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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck spent the summer apart, and it was clear to even the most casual fan that their two-year marriage was over. While it may seem shocking that the former dynamic duo didn’t have a prenuptial agreement in place, Lopez and Affleck made a very serious legal move that proves that they are serious about their split.
Instead of hiring separate lawyers, they have hired celebrity divorce attorney and author of It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself, Laura Wasser, to mediate their split, according to People. A source noted that “there are some sticking points over financials” and that’s why they needed Wasser’s expertise. California is a community property state, so any income earned over the two years they were married does come into play.
SheKnows spoke to Wasser at the beginning of 2024 about the A-list splits that seemed to dominate the headlines in 2023, including Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara, and Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner. She blamed the pandemic, and the entertainment industry strikes for creating pressure on Hollywood marriages. “We had a huge strike or strikes between the writers’ strike and then the actors’ strike and we had a lot of people that weren’t working. They were really looking forward to getting back to work post-COVID,” she explained. It was the “financial pressures” and the “rift of schedules” that changed the “family dynamic.”
Lopez and Affleck’s split “has the potential to get ugly,” per People‘s source, because of their Beverly Hills estate, which is still up for sale, their Dunkin’ commercials, their individual films, and his production company that he co-owns with Matt Damon. Wasser shared that anytime there is a contentious Hollywood divorce, her office tries to keep it out of the tabloid headlines — even though that’s often out of her control.
“It’s never nice to find out that you’re getting divorced by seeing it on TMZ or Radar,” Wasser advised. “So, definitely let your spouse know before we file. And if you are people who are in the public eye, it may not be a bad idea to come up with a well-crafted social media post or have your PR people do it.” Lopez and Affleck have been silent all summer about their breakup. The only talking the 55-year-old superstar did was file for divorce on the couple’s Georgia wedding anniversary — that move spoke volumes.
Before you go, see this slideshow showing photos of Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck’s second wedding venue.
