Ben Affleck gives surprising three-word response when asked about Jennifer Lopez amid tense divorce
Ben Affleck had high praise for his estranged wife Jennifer Lopez’s performance in the upcoming film Unstoppable, of which he is a producer.
The Air actor-director, 52, who is in the middle of a divorce from Lopez, 55, said Entertainment tonight On Sunday, ‘Jennifer will be spectacular’ in the role of Judy Robles in the sports drama.
The two-time Oscar winner appeared in the interview with friend and Artists Equity production partner Matt Damon, 54; and reigning Best Actor Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, 48, who stars in another film the production company is releasing, titled Small Things Like These.
Directed by William Goldenberg, Unstoppable will hit theaters on December 6 and features a cast including Lopez, Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle.
In Unstoppable, Jerome stars as champion Anthony Robles, amateur wrestler from Arizona State University, who was born with one leg.
Ben Affleck, 52, had high praise for his estranged wife Jennifer Lopez’s performance in the upcoming film Unstoppable, which he is a producer on.
“Unstoppable is a very different film than this one, but in a way it is also rooted in the passion of really talented artists,” Affleck said. “Goldenberg and Jennifer and Don Cheadle and Jharrel, and Bobby Cannavale – they were all very passionate about this film.”
Affleck said Unstoppable is “another example of” the types of films he and Damon are “really proud of” and “believed in the right people” to work with.
Lopez, in a conversation with Nikki Glaser published in Interview magazine Oct. 9 said she is tackling the final chapter of her life with the wisdom that comes with life experience.
“I think all my life I’ve just tried to say I’m good enough, to where I am now, when I know,” Lopez said. ‘I give myself credit. I say to that little girl who grew up in the Bronx, “You’ve done really well for yourself.” I haven’t done that in so many years.
“And now I think, with everything that’s happened in my life and in my relationships and even in my career, it’s like you have to give yourself a little bit of comfort and love.”
Lopez talked about how she deals with setbacks in difficult times.
“We’ve been through a lot of things that no one knows about, and you’ve persevered and you refuse to give up and let it bring you down,” she said. ‘There’s something to be said for that, because things can really change your life in a way where you want to give up and say, ‘F*** this, this is too hard, I don’t want to do this anymore. “
‘But I’m not here. I refuse to give myself everything that little girl deserves.”
Affleck said in March 2023 CBS Sunday morning that it was a pleasure to work closely with Lopez on the film.
Lopez pictured at a promotional event for Unstoppable on Sunday in NYC
Lopez was on a panel with moderator Cori Murray; director William Goldenberg; Judy Robles, who plays them; costar Jharrel Jerome; and Anthony Robles, on whom the film is based
“What fun, what a joy to do something with her, to see her be amazing, to get to work with your wife, to get to work with your best friend,” Affleck said at the time. “If you don’t like who you’re working with, and if you’re having problems at work, I think that’s one of the things that can cause depression, anxiety and pain in people.
‘And vice versa, [if] You love the people at work and you probably have a pretty good life, you know?”
Affleck told the outlet of Lopez working on the film, “I can’t give the impression that she’s doing it as a favor to me, but that’s actually true.”
Affleck and Lopez worked together during their romance 20 years ago, including the famous 2003 comedy Gigli and the 2004 Kevin Smith film Jersey Girl.
Lopez’s divorce filing on August 20, 2024 came after months of speculation surrounding the relationship between the A-list singer-actress and actor-director.
Lopez filed the documents on the two-year anniversary of their wedding on August 20, 2022, at Affleck’s estate outside Savannah, Georgia.
Lopez and Affleck made headlines in 2021 when they rekindled their romance, nearly 17 years after calling off their original engagement and postponing their wedding in September 2003.
In April 2021, reports surfaced that the musician and the Oscar-winning director reconnected following Lopez’s split from former MLB star Alex Rodriguez.
The former couple was photographed at the LACMA Art+Film Gala on November 4, 2023
Affleck and Lopez pictured at This Is Me…Now: A Love Story debut on February 13, 2024 in Hollywood, California
The couple confirmed their relationship on Instagram in July and returned to the red carpet at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, then exchanged vows at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022.
“In the end, it was the best possible wedding we could have imagined,” Lopez said in her On the JLo newsletter on July 17, 2022. “One we dreamed of a long time ago and one that became very real (in the eyes of the state , Las Vegas, a pink convertible and each other) in the very, very long term.”
The couple exchanged vows again at Affleck’s estate outside Savannah, Georgia on August 20, 2022, two years to the day prior to Lopez’s divorce filing.
Lopez is mother to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, 56, which lasted from 2004 to 2014.
Affleck, who was married to 52-year-old Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018, has three children with her: 18-year-old Violet, 15-year-old Finn and 12-year-old Samuel.