Haven’t posted about Jennifer Lopez all week – how did we go nine days into 2025 without a mention?! This changes now because there’s actually been some news about her, but we’ll jump back and forth between timelines.
First, the biggest headline, is that the first full week of the new year started with a clean break: JLo’s divorce from Ben Affleck has been finalised, we begin 2025 with no Bennifer. Apparently neither will pay the other spousal support and JLo’s not going after anything to do with Artists’ Equity and she’s keeping her earnings too.
Following the confirmation of their divorce, PEOPLE followed with a story about how "the fairy tale [JLo] was promised turned out to be a nightmare in the end” and that she’s keeping it moving, as she always does.
The day before, though, she and Emme were seen visiting Ben at his place, where she was papped warmly greeting his son, Samuel. So, once again, they’re keeping it civil so that they’re children can continue to have a relationship and that they can have a relationship with their respective children, if that’s what the children want. On JLo’s side, over the better part of a year, she’s stayed connected with all of Ben’s kids.
That wasn’t the only stop she made on Golden Globes weekend though. She wasn’t at the Globes proper but she did attend several pre-parties, and she was at Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards where she received the Legend & Groundbreaker honour… presented to her by Ralph Fiennes.
A Maid in Manhattan reunion!
If you haven’t already, watch Ralph’s introduction, because he speaks for five minutes – longer than how long she spoke in her acceptance – and dropped the viral phrase “very demure, very mindful” while describing her, LOL. He’d previously done this with Andy Cohen on NYE and if you haven’t seen this, it’ll lift your spirits, you should watch.
My point here, though, is that as we’ve been noting over the last few weeks of award season, Ralph is one of the few Oscar contenders who has not been all that active on the campaign. He’s not the kind of actor who shows up even if he doesn’t want to. If Ralph is there, it means he wants to be there, and he clearly wanted to be there for JLo. And he put in the effort, not only with his presence but his words.
@varietymagazine Ralph Fiennes honors his #MaidInManhattan co-star Jennifer Lopez at Variety's Creative Impact Awards at PSIFF.
♬ original sound - Variety - Variety
Does it help or hurt his case? I don’t think he gives a f-ck. Ralph Fiennes doesn’t really subscribe to all that. But it obviously would have meant a lot to her…especially with the year she’s had, and all the sh-t she’s had to eat. And the assumptions people have made about her and whether or not she’s likeable, and who will and won’t f-ck with her.
I repeat, JLo keeps it moving and while the Unstoppable premiere was cancelled the other night because of the wildfires, she’ll be headed soon to Park City, Utah because Kiss of the Spider Woman is part of the Sundance Film Festival program. I was thinking/hoping that this would be a Cannes premiere, but they’re obviously looking to secure funding and distribution for it before then. We’ll soon find out how this plays and whether or not JLo will be in contention a year from now.
In the meantime… Maid in Manhattan rewatch?
As for Ben, he evacuated to Jennifer Garner’s yesterday but has since been able to return to his home.
