Why Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Rumored Divorce Announcement May Take a While

Divorce attorney Jacqueline Newman weighs in on the speculation surrounding the couple's relationship status.

Divorce rumors surrounding Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first emerged in May, after eagle-eyed fans noticed they hadn’t been photographed together for 47 days. Their couple’s car ride reunion and united front at Affleck’s kids’ graduations did little to quell speculation, especially as they listed and sold their home, spent the summer apart, and have foregone their wedding rings on certain outings. Fans and the internet think that the two are headed toward a divorce, so why haven’t they denied or confirmed the speculation?

According to Jacqueline Newman, divorce attorney and managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, couples that divorce at Lopez and Affleck's level of celebrity not only have many contractual and legal factors to consider, such as a potential prenup and the splitting of assets (e.g., their house), but they must also account for the complexities of public perception.

“When you're dealing in a high-profile divorce and you're dealing with people [whose] marriage is very, very interesting to the public and their reputations are very important, there's a lot of maneuvering that takes place that wouldn't in a divorce where you weren't really dealing with public figures,” Newman explained.

She continued, “I think that they just want to do it the right way and they want to be respectful...They are going to be, I'm sure, making a statement saying that they love each other very much, they just weren't able to make this work, and they have a lot of respect for each other and their families; The kind of typical story and statement that people make when they're getting divorced. But, they won't be revealing any specifics.”

Financial and familial ties are often the thing that holds couples back from finalizing a divorce. High-profile cases also often involve robust teams, from lawyers to publicists, that help to carefully craft statements and documents, says Newman.

In Bennifer's situation, there is also sensitivity with the fact that they have blended families. Lopez specifically appears to have a close relationship with Affleck’s kids.

The Gone Girl star shares three children, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. Meanwhile, Lopez shares 16-year-old twins, Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.

This will not be either party’s first go-around with divorce. Affleck and Garner wed in 2005 and split in 2018, though they have maintained a healthy co-parenting relationship since. Meanwhile, Lopez is a three-time divorcée, having been married to Ojani Noa (1997-1998), Cris Judd (2001-2003), and Anthony (2004-2014).

This will also not be the first time Affleck and Lopez have parted ways. The couple famously got engaged in 2002, but later called off the wedding in 2004.

Amid continued speculation, a source told People that Lopez “hasn’t seen Ben for weeks,” as she splits her time between New York City and the Hamptons. Affleck has been spending most of his time in Los Angeles.

"They’re moving on separately. Jennifer is trying to find a new home to start fresh," the source added.

Newman says that if and when Affleck and Lopez are ready to go through with the divorce, an agreement could be made within a couple of weeks. She imagines their documents will have strict non-disparagement clauses and confidentiality language. In California, it takes six months for a divorce to become official, with the period beginning the day a petition for divorce is filed.

The couple has yet to address any of the rumors.

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