Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Divorce: A Full Recap of Her Decision to File on Their Anniversary and More PEOPLE reported on the end of Affleck and Lopez's marriage, with inside sourcing on why things unfolded the way they did — and when By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is the Executive Editor, News at PEOPLE. She have been working at PEOPLE for seven years. Her work has previously appeared in POPSUGAR, Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 21, 2024 06:10PM EDT Jennifer Lopez (left) and Ben Affleck. Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Franco Origlia/Getty After months of speculation, Jennifer Lopez has officially moved to dissolve her two-year marriage to Ben Affleck. The multi-hyphenate filed for divorce on Tuesday, Aug. 20 — the second anniversary of the couple's romantic Southern wedding in Georgia in 2022. They legally married in Las Vegas on July 17, 2022. PEOPLE has reported for months that the couple was experiencing relationship turmoil, a shocking end to their rekindled romance after previously breaking up in Jan. 2004. "She tried really hard to make things work, and is heartbroken," a source told PEOPLE of Lopez. Keep reading for a full recap as PEOPLE covered the initial news of Lopez and Affleck's divorce — including what happened and what's next. Ben Affleck Visited Japan with Ex Jennifer Garner and Their Kids Before New Divorce Filing August 21, 2024 03:20 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Ben Affleck recently joined Jennifer Garner and their three kids on a trip to Japan, PEOPLE confirmed. Affleck didn't appear in a carousel of photos and videos from the trip that Garner shared on Instagram on Aug. 15, but he was there. The actress posted highlights from her "dream trip" to the country, which included eating ramen noodles, boat rides, and trying fresh abalone. Jennifer Lopez was not in attendance. Read the full story here. Jennifer Lopez's Divorce Filing Is Unusual — Here's Why August 21, 2024 11:24 AM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez opted to file her divorce paperwork without using a lawyer, a move that's both unusual and indicates that she "just wanted to get this done" and move forward, a legal expert tells PEOPLE. Marilyn Chinitz, who is the matrimonial partner at Blank Rome LLP, said of Lopez filing pro se, "I think that she most likely just wanted to get this done, [that] there was a lot of hesitation and hemming and hawing back and forth, and it's a statement, 'I'm moving forward, I'm filing and I'm doing it on my own.'" Read the full story here. Ben Affleck Steps Out Without His Wedding Ring After Divorce Filing August 21, 2024 10:22 AM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Though Ben Affleck has been spotted in recent weeks with and without his wedding band, it was definitely off when he stepped out in Los Angeles on Aug. 20 after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce. Affleck was photographed walking in the parking lot of the building while wearing a gray T-shirt, jeans and black-tinted sunglasses. Read the full story here. Ben Affleck Didn't Show 'Any Interest' in Fixing His Marriage to Jennifer Lopez, a Source Says August 20, 2024 10:10 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Ben Affleck did not show "any commitment and interest" in making the marriage work, a source tells PEOPLE. Jennifer Lopez is "very disappointed and sad, but Ben [Affleck] hasn't given her any signs that he wants to continue their marriage," the source explains. "He hasn't shown any commitment and interest in making their marriage work. It's gotten to the point that she just needs to look out for herself." Read the full story here. Source Explains Jennifer Lopez Choosing to File for Divorce on Her Wedding Anniversary August 20, 2024 09:17 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce on the second anniversary of the date she and Ben Affleck celebrated their marriage with a wedding celebration in Georgia. "She was done waiting and the date she did it speaks a ton," a source tells PEOPLE of Lopez, 55, who filed for divorce on Tuesday, Aug. 20, without a lawyer. The move "gives her control of the process," adds the source. "It's good that she did it." Read the full story here. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's Kids Are Their 'Top Priority' amid Divorce August 20, 2024 09:14 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s five kids remain “a top priority,” a source tells PEOPLE, as they move to end their marriage. “The kids are a top priority, as they always have been,” the insider elaborates. The Hustlers star has spent time with Affleck’s children as recently as Aug. 11. On that day, she visited his rental home in Brentwood and brought Ben's son Samuel to the mall. And in In July, Lopez was spotted walking arm-in-arm with Ben's daughter Violet in the Hamptons. Jennifer Lopez Did Visit Ben Affleck on His 52nd Birthday on Aug. 15 August 20, 2024 08:47 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez saw Ben Affleck at least as recently as last week, when he celebrated his 52nd birthday on Thursday, Aug. 15. Lopez, 55, was spotted departing Affleck's rental home, in photos obtained by The Daily Mail. A source previously told PEOPLE that Affleck marked the occasion with a "small birthday celebration at home" with his kids, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12. "It's exactly what he wanted. He didn't want to go out to celebrate. The kids had gifts for him, and it was cute," said the source. "[Lopez] stopped by to congratulate him." Ben Affleck Just Returned to L.A. Ahead of the Divorce Filing After Taking Daughter to College August 20, 2024 08:39 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Only hours before Jennifer Lopez filed to end her marriage to Ben Affleck, the actor landed back in Los Angeles after dropping his and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet off to college at Yale University. Garner, Ben and Violet were in New Haven, Connecticut, for the 18-year-old's freshman year move-in. A source told PEOPLE this week that Ben's focus has been on preparing Violet for college: "It’s, of course, a huge deal for the whole family, and they’ve all been so excited the last few weeks." Read the full story here. Jennifer Lopez Is Ready to 'Move on' Months After Separation from Ben Affleck August 20, 2024 08:34 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez has had time to process her split from Ben Affleck, and is ready to "move on," an insider close to the This Is Me... Now singer tells PEOPLE. Lopez listed an April 2024 separation date from Affleck in the divorce papers she filed in Los Angeles on Aug. 20. The pair married in July 2022. "She's very disappointed and sad, but Ben hasn't given her any signs that he wants to continue their marriage," says the insider. Read the full story here. Jennifer Lopez Filed for Divorce Because She Was 'Done Waiting': Source August 20, 2024 08:24 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post A source tells PEOPLE exclusively that Jennifer Lopez "was done waiting" to make the call to end her marriage to Ben Affleck after two years, which is why she self-filed for divorce on Tuesday. "She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken," added the source. "The kids are a top priority, as they always have been.” Lopez is mom to 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with ex Marc Anthony, while Ben Affleck has three children — Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 — with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. Read the full story here. Jennifer Lopez Says She Separated from Ben Affleck in April August 20, 2024 07:53 PM EDT Copy The Link To This Blog Post Jennifer Lopez listed her date of separation from husband Ben Affleck as April 26, 2024 on the divorce paperwork she self-filed in Los Angeles on Aug. 20. On that day in April, Lopez was photographed in N.Y.C. It was not long after that PEOPLE first reported that something was amiss in the pair's romance, after Affleck did not attend the 2024 Met Gala with Lopez, a co-chair. Later in May, a source told PEOPLE that the pair's marriage was "not in the best place at the moment." Refresh for New Updates