Inside the WORST year of Jennifer Lopez’s life: As her Ben Affleck ‘love story’ ends in divorce, TOM LEONARD lays bare the flop commercial ventures, the public humiliations… and even the friends now deserting her
As a seasoned observer of celebrity lives and their ups and downs, I must say that 2024 has been quite a rollercoaster for Jennifer Lopez. From the highs of her marriage to the lows of rumors and separation, it seems like her life is a never-ending soap opera.
Jennifer Lopez appeared radiantly joyful at her 55th birthday party last month, where she danced and sang while wearing a grandiose Regency ballgown, reminiscent of the Bridgerton series, at a venue in the Hamptons.
The numerous photos and videos she subsequently shared online showcased JLo’s typical attention-grabbing enthusiasm at its peak.
Yet, hidden beneath the glitz and glamour, lay a strange air of desperation.
Bridgerton has a strong flavour of Jane Austen romance about it, of course.
However, if the story’s motif was intended to be more consistent, Jennifer Lopez could have drawn inspiration from Miss Haversham, a character from Charles Dickens’s novel, who chooses to live out her days in an old, tattered wedding gown after being abandoned at the altar, symbolizing her unfulfilled dreams and eternal heartbreak.
For there was one glaring absence at the lavish birthday bash – namely JLo’s husband, Ben Affleck.
On the same day, he was seen across the country on the opposite side, having abandoned the pretense of wearing his wedding ring altogether.
It has been confirmed through their divorce documents, which were submitted on Tuesday by Lopez, that the formerly affectionately dubbed ‘Bennifer’ couple had been living apart since April. Despite this separation, they continued to wear their flashy rings in public, possibly for the sake of the media and potentially their children as well.
In January, Lopez posted a short video for her almost 17 million YouTube followers, titled “JLOVERS… Our year is 2024.” (This sentence is a paraphrase of the original.)
In this instance, she mimicked the singing of popular social media personality Kym Jenkins, joyfully exclaiming, “Get ready to grow tired of me!”
In the realm of Jennifer Lopez, one would rarely find fatigue towards her self-centered celebrity status, yet regrettably, her cautionary words have proven remarkably accurate.
Even a person living in the most isolated region of the Amazon rainforest, far removed from civilization, likely wouldn’t find Tuesday’s announcement of the divorce filing in Los Angeles surprising.
In fact, neither party seemed surprised or deeply concerned about it, considering the extensive proof that had been available to them indicating such an outcome was likely.
2024, rather than being an extraordinary year for me and my devoted fans, has undeniably been one of the toughest yet – a time marked by persistent whispers from the Affleck camp suggesting that I was relentlessly seeking attention and publicity, driving him up the wall.
On his 55th birthday, the breakdown of his marriage was merely a frosting on an already challenging day, and certainly one of the many obstacles he faced in his professional life.
Fuelled by an intense passion that has catapulted her beyond her current accomplishments in both film and music, Lopez consistently prioritizes her work.
Moreover, it seems Affleck had momentarily overlooked the fact, but was soon made aware, that her work life and personal life are now deeply intertwined.
It turned out to be a disadvantage for the commercial success of her work when it was discovered that most of it focused on expressing her unending affection for Affleck, especially since their relationship was not as idealized as portrayed.
In February, the debut portion of a four-part, $20 million grand public homage to their long-lasting love (an album, movie, documentary, and tour) was unveiled.
Her Initial Studio Album After a Decade Didn’t Gain Much Praise, Including From Fans and Critics, Particularly Due to Lopez’s Persistent Focus on Affleck in Her Songs.
As a lifestyle connoisseur, I must say, in my latest collection, you’ll find tunes like “Dear Ben Pt II,” “Rebound,” “This Time Around,” “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” and “Mad In Love.” Among these tracks, none could be more truthfully titled than the latter.
As a diehard fan, I eagerly anticipated the release of Carly Rae Jepsen’s album “This Is Me…Now,” which surprisingly entered at number 38 on the US Billboard 200 (a significant drop from her previous studio albums). Despite my fervent hopes, it didn’t ignite the music world as I had expected.
In fact, it sold a mere 14,000 copies in its debut week.
The album came with a musical movie and a documentary available on Amazon Prime Video; it’s said that this also added to their marital stress.
The strangely captivating, visually stunning movie was a highly-artistic, self-funded reimagining by JLo (now reportedly valued at $400 million) of her multiple unsuccessful relationships. This film serves as a fictional portrayal of those experiences.
In the movie, Lopez’s persona mentions that when folks inquired about her career aspirations as a child, she would respond: “I wish to be in a loving relationship.”
Told she’s a ‘relationship addict’, she goes into rehab at Love Addicts Anonymous.
The movie showcased brief appearances by both Lopez and Affleck, being marketed enthusiastically as her “unwavering” 20-year “quest for self-discovery through love,” and a “sincere depiction of an icon who risked everything to find renewed resolve in self-acceptance and affection.”
It was verified by the movie’s director, Dave Meyers, that rumors indicating a struggle for Ben Affleck due to Jennifer Lopez’s persistent inclination to disclose their personal life details to fans were indeed true.
Originally, the actor and filmmaker were hesitant about exposing all their private belongings for the movie, as they shared this private concern with him.
But, added Meyers optimistically: ‘It’s her way to love. I think he saw that and supported it.’
Besides the continuous sharing, there was also a documentary titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” where Affleck openly confessed he addressed Lopez about her obsession with the spotlight. After they rekindled their relationship, he made it clear to her that ‘one of the aspects I’m not interested in is a social media-driven relationship’.
The documentary was funded and created by Artists Equity, a company co-founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
Again, some critics said the film was of limited interest to anyone but hardcore Bennifer fans.
Lopez was mapping out a grand concert tour across the United States and Canada, based on his latest album, featuring a total of 30 shows.
Critics within the industry believe she significantly overestimated her current market popularity. They pointed out that Olivia Rodrigo initially intended a tour of similar scale – however, her album sales exceeded expectations, selling an impressive 302,000 copies in its first week, which is over 20 times greater than Lopez’s sales figure.
By May, the typical resale cost for Lopez’s concert tour tickets decreased by around 46%, making it possible to purchase tickets that originally cost $338 for just $183 instead.
According to pop music podcaster Nora Princiotti, she believes Jennifer Lopez may not fully grasp the concept of supply and demand.
Lopez adjusted to poor sales by eliminating some performances and shifting her tour away from an album centered around Ben, instead presenting it as a grand collection of her biggest hits.
Towards the end of May, she decided to call off the entire tour. Later on, it was stated by her public relations team that this action was taken due to the necessity of focusing all her attention on salvaging her marriage.
She comforted her disheartened fans by saying, “I’m truly sorry and deeply affected that I couldn’t meet your expectations.”
2024 has been a bad year for Lopez’s non-Affleck-connected ventures, too.
The science fiction action film titled “Atlas,” with a budget of $100 million and featuring Lopez as the counter-terrorism expert Atlas Shepherd, was heavily criticized by reviewers.
The movie that she co-produced, released in May, currently holds a disappointing 19% positive rating on the review compilation platform Rotten Tomatoes. However, despite this, the film managed to be successful on streaming service Netflix, where viewers were able to watch it at no extra cost.
As a lifestyle expert, I find myself deeply troubled by a recent development concerning a movie’s controversial portrayal. It has been reported, quite distressingly, that this film incorporated real-life footage from the violent clashes between robots and humans, which apparently originated from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This city, unfortunately, is no stranger to tragedy, having suffered heavily during the Russian invasion, with hundreds of innocent lives lost. The use of such real-life footage in this context feels exploitative and disrespectful, tarnishing the movie’s reputation even further.
The challenge for pop stars of maintaining a strong ‘brand’ when they get into their 50s has also been illustrated in the plight of Lopez’s cosmetics range, JLo Beauty.
Toward the end of last year, she learned that Sephora, a popular beauty retailer, intends to discontinue selling her products from their stores by December 31, 2024, as a result of poor sales.
For example, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty product line generates over five times the revenue compared to JLo Beauty.
Music specialist Louis Mandelbaum stated directly: “Jennifer Lopez continues to be a major figure in the entertainment world, however, she hasn’t produced significant hits for quite some time.”
‘There’s a dissonance between her fame and how much currency she has as a pop star in 2024.’
Additionally, there seemed to be a stark contradiction between the declarations Lopez made about their invincible love at their marriage in 2022, and the rumors circulating about what Affleck is allegedly stating now.
‘Love is beautiful. Love is kind,’ she had told her fans. ‘And it turns out love is patient.’
By May this year, the statements emanating from the Affleck camp showed no signs of affection, with sources allegedly asserting that his insanity was merely temporary at the time of their marriage.
It is stated that their brief marriage felt like a fleeting, intense dream to him, a dream he has now awoken from. Affleck, known for avoiding the spotlight, supposedly grew weary of her grandiose lifestyle, constant pursuit of public attention, and challenging temperament.
As it transpired, Affleck truly embodied the misery that seemed evident in his presence, such as during their tour of an astounding 80 homes in LA, which eventually led to their purchase of a sprawling mansion worth $60 million.
Affleck has been known for his lavish and sometimes awkward expressions of affection. For instance, he presented Lopez with a $5 million emerald diamond engagement ring, and in 2002, he placed full-page ads in movie industry publications to praise her extraordinary qualities.
Feeling the lopsided nature of the gossip regarding her marriage, especially since Jennifer Lopez was vacationing solo in Italy (photographed by paparazzi while taking selfies on a yacht near Positano), her representatives decided to respond to the claims.
People close to Lopez commented that living with Affleck, who is in recovery from alcoholism, can be quite challenging. They described him as someone who isn’t always easy to deal with, and hinted at his struggles with inner turmoil.
A pal of JLo complained to the Mail that ‘she has been taking the blame for the end of the tour and the marriage, and the mockery of the world – it is all the opposite of the truth’.
Regardless of the exact truth, it’s challenging not to believe she holds some level of accountability for the collapse of a marriage that seemed doomed from the start, as others seemed to perceive.
It has been announced that the repeated marriages and tumultuous romantic affairs of this well-known celebrity have left even her close friends exasperated.
2024 really has been JLo’s year but hardly in the way she’ll want to remember.
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2024-08-22 01:20