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It’s been over two months since Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez finalized their divorce.
And now, for the first time, Ben is telling his side of the story.
The Oscar-winner covers the April issue of GQ, and inside the mag he gives his most candid interview yet on the topic of 2024’s most high-profile split.
Ben Affleck downplays drama, says he still respects his ex
Asked about the breakup, Ben characterized the whole thing as “drama-free.”
He then insisted that fans’ “eyes would glaze over with boredom” if they “sat down and talked to” him about his seemingly “sensational” life.
Ben declined to go into detail about the reasons behind the split, but he allowed that he’s “more reserved and private than” Lopez, and he acknowledged that they did not “always have the same attitude toward” being in the public eye.
Ben also addressed the topic of Jen’s controversial documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. He denied that the film caused “some major fracture” in the relationship.
But he subtly acknowledged that it wasn’t exactly his dream project, explaining that he took part in order to show “love and support” to his then-partner.
“You’ve got to own what you knew going into any relationship,” he noted.
“It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, ‘Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.’”
Ben went on to say that despite the brevity of their marriage, Jen remains “somebody [he has] a lot of respect for.”
He further explained that he does not want to “suggest” that “the line between public and private life” led to “negativity or judgment.”
Ben sings Jen’s praises
“I have nothing but respect [for her]. I guess there’s a tendency to look at breakups and want to identify root causes or something. But honestly, like I said, the truth is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting,” Affleck continued.
He added that there was “no scandal, no soap opera [and] no intrigue” during the marriage or ensuing divorce.
“The truth is, when you talk to somebody, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, there is no: ‘This is what happened.’ It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do,” he said.
“There is no ‘So-and-so did this’ or ‘This was the big event,’” Affleck continued.
“It sounds more like a couple’s therapy session. … You start going, ‘OK, clearly this person has got these issues. Clearly, they have these issues.’”
Ben added that he has no interest in sharing details about the split, as doing so would be “sort of embarrassing” and “vulnerable.”
We’re sure Jen will follow suit. After all, these two have weathered enough controversies over the course of their careers — we’re sure they’re not looking to welcome any additional, unnecessary drama into their lives.