Jennifer Lopez wasn’t going to let some marriage trouble stop her from promoting her brand. In a May 29 video shared to Instagram, the 54-year-old, dressed in a slinky green skirt and bikini top, strutted her stuff in the backyard of the $60 million home she purchased with husband, Ben Affleck, 51, before introducing her latest product, Delola Light Margaritas.
Jenny from the Block knows how to hustle — she even starred in a movie called Hustlers! Now, with split rumors igniting and some serious career wobbles, she’s working harder than ever. “It was a terrible blow to her ego that her album did so poorly and ticket sales to her concerts were way below expectations,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch. And Ben moving out to a $100K a month rental before the couple, who reunited after 20 years, could celebrate their second wedding anniversary has put her on the defensive. “She’s going about her usual business with the attitude that this is just a temporary hitch,” reveals the insider. “She still thinks she and Ben are meant to be together and the feeling is she’s just tolerating this unpleasantness until Ben realizes the same thing.”
Ben Affleck and J. Lo Rarely Had ‘Couple Time’
The “On the Floor” singer has been on the road promoting her new Netflix movie, Atlas — a rare bright spot, careerwise, it’s a hit on the streamer despite being bashed by critics. She’s also gearing up for her This Is Me… Now Tour, beginning in July, after releasing an album and multimedia project of the same name. But in the wake of sources dishing that she and Ben fought over her nonstop work schedule, the mom of two tried to paint a picture of herself as a domestic goddess. “I love to cook,” she recently told Harper’s Bazaar. “My kids love to bake. I love hosting at home, family and friends, especially now that the weather is warmer. I like to have people over. I don’t like to go out a bunch.”
But she’s not your average homebody. The insider tells In Touch that one of Ben’s issues is that he and J. Lo rarely had couple time. “There are always people around,” explains the insider. “Jennifer has a big entourage that follows her around daily — glam squad, videographers, photographers, assistants, trainers.” To Jen, however, that’s just how she rolls. “She’s tried to make Ben understand that being Jennifer Lopez is a 24/7 job,” reveals the insider. While he acts, directs and produces films, says the insider, “SHE is her brand, she lives and breathes it while Ben can leave his word at the door if he choose to.”
Not that Ben isn’t savvy about appearances. Some skeptics have noted that the Oscar winner has been repeatedly photographed of late spending quality time with the three children he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. “Jennifer doesn’t begrudge him spending time with his kids,” says the insider. “But she doesn’t think it’s fair he’s getting ‘sympathy points’ for it.” In addition to being jealous of his public perception, she’s upset he’s done nothing to debunk hurtful reports that he was in a “fever dream” when Bennifer 2.0 happened and regrets even marrying her. “Jennifer’s doing her best to keep her head up and keep her cool,” says the insider. “She doesn’t want to be seen as the villain in all of this.”
She’s Not the Only One Obsessed With Her Career
While Ben has been painted as the more sympathetic character in the split, should the pair — worth a reported $550 million — actually divorce, she wants her side of the story out. “She could say a lot,” notes the insider. “Like how Ben shares the blame for the state their marriage is in now. It takes two to tango. It also takes two to mess up a relationship.”
For starters, she’s not the only one obsessed with her career. “To be fair, Ben’s busy too,” confirms the insider. “Both their phones are going off constantly.” In fact, he currently has 10 producing projects lined up, in addition to starring in The Accountant 2. Which leads to another point of contention: Ben’s pull in Hollywood hasn’t really benefited his wife’s lukewarm big-screen career. “It’s frustrating that her acting career never took off the way she envisioned,” says the insider. “She was hoping Ben could help her in that area, that working with him would improve her standing as an actor.” The pair famously teamed up in the flops Gigli and Jersey Girl during their first go-round, with Ben later blaming their headline-making relationship for distracting from the films. He realized, he said in 2022 “how much everything around a movie sort of dictates the way people see it.”
Jennifer’s Determined to Make It Work
Despite it all, it’s telling that Jennifer has kept her wedding ring on — and it’s not just for show. The insider says that after three divorces, the Bronx native is determined to prove she deserves her relationship with Ben. “One of the reasons she’s still wearing her ring is that she’s not given up on her marriage,” adds the insider. “She loves Ben and wants to make their marriage work.”
