Jennifer Lopez reflects on ‘year off' after Ben Affleck divorce

Jennifer Lopez has spoken openly about taking a full year away from work following her divorce from Ben Affleck, describing the period as one of genuine self-reflection and, ultimately, liberation.

Appearing on Good Morning America on Wednesday, 11th March, Lopez, 56, said she had to "stop everything" after her split from Affleck, 53, explaining that being home with her twins Max and Emme, 18, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, became her immediate priority.

But the time away was about more than family. 

"I was just at a point where I was like, 'What is going on with you?'" she said. "I couldn't blame anybody else because I don't think that's where the lesson is. And so, I really needed to figure myself out."

Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024 after separating from Affleck earlier that year, with the divorce finalised in January 2025. 

More than a year on, she says she has arrived somewhere she has never quite been before. 

"I feel like for the first time in my life, I'm free. I'm on my own. It feels really good. I didn't really know what that felt like since I was in my early 20s, and even before that I always had a boyfriend. There was always someone in my life and so many other things that I felt were out of my control," she explained. 

"I've gotten to the point where I really trust myself and appreciate myself a little bit more."

Lopez has had a full romantic history, married to Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998, Cris Judd from 2001 to 2003, Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2014, and Affleck from 2022 to 2025, with a high-profile engagement to Alex Rodriguez in between from 2019 to 2021. 

Asked about dating again, she was emphatic. 

"God forbid," she quipped. "I don't want to ruin anything. It's so nice right now. I'm so happy. It's the best. I just feel really good right now, and that was a scary thing for me when I was younger. I didn't know if I could do that. I was always really afraid to be alone."