Estranged couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were photographed in public for the very first time since the Puerto Rican singer filed for divorce.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, Affleck and Lopez were spotted in Los Angeles, enjoying what appeared to be a blended family outing alongside their children.
Affleck shares Finn, 15, and Samuel, 12 with his ex, Jennifer Garner, while Lopez shares 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with her ex, Marc Anthony.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair were engaged in what appeared to be an "intense conversation."
At on point, Affleck "leaned in closely to speak" to Lopez while "gesturing with his arms," the publication reports, adding that "as they sat in their car, Jennifer seemed to wipe away tears."
The outing marked the first time the pair have reunited (at least publicly) since Lopez filed for divorce on Aug. 20, which happened to be the couple's 2-year anniversary of their wedding celebration in Georgia. According to reports, Lopez filed without a lawyer and requested that "Affleck" be legally removed from her last name.
For the occasion, Lopez wore a casual-but chic long-sleeve crop top, along with a pair of matching black jeans. Affleck also kept it casual, wearing a pair of simple blue jeans and a blue button-up shirt.
The outing may have also marked the first time Affleck and Lopez have spent time with each other's children. According to one source who previously spoke to People in the wake of the divorce filings, Affleck had "not been in touch" with Lopez's twins since the split.
"The fact that he has not seen her kids in a long time, it’s like he left, but she is especially close to his kids," the insider told the publication at the time.
The split came after months of rumors surrounding the couple's marriage. Since Lopez filed for divorce, additional reporting has surfaced, citing various insiders who have pointed to a number of alleged reasons for the apparent end of the couple's marriage.
According to one source, Lopez assumed Affleck was a "changed man," only to find out that the same issues that plagued their early aughts relationship remained.
"He sold her on him being a changed man, and that lasted a very short time," another source told Page Six, adding that Affleck allegedly changed during the couple's honeymoon on Lake Como in Italy in 2022.
"He was unhappy with paparazzi following them," the source continued. "She is an international superstar, and he acted like it came as a surprise that they would be followed around.
Other reports claim Lopez filed for divorce because she was tired of being "humiliated" by Affleck, while others say that Affleck "had a darkness to him" that ultimately contributed to the demise of their relationship.
