Jennifer Lopez’s house hunting journey began in April amid her separation from husband Ben Affleck, a source confirms to PEOPLE.
The actress and singer, 55, officially filed for divorce from the Argo director on Tuesday, Aug. 20. However, in documents filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, she lists April 26, 2024 as the couple’s date of separation, around the same time Lopez began looking for a new place, the source says.
PEOPLE reported in June that Lopez and Affleck, 52, were shopping their shared Beverly Hills mansion off-market, a tactic often used in ultra-high-end real estate to protect the sellers’ — and potential buyers’ — privacy and weed out unqualified clients.
After failing to find a buyer, however, the pair publicly listed the home for $68 million July. They purchased the property in June 2023 for just under $61 million.
A source told PEOPLE on Aug. 20 that Lopez ultimately filed for divorce because she was “done waiting” and that “she tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken.”
“The kids are a top priority, as they always have been,” the insider added, referring to Lopez’s 16-year-old twins Emme and Max. Affleck also shares three children — Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 — with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
Following news of Lopez’s divorce filing, another source told PEOPLE that Affleck didn’t make an effort to repair their marriage.
“She’s very disappointed and sad, but Ben hasn’t given her any signs that he wants to continue their marriage. 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,” the insider said.
Months after their separation, Affleck purchased a new house for himself in Los Angeles for $20.5 million on July 24, the same day as Lopez’s birthday.
The five-bedroom property “is family-friendly, but it could easily be transformed into a bachelor pad,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. The neighborhood, which is home to a number of entertainment industry A-listers, “boasts a sophisticated crowd—it’s not trendy,” per the source.
Affleck closed escrow on the house the same day that Lopez finalized the sale of her New York City condo for $23 million. The singer’s four-bedroom, 7.5-bath duplex was on the market on and off for seven years before it found a buyer this past spring and closed in July.
Lopez and Affleck met in 2002 and later broke off their first engagement in 2003. After they rekindled their relationship in 2021, the pair officially tied the knot in Las Vegas on July 17, 2022. The “On the Floor” singer filed for divorce from Affleck on the second anniversary of their traditional wedding ceremony that they held in Georgia on Aug. 20, 2022. (People)
