‘My whole f*cking world exploded’: JLo gives first interview since divorce

The singer has opened up about her split with Ben Affleck, describing herself as finally "free".

3 min read

October 10, 2024 - 10:00AM

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Lifestyle

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Jennifer Lopez has given her first interview after finalising her divorce from actor Ben Affleck, and she wasn't holding back on how she felt being a single woman again.

During her candid chat with Interview magazine, the singer revealed how she has accepted that things sometimes don't go to plan and she needs to put herself first.

“Sometimes it’s going to work out great. And sometimes it won’t. And that’s f**king OK, too,” she shared of the recent hurdles she's faced.

“I was thinking about this time in my life, and I’m like, ‘That’s not what I thought it was going to turn out like.’ And then I thought, ‘No, this is exactly where I needed to be, to lead me to where I want to go.’”

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Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck on two-year wedding anniversary. Image: AFP

"I'm good enough"

Remembering her humble beginnings in the Bronx, the star and mum to 16yo twins Max and Emme, says she always has her younger self in mind with anything she does in life.

“I think my whole life I’ve just been trying to say I’m good enough, until where I am now, when I know. I’m giving myself credit. I’m telling that little girl that grew up in the Bronx, ‘You’ve done really good for yourself.’ I didn’t do that for so many years,” the 55yo said.

"Now I think, with everything that’s happened in my life and in my relationships and even in my career, it’s like, give yourself a bit of comfort and love. We’ve been through a lot of things that nobody knows about, and you’ve persevered and you refuse to give up and to let it get you down.”

"My whole f**king world exploded"

After months of speculation, JLo filed for divorce from Ben on August 20th, listing their date of separation as April 26th 2024 and citing "irreconcilable differences".

It was during this time that the star was focused on pushing her recent film Unstoppable which in hindsight was a welcome distraction.

“I did all the work and look where I am, and then it was like my whole f—ing world exploded," she shared.

While it was a tough time, she now looks back and is happy with where she currently is in life.

“Yes, I’m not looking for anybody, because everything that I’ve done over the past 25, 30 years, being in these different challenging situations, what can I f**king do when it’s just me flying on my own - what if I’m just free?” she asked.

“For people who are romantics and love being in relationships and want to grow old with somebody, we think, 'have to have that to be whole and happy.’ And you don’t.”

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Why did JLo and Ben split?

When JLo and Ben rekindled their romance in 2021 after breaking off their engagement back in 2004, fans were thrilled.

But history appeared to be repeating itself some 20 years later with the couple appearing to grow apart this year - just two years into their marriage.

According to recent reports, Ben's "erratic behaviour" and "mood swings" played a big part in their recent split.

“You could see the erratic behaviour, the giant mood swings,” a source told People, noting that his temperament would sometimes swing from “being incredibly happy and warm — the best light that emanated from him” — to “the deepest, darkest behaviour.”

“The truth is there was a great deal of love but also unfortunately what became clear were Ben’s erratic mood swings that he couldn’t hide from the press, as much as he tried to,” the source continued.