Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are doing everything they can to amicably divide their assets, but the process hasn’t been easy.
As the stars negotiate the end of their two-year marriage with the help of celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, a source said People that their ongoing divorce “has the potential to turn ugly” since they did not sign a prenuptial agreement.
The source said there were “some financial issues” between the superstar, 55, and the two-time Oscar winner, 52, who eloped at The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas.
In her divorce filing, Lopez, who listed her separation date as April 26, 2024, wrote that her assets were “unknown.”
Under California state law, only the income and assets they earned during their short-term marriage “are considered community property and are subject to division.”
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are ‘currently in mediation’ with high-profile divorce attorney Laura Wasser (seen January 2024)
This includes the Beverly Hills mansion they purchased for $60.8 million last year and a number of projects and endorsements they have pursued since they got married.
They are currently in mediation, which is a less formal and quicker alternative to a traditional divorce.
According to Wagner & Bloch’s website, ‘Divorce mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process in which a third-party mediator guides a separating couple through resolving issues related to property distribution, child custody, alimony, and other divorce matters.’
It has been claimed that Affleck is “happy” as he slowly moves into his new home in a neighbourhood he loves amid his ongoing divorce proceedings from Jennifer.
A source said People that Ben is “doing well” and “slowly moving into his new home” after moving trucks were recently spotted at the marital home he shares with Jennifer.
The source explained: “He is where he wants to be: close to his children and in a neighbourhood he loves. He also enjoys working and is very focused on the positive aspects.”
Ben closed escrow on his $20.5 million five-bedroom, six-bathroom Brentwood mansion on July 24, which also happened to be Jennifer’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Lopez has been house hunting since May without success after the couple put their 12-bedroom, $68 million Crestview Manor mansion on the market.
As the former couple negotiate the end of their two-year marriage, a source told People that their divorce “has the potential to turn ugly” since they did not sign a prenuptial agreement before eloping at The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas.
In the midst of divorce, Jennifer also appears to be doing well, as a source claimed she “still feels very lucky” despite “some bitterness” surrounding the split.
“She tried so hard to make things work and Ben didn’t care. She is surrounded by her family, friends and her children,” the source told People.
Jennifer and Ben legally separated on April 26, and the actress filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on August 20, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Immediately after the performance, there was speculation that Ben was dating RFK Jr.’s daughter, Kick Kennedy, after they were spotted together in Los Angeles on several outings.
On Wednesday, sources claimed Jennifer was “very upset” with Ben amid rumors that he had been “dating” Kick in recent weeks.
However, Ben’s rep flatly denied the rumours, telling People: “There’s no truth to any of this. I don’t know if they even know each other.”
Jennifer and Ben originally met on the Los Angeles set of Martin Brest’s 2001 box office flop Gigli, but abruptly split just three days before their 2004 wedding.
Both have married other people: Jennifer exchanged vows with Marc Anthony in 2004, while Ben married Jennifer Garner in 2005.
However, after splitting from their respective partners, they finally got back together in 2021.
The source noted that “there are some contentious points over finances” between the superstar, 55, and the two-time Oscar winner, 52 (seen in 2023).
The superstar couple first tied the knot at a Las Vegas chapel in July 2022, followed by a larger ceremony at their Georgia estate the following month.
The couple then went their separate ways earlier this year, with it claimed they had “planned” their divorce before Jennifer filed on August 20.