J-Lo and Affleck might be navigating the choppy waters of a very public divorce, but their professional orbits have them circling each other once more, this time on the set of the sports drama Unstoppable.
Their latest professional reunion comes on the heels of Lopez filing for divorce back in the summer – citing irreconcilable differences.
As the film – which boasts a cast including Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Don Cheadle – comes under the production eye of Affleck and Matt Damon, Affleck took a moment to shower his soon-to-be ex-wife with praise during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Amidst discussions about the passionate team behind Unstoppable, Affleck pointed out, “Jennifer is spectacular,” highlighting her as a key talent among a pool of “really passionate artists”.
The glowing compliment took some social media users by surprise, given the beloved couple’s high-profile split.
“Ben you are way too nice,” one person commented on EW’s YouTube video. “Ben is hurting. You can just hear it in his voice,” a second added.
So, how did J-Lo take these compliments?
Well, at the UK premiere of Unstoppable, when relayed her estranged husband’s comments, she simply offered a courteous, “Thank you”.
But when pressed on how she’d describe Affleck’s role as a producer, Lopez deftly spread the love: “I would describe all of the cast and everybody behind the scenes as spectacular and wonderful.”
Yet, despite the polite public exchanges, Lopez has opened up more candidly about the personal fallouts of their marriage in other spaces.
In a revealing chat with comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview Magazine, she likened the dissolution of their union to standing amidst the rubble of a demolished house, pondering: “How do I not ever let that happen again?”
She continued: “And then you start examining it little by little saying, ‘OK, I did this, this was my part in it, this was what I should have seen early on, this is what I didn’t look at.’ Those things are what really are the lessons.”
“Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself,” she continued. “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.’”
Affleck, on the other hand, has kept his cards close to his chest, maintaining a reserved stance on their private matters.
