Jennifer Lopez Comments on Her "Challenging Relationships" Amid Ben Affleck Divorce

Jennifer Lopez Comments on Her “Challenging Relationships” Amid Ben Affleck Divorce

Months after Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck broke up, the Unstoppable actress shared insight into her relationships while reflecting on the parallels between her life and her character Judy Robles.

It doesn’t cost a thing for Jennifer Lopez to take a look back.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Four months after the “On the Floor” singer filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, she reflected on the hardships that ultimately made her stronger.

In fact, she shared some parallels between her personal life and that of Judy Robles, the real-life woman she portrays in the upcoming film Unstoppable, which follows the story of athlete Anthony Robles as he makes a name for himself in the wrestling world after being born with one leg.

“We were kindred spirits,” Jennifer told Variety in an interview published Jan. 1. “We both grew up Latina in this country. We both had children and have hopes and dreams for them.”

She also noted she could truly empathize with Judy, adding, “We both had challenging relationships, which left us holding our families together.”

The 55-year-old—who shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony—also emphasized the resilience women often build due to their environments.

“Women are strong,” she said. “We have to be. From the minute women are born, we’re always having to prove ourselves, to show we’re good enough. That creates a type of strength. And then a lot of us give birth—and there’s nothing that makes you stronger than doing that.”

And it turns out filming could have been complicated as Ben, 52, co-produced the sports project. But despite their ongoing divorce proceedings, the former couple only had good things to say about one another.

“Jennifer’s spectacular,” the Good Will Hunting star told Entertainment Tonight in November, also commending director William Goldenberg and her costars Don Cheadle, Jharrel Jerome and Bobby Cannavale. “We believed in the right people, and Unstoppable is another example of that.”

Presley Ann/Getty Images for LACMA

William even gushed over Jennifer and Ben’s working relationship, which he said he witnessed firsthand.

“It’s always been about the movie and that’s their personal business,” he told E! News in September. “We just kept it about the movie. We just kept her eye on the prize.”

Although the pair, who tied the knot in 2022, was focused on maintaining a solid working relationship, it wasn’t so easy in Jennifer’s personal life.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

“You have to be complete, if you want something that’s more complete,” she explained of her post-breakup life to Interview magazine in October. “You have to be good on your own. I thought I learned that, but I didn’t. And then, this summer, I had to be like, ‘I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that.'”

“It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary,” she admitted. “It feels sad. It feels desperate. But when you sit in those feelings and go, ‘These things are not going to kill me,’ it’s like actually, I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself.”

Now, read on for a full breakdown of Jennifer and Ben’s relationship.

Mel/Getty Images