulous, although that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone," he said.

Jennifer also gave her former partner a shoutout at the screening, saying: "Thank you, Ben. This movie wouldn't have been made without Ben and without Artists Equity."

Out and about

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Ben and Jennifer were seen Christmas shopping together in December 2025, and the mother of two then took her child Oskar and Ben's middle child Fin to Ariana Grande's concert in June 2026.

Another indication of their rekindled romance occurred when they were spotted walking into the same office building together in Los Angeles in August 2026.

The single life 

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Jennifer was briefly linked to her Office Romance co-star, Brett Goldstein, in early 2026, but reiterated her single status during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! "I should have done it sooner! I've been doing it all wrong. Trust me," she explained.

"I'm not doing anything to ruin how I feel right now. It's fantastic. I love it…I'll meet somebody somewhere one day, if they're good enough."

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While Ben has not spoken on his single status, he did share in 2025 that there were no hard feelings against Jennifer after their 2024 split.

"I guess there's a tendency to look at breakups and want to identify root causes or something. But honestly...the truth is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting. Yeah, there's no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue," he told GQ. He added that the divorce made him feel "vulnerable".