As summer reaches its zenith, it feels more like when, not if, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are going to officially divorce. While Lopez spent her days in the Hamptons, soaking up the sun on the East Coast, Affleck was busy on the West Coast making a major real estate move. The 51-year-old actor recently purchased a $20.5 million home in Pacific Palisades, making a notable change in his lifestyle — one that has reportedly clashed with Lopez’s more public and social approach.
Affleck’s new residence, which many describe as a quintessential bachelor pad, boasts five bedrooms and six bathrooms but is much simpler in design compared to the opulent Beverly Hills mansion he shared with Lopez that is now on the market for a cool $68 million. This sprawling 38,000-square-foot estate, replete with luxury amenities like a spa, indoor pickleball court, whiskey lounge, and cinema, never quite suited Affleck.
Sources close to the couple indicate that while Lopez thrived under the limelight, Affleck often seemed out of place. “Ben never liked the house,” a source told People earlier this summer. “It’s too far away from his kids.” Even Lopez had reservations about the enormous estate, reportedly describing it as “too big for her.”
Adding to their differences is Affleck’s commitment to sobriety, which has been a crucial aspect of his life since his last rehab stay in 2018. Lopez’s recent venture into the alcohol industry with her own cocktail range, Delola, has reportedly not sat well with Affleck. Lopez also caught some flack on social media back in April 2023 when she first announced the launch of the brand.
The couple, who rekindled their romance in 2021 and married in 2022, have faced their fair share of turbulence. Their relationship has always been under intense scrutiny, and while Lopez seemed to enjoy sharing her love publicly, Affleck is reportedly a much more private person and felt uncomfortable sharing elements of their relationship in her Amazon documentary. Lopez’s mother, Guadalupe Rodríguez, allegedly advised her daughter to “cut her losses and move on” at the beginning of July.
This advice, coupled with Affleck’s down-to-earth (well, the celebrity version of down-to-earth) real estate move, suggests that both might be ready to embrace different futures.
Before you go, click here to see a complete timeline of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship.
