Jennifer Lopez posts tribute to ‘hero’ Ben Affleck amid divorce rumours

Jennifer Lopez has dedicated a post to her "hero" husband Ben Affleck for Father's Day, throwing rumours of the couple's divorce into disarray. Photo / Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez has thrown rumours of an impending divorce between her and Ben Affleck into disarray after calling him a “hero” in a Father’s Day post.

Lopez, 54, shared a photo of Affleck, 51 - her husband of nearly two years - on Instagram to celebrate the occasion. The photo was taken from Pearl Harbor (2001), in which Affleck played the lead role of Captain Rafe McCawley.

The On the Floor singer wrote “Our hero” in the post, attaching a white heart emoji to the end of the statement. “Happy Father’s Day.”

The photo Lopez used was a screen-grab from the 2001 film, in which Affleck sported a leather bomber jacket and led the film in the role of confident and charismatic Air Force combat pilot McCawley.

Affleck’s career was just taking off at the time. He’d recently gained industry-wide recognition after he and Matt Damon wrote and starred in the film Good Will Hunting (1997), and he had begun to star in blockbuster films like Shakespeare in Love and Armageddon (1998).

Last month, a source told In Touch that the couple have been “unable to make it work” and are considering divorce. However, the post came a day after Affleck and Lopez met up to spend time at their US$60 million ($98m) mansion in Beverly Hills.

Jennifer Lopez shared a touching tribute to her husband Ben Affleck for Father's Day as rumours swirl over their potential divorce. Photo / Instagram @jlo

Later that day, the couple went to Affleck’s US$100,000-a-month ($163,072) rental property in Brentwood. They arrived in separate cars, although Lopez left the property shortly after.

Affleck’s ex-wife, actress Jennifer Garner, was also photographed arriving at the Brentwood rental.

Lopez and Affleck first dated in 2002 after becoming friends on the set of Gigli, a film they both starred in.

They dated for two years, breaking up in 2004, before rekindling their romance nearly 20 years later.

In between those years, Affleck was married to Garner from 2005 to 2018, and they had three kids together; Violet Anne, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.

Lopez, meanwhile, married singer-songwriter Marc Anthony in 2004 and they had twins Max and Emme, 16, together in 2008. They announced their separation in 2011, finalising their divorce in 2014.

Affleck and Lopez started dating again in 2021 and married in 2022, going on to become a Hollywood power couple gracing red carpets and opening up about their love in interviews such as the New Zealand Herald’s in February.

However, divorce rumours have been gaining traction in recent months, spurred by an alleged disagreement over the purchase of the Beverly Hills mansion. They’ve been further fuelled by several solo trips without each other’s company, most notably when Lopez attended the Met Gala on her own in May.

Affleck has been seen out in public without his wedding ring, and the actor has since moved into the lavish Brentwood rental amid the supposed fallout.

Although the couple purchased the 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom California property last year, a source recently told People magazine they were “still living separately” and remained focused on their careers.

Is it meant to be? Jennifer Lopez disrupted the divorce rumour mill by sharing a special Father's Day message for her husband Ben Affleck. Photo / Getty Images

“She’s back in LA for tour rehearsals. She seems okay. She’s very focused on work,” the insider said.

Lopez also abruptly cancelled her This Is Me... Live tour on June 1 only a month before it was due to begin, with her representatives saying she is “taking time off” to spend time with “children, family, and close friends”.

“I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down,” Lopez wrote to fans on her website OntheJLo. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary.”

“I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time.”