Jennifer Lopez has admitted she’s excited to be single again after her divorce from Ben Affleck.
Speaking to comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview magazine, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer revealed she is “excited” to be by herself months after she and the actor, 52, filed for divorce. Her comments mark the first time Lopez has publicly addressed her split from the Oscar winner.
“Everything that I’ve done over the past 25, 30 years, being in these different challenging situations, what can I f***ing do when it’s just me flying on my own… what if I’m just free?” she said.
The Grammy nominee then admitted to Glaser that her singledom is “new territory.”
“It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary. It feels sad. It feels desperate. But when you sit in those feelings and go, ‘These things are not going to kill me,’ it’s like actually, I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself,” said Lopez, who spent much of her summer apart from Affleck before filing for divorce on their second wedding anniversary in Los Angeles.
At the time, Lopez had listed April 26, 2024, as the former couple’s date of separation.
“Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people,” Lopez continued. “I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person, but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m actually good.’”
“Here’s the thing,” Lopez added. “There’s no new bar because I’m not looking for anybody. How’s that?”
It was a bold statement from someone who’s been married multiple times, and is often seen as a hopeless romantic. But Lopez didn’t shy away from admitting that her past self was caught up in the idea that love from another person was the key to happiness. She even laughed, lovingly calling her younger self a “dumb b****” and a “motherf***er” for always chasing after a relationship.
“For people like us — romantics, who love being in relationships and dream of growing old with someone — we think, ‘I have to have that to be whole and happy,’” Lopez said, reflecting on her past. “But you don’t. I’ve learned that the most important relationship is the one with yourself.”
Lopez, who’s been married to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, and Marc Anthony before tying the knot with Affleck in a Las Vegas elopement, reflected on how much she’s evolved. “I think we tend to get away from ourselves when we’re wrapped up in other people,” she added, emphasizing that loving herself is now her priority.
Despite filing for divorce, Lopez and Affleck remain on friendly terms after they reunited for lunch in Los Angeles on September 14. They were joined by Lopez’s 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, as well as Affleck’s children: Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.