Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from estranged husband Ben Affleck with little publicity, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
According to People magazine, the “Jenny from the Block” singer filed for divorce herself on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court without the use of an attorney. She listed her separation date as April 26.
While Lopez’s decision to file the lawsuit without an attorney may raise immediate alarm, Christopher Melcher, a partner at the law firm Walzer Melcher & Yoda and a celebrity divorce lawyer, noted that Lopez “doesn’t do anything without legal counsel.”
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck divorce after two years of marriage
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s divorce may seem amicable for now. (Getty Images)
“The filing of a divorce action was necessary to dissolve the parties’ marriage. If the case is uncontested, the paperwork can be filed without the appointment of an attorney,” Melcher told Fox News Digital.
“The fact that Jennifer filed first shows that she is taking the lead in resolving this case.”
Affleck and Lopez reportedly did not have a prenuptial agreement when they wed in 2022, but Melcher was hesitant to pass judgment on the division of assets.
Jennifer Lopez is ‘devastated’ over her divorce from Ben Affleck but has ‘done everything to make the relationship work,’ source says
“Because Jennifer was not required to disclose in court documents whether she had a prenuptial agreement with Ben, no conclusions should be drawn as to whether one existed,” he said.
“It makes sense for couples like this to have a prenuptial agreement.
Celebrity divorce lawyer Christopher Melcher said Lopez likely did not move forward with the divorce proceedings without consulting an attorney. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
“Although the marriage lasted only two years, both parties have significant assets, which complicates the divorce. Privacy can be maintained by agreeing on all aspects of the divorce.”
“The fact that Jennifer filed first shows that she is taking the lead in resolving this case.”
Holly Davis, founding partner of the law firm Kirker Davis, believes Lopez is trying to have “as drama-free a divorce as possible” by filing quietly.
“They’re moving slowly and carefully, and that slow pace seems to indicate extreme caution and sensitivity on the part of both Ben and Jen,” Davis said. “But if a final decision isn’t made soon, it may be an indication that some aspects of this are becoming contentious and difficult to reach an amicable agreement, which could mean they’ll cut corners.”
Affleck, 52, and Lopez, 55, first said “I do” during a surprise wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in 2022. A month later, the newlyweds tied the knot in a ceremony attended by friends and family in the backyard of the $8 million Georgia mansion that Affleck bought when their relationship began 20 years ago.
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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got married in July 2022 in Las Vegas. (Jennifer Lopez)
Lopez filed for divorce in Georgia on their two-year wedding anniversary, which may have been a declaration in itself.
“They move slowly and deliberately, and that slow pace seems to indicate extreme caution and sensitivity on the part of both Ben and Jen.”
“Obviously, her timing was clear,” Blank Rome’s partner Marilyn Chinitz told Fox News Digital. “I think that was a real message: ‘I’m done. I’m ready to move on.’ Because I think those people have really suffered over the last few months, and I think she just decided, ‘I’m ready to end this.'”
Chinitz believes filing the lawsuit was more of an “administrative” exercise, as the former couple “had a mediator who worked with them to come to a resolution.”
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“I think she’s smart enough to know she needs advice and she’s already worked it out,” she said. “We have to give them credit. They’re both very successful. They’re both making a lot of money. They both want to protect their children from previous marriages. I know their children have all played big roles in their lives.”
Following their secret wedding in Las Vegas, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had a second wedding in Georgia. (Jennifer Lopez/OntheJLO.com)
“I think both she and he put their children first and didn’t want any more drama in their lives that would involve their children, which is probably why they worked with a mediator to resolve this.”
“We have to commend them. They’re both very successful. They’re both making a lot of money. They both want to protect their children from their previous marriages.”
Brand expert Doug Eldridge agreed that Lopez was trying to send a message with the lawsuit, but her brand may have already suffered from fending off rumors of an affair with her fourth husband for months.
“Knowing Lopez and how tightly she manages her image, this has definitely been part of the discussion, but I imagine it’s more like the ‘duck theory’ – above the water, her head is calm, looking left and right, but below the surface, her feet are kicking hard, trying to move things forward while appearing to be taking it easy,” Eldridge told Fox News Digital.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got married in 2022, 20 years after calling off their first wedding. (Johnny Nunez)
Eldridge added that he believes “Lopez lost her marital narrative as soon as she left the stable, while Affleck became a walking meme of marital discord.”
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Eldridge added: “While many people find it amusing, Lopez, who is notoriously short-tempered and short-tempered, has a much lower tolerance for anything that makes her less marketable. The paparazzi photo sequence capturing Affleck’s misery looked eerily authentic, but the staged event photos looked like Oran Mills photos from the ’80s. Everyone saw it, and nobody liked it.”
Fox News Digital’s Larry Fink contributed to this report.
