Back in the early 2000s, two A-list stars met on a movie set. The film flopped, but the actors fell in love. Their romance so enthralled the world that it gave the couple a name that spawned a portmanteau trend—” Bennifer.”
In 2002, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got engaged. He proposed with a custom-made 6-carat pink diamond ring from Harry Winston, which was reported to be worth $2.5 million at the time.
However, shortly before they were scheduled to walk down the aisle, the pair postponed the wedding, citing too much media attention and pressure. A few months later, they called off their engagement after about two years together.
Fast forward almost two decades.
Jen and Ben rekindled their romance after other relationships, marriages, families, and splits. In 2022, the couple became engaged again—Ben gave Jen a ring featuring an 8.5-carat, radiant-cut, rare green diamond estimated to be worth $5 million. And this time, they went through with it. The pair privately tied the knot in Las Vegas on July 17, 2022, then hosted a lavish wedding in Georgia a month later. She even took his name—”Jenny From the Block” officially became Mrs. Affleck.
“We did it,” Lopez wrote in her newsletter, On the JLo. “Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient. Exactly what we wanted.”
Naturally, the world was once again swept up in the fairytale second-chance romance of these two mega-rich, megawatt stars.
But this past spring, rumors were swirling that there was trouble in paradise. The famous spouses often looked tense when photographed together and appeared to be spending a lot of time, including vacations, apart.
Last week, after months of speculation, JLo filed for divorce from Affleck—on the second anniversary of their wedding ceremony.
On August 20, 2024, citing “irreconcilable differences,” Lopez filed a Petition for Dissolution at Los Angeles County Superior Court. The filing lists April 26, 2024, as the date of separation. According to InStyle, she “requested the judge waive spousal support for both herself and Affleck” and asked that her legal surname be changed back to Lopez.
Although Jen and Ben each have children from other marriages (and have been living as a blended family), they have no shared children, so custody considerations are not an issue.
Notably, however, it has been widely rumored that the couple had not signed a prenuptial agreement. Not only would that be unusual for such a rich and famous pair—Celebrity Net Worth estimates Lopez’s fortune at $400 million and Affleck’s at $150—but it could complicate their divorce process.
California is a community property state. This means that, in general, all assets (and debts) acquired during the marital period are considered shared under the law and will be divided 50/50 in a divorce. Even a business belonging to one of the spouses may be considered community property if it was founded during the marriage or launched before the marriage but supported or grown with joint marital funds. In cases where one or both partners brought significant separate assets to the marriage, those assets will remain in the original owner’s possession; however, there is often significant commingled property—initially separate assets that got mixed in with the marital property in various ways.
Bennifer’s 38,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills is currently listed on Zillow for $68 million. The couple purchased the estate in May 2023 for just under $61 million. Seated on five lush acres with mountain views, the house boasts 12 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, a pool, an indoor sports complex, and a 12-car garage. It also has a daunting $1,100 per-day tax bill.
But that’s not all. They were married for nearly two years before separating, and both artists completed multiple lucrative film and/or music projects. In November 2022, Affleck also launched a production company, Artists Equity, with longtime friend and collaborator Matt Damon.
Complex income streams (including deferred income from projects completed during the marriage), business interests, and intangibles such as intellectual property can be challenging to appraise and divide, especially in a high-asset divorce.
Although a prenuptial agreement is not necessary for every couple, it is not just for the super-wealthy and famous. A carefully considered prenup can be very practical and prudent, but it is a delicate and deeply personal decision for each couple.
If you’re entering a high net-worth marriage, considering a prenuptial agreement for any reason, or beginning the divorce process without a prenup, speak to the veteran family attorneys at SFLG. We can help you navigate even the most complex and sensitive issues.
By Debra Schoenberg
