Jennifer Lopez appeared to take a pointed swipe at her fourth ex-husband, Ben Affleck — and, by her own admission, at every man she has previously been engaged to or married to — during a candid interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show.
When asked by Stern whether she had ever been “truly loved,” the 56-year-old singer and actress replied decisively, “No. What I learned is, it’s not that I’m not lovable — it’s that they’re not capable. They don’t have it in them.”
Lopez elaborated that her past partners had always “given what they had,” adding, “They gave me all of it, every time — all the rings, all the things I could ever want, right? Tried to give me the houses, the rings, the marriage — all of it.” She further reflected that although she had always given her love freely, she had not fully loved herself at the time, noting that her exes also needed to “learn how to appreciate the little person inside of them.”
The Hustlers star went on to describe her February 21 divorce from the 53-year-old Oscar winner as “the best thing that ever happened to me,” explaining that it prompted a deep period of self-reflection and emotional healing. “It really made me journey inward,” she shared. “I had a religious coach, a therapist, a couple’s therapist, an individual therapist, a coach to understand addiction — I had everything. I was like, ‘I’m gonna figure this out if it kills me.’”
Before their split, Lopez reportedly persuaded Affleck to have his production company, Artists Equity, finance her $34 million film Kiss of the Spider Woman, a role she described as “the one I was born to play.” Despite positive critical reception — holding a 77% “certified fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the film has grossed only $902,000 globally since its release.
Lopez and Affleck’s relationship, often dubbed Bennifer, first began in 2001 while filming Gigli. The pair famously called off their 2004 wedding just days before the ceremony, later rekindling their romance in 2021. They married the following year but finalized their divorce in early 2025.
The amicable exes have since listed their Beverly Hills mansion, “The Crown Jewel of Wallingford,” for $52 million, having purchased it in 2023 for approximately $60.85 million.
Lopez’s romantic history includes marriages to Ojani Noa (1997–1998), Cris Judd (2001–2003), and Marc Anthony (2004–2011), with whom she shares 17-year-old twins, Emme and Max. She has also been linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs, Alex Rodriguez, and her late high school sweetheart, David Cruz.
Professionally, Lopez remains as active as ever. She will appear on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this week, before receiving the Virtuoso Award at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on November 1 for her role in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Her upcoming projects include the Netflix rom-com Office Romance, Robert Zemeckis’ thriller The Last Mrs. Parrish, and a producing role on Bob the Builder for Amazon MGM Studios. She is also set to launch her 12-date Las Vegas residency, Up All Night Live, at Caesars Palace on December 30.
With more than 80 million records sold, 15 billion music streams, and 18 billion video views, Lopez continues to be one of the most commercially successful entertainers of her generation — even as she redefines herself personally in the wake of her latest high-profile split.#newsafro_
