October 16, 2025 – New York, NY
In a raw and revealing conversation that has already sparked widespread conversation across social media and entertainment circles, Jennifer Lopez, the 56-year-old powerhouse actress, singer, and entrepreneur, declared her most recent divorce as "the best thing that ever happened to me." The bombshell admission came during a candid two-hour interview on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, aired Wednesday morning, where Lopez dissected her 2024 split from Hollywood heavyweight Ben Affleck with unprecedented vulnerability. At a time when Lopez is gearing up for her upcoming album This Is Me... Now: Reloaded and a Las Vegas residency extension, her reflections on love, self-worth, and personal growth offer a profound glimpse into the evolution of one of entertainment's most enduring icons.
Lopez, dressed in a sleek black pantsuit that accentuated her signature Bronx flair, leaned into the microphone with the intensity of a woman who has truly stared down her demons. "When I got divorced this last time, it was the best thing that ever happened to me," she stated emphatically, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "Because it really made me journey into — I mean, I had a religious coach. I had a therapist, a couple's therapist, an individual therapist. I had a coach to understand addiction. I had everything. I was like, 'I'm gonna fing figure this s out if it kills me.'"
The interview, which Stern billed as "one of the most honest chats we've ever had," delved deep into the minutiae of Lopez's emotional odyssey. For fans and analysts alike, this wasn't just celebrity gossip—it's a masterclass in resilience from a woman whose career has spanned over three decades, grossing more than $3.2 billion at the box office and selling 80 million records worldwide. Stern, known for his no-holds-barred style, probed gently but persistently, asking Lopez to unpack the layers of her four marriages: to Ojani Noa (1997-1998), Cris Judd (2001-2003), Marc Anthony (2004-2014), and most recently, Affleck (2022-2024).
The Affleck chapter, often dubbed "Bennifer 2.0," captivated the world when the couple rekindled their early-2000s romance in 2021, culminating in a lavish 2022 wedding at Affleck's Georgia estate. Paparazzi frenzy followed, with viral moments like their red-carpet kisses at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Yet, by August 2024, Lopez filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences amid rumors of Affleck's workaholic tendencies and their clashing lifestyles. Court documents revealed a prenup that protected Lopez's $400 million empire, including her $60 million Manhattan penthouse and production company Nuyorican Productions. The split was amicable on paper, but Lopez's SiriusXM revelations paint a far more turbulent picture.
Transitioning seamlessly from the divorce logistics, Stern zeroed in on a heart-wrenching question: "Do you believe you've ever truly been loved?" Lopez paused, her eyes glistening under the studio lights, before answering with a resolute "No." The admission hung in the air like a thunderclap. "But I know what it means to truly love someone else," she continued, her tone shifting from sorrow to empowerment. "What I learned is, it's not that I'm not lovable—it's that they're not capable. ... They don't have it in them. And they gave me what they had. They gave me all of it, every time. All the rings, all the things I could ever want. The houses, the rings, the marriage. All of it. But…"
This poignant "but" encapsulated decades of introspection. Lopez elaborated that her perceived unloved status stemmed not from external shortcomings but from an internal void: "I didn't love myself." Psychologists listening in, including Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a narcissism expert who commented post-show on Good Morning America, praised Lopez's insight as "textbook self-actualization." Durvasula noted, "JLo's journey mirrors what we see in high-profile clients—trauma from childhood neglect manifesting in serial partnerships. Her therapy stack is gold-standard."
Lopez's backstory adds profound context. Born Jennifer Lynn López on July 24, 1969, in the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, she grew up as the middle child of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe Rodríguez, a kindergarten teacher, and David López, a computer technician. In the interview, she touched on familial dynamics: "Whether my mother, my father, in my own life, how I learned to love, how I felt neglected—all the things that are in your head as a person." Her father, who passed away in 2022, was a stern figure whose emphasis on hard work shaped her hustle ethos, while her mother's warmth clashed with the family's modest means—Lopez shared a bedroom with her sisters until age 18.
This "neglect," as she termed it, fueled her meteoric rise. Dropping out of high school briefly to pursue dance, Lopez landed her big break as a Fly Girl on In Living Color in 1990. By 1997, Selena biopic stardom led to her music debut On the 6, spawning hits like "If You Had My Love." Her filmography boasts Out of Sight (1998), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Hustlers (2019)—for which she earned an Oscar nod—and recent turns in Unstoppable (2024), a biopic about wrestler Anthony Robles that Lopez produced and starred in, earning rave reviews for her raw portrayal.
Marriage No. 3 to Marc Anthony, father of her 17-year-old twins Emme and Max, was her longest at 10 years. Their 2004 union produced a Vegas wedding witnessed by 30 guests, but infidelity rumors and Anthony's substance struggles led to their 2014 split. Lopez later dated Alex Rodriguez from 2017 to 2021, a relationship that nearly ended in matrimony before fizzling amid financial scandals. Affleck, 53, entered as the fairy-tale redux, but Lopez revealed on Stern that his "addiction" coaching was pivotal—likely alluding to Affleck's well-documented battles with alcohol, which he addressed in a 2021 New York Times interview.
Post-divorce, Lopez's transformation is palpable. "After working through my divorce, I am now able to sit here in a much more self-assured, self-aware way and reflect on everything that has happened in my life," she said. "And know who I am and just really appreciate that person. [I] feel really comfortable and good in being myself, all the good parts and all the kind of complicated things." This self-love manifesto aligns with her 2024 documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which chronicled Bennifer's romance alongside her album This Is Me... Now. The project, streamed on Prime Video, amassed 18.5 million views in its first week, per Nielsen data.
The entertainment world reacted swiftly. On X (formerly Twitter), #JLoStern trended globally with 2.3 million posts by noon ET. Fellow diva Ariana Grande tweeted, "Queens rise from ashes 💖 @JLo." Affleck, maintaining radio silence, was spotted on the The Accountant 2 set in Los Angeles, his first public appearance since the interview. Lopez's ex Anthony, now 57 and married to Nadia Ferreira, posted a subtle Instagram Story: a heart emoji over a family photo.
Lopez's therapy regimen—religious coach for spiritual grounding, addiction specialist for relational patterns, and dual therapists for personal and couple dynamics—mirrors a growing Hollywood trend. Celebrities like Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have credited similar "full-spectrum" support for mental health breakthroughs. Dr. Esther Perel, relationship expert, analyzed on her Where Should We Begin? podcast: "JLo's 'figure this s*** out' mentality is the antidote to performative perfection. She's modeling radical honesty."
Looking ahead, Lopez's SiriusXM epiphany fuels her empire. Her Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, extended through 2026, sold out in hours, promising songs like "Can't Get Enough" infused with her newfound authenticity. This Is Me... Now: Reloaded, dropping November 15, features collabs with Maluma and Bad Bunny, with singles already topping Billboard Latin charts. Philanthropically, she's expanding JLo Beauty's proceeds to her Lopez Family Foundation, aiding Bronx youth mental health programs—a direct nod to her "neglect" revelations.
Critics, however, question if this is savvy PR. Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Lopez's Stern sit-down is less confessional, more calculated comeback fuel." Yet, metrics disagree: Her Netflix rom-com This Is Me... Now: A Love Story just hit 50 million hours viewed, per Samba TV.
As the sun set over Manhattan, Lopez exited SiriusXM arm-in-arm with bestie Leah Remini, flashing peace signs to fans. Her journey from Bronx girl to self-love savant underscores a universal truth: Sometimes, the end is the ultimate beginning. In Stern's words, "JLo, you're unbreakable." For a woman who's headlined Super Bowls, starred in blockbusters, and now conquered her soul, that's no exaggeration.
