Ben Affleck calls Jennifer Lopez’s level of fame ‘bananas’ amid divorce rumors

Ben Affleck has made rare comments about his wife Jennifer Lopez amid speculation surrounding the status of their marriage.

The Oscar winner, 51, opened up about adjusting to the “On the Floor” singer’s “f***in’ bananas” level of fame after they rekindled their romance two decades later. During the season four premiere of Kevin Hart’s talk show Hart to Heart, Affleck admitted that he’s noticed fans treat Lopez differently than him.

“We went somewhere with [Jennifer] – I can’t remember because she’s so famous, and she creates this – people love her. And she really represents something important to people,” Affleck told Hart.

“[To me] people are like, ‘Hey, I like your movie,’ and then they’re like, ‘AHHHH! J-LO!’” he shouted. “It’s amazing, you know what I mean?”

The Gone Girl actor went on to describe how he and Lopez had previously visited Times Square in New York City with their family, where the Hustlers star was immediately swarmed by fans. “We get out of the car, we were going to a play, and I was like, ‘F*** it, babe, we’re going to be late, we gotta walk a block and a half.’ [Lopez] was like, ‘Alright,’ she didn’t say s***,” he explained.

“We get out with her, all the kids through Times Square, and the s*** was like f***in’ bananas,” Affleck continued. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ There was a lady, she was smoking weed in a full purple skin-tight suit – she’s a heavy lady – and she starts running backwards filming, going ‘J-LO!!’

Elsewhere during the episode, the father of three explained that he always appears angry in paparazzi pictures because he’s actually “a little bit shy.”

“I also don’t like a lot of attention. That’s why people see me and they’re like, ‘Why’s this dude always mad?’ Because somebody has their camera and sticks it in my face and I’m like, ‘OK, here we go.’”

While it’s unclear when Affleck recorded his appearance on Hart to Heart, his comments come amid a supposed strain in his marriage with Lopez. The couple – who tied the knot in 2022, nearly two decades after calling off their first engagement – are reportedly selling their $60m mansion in Beverly Hills while Affleck rents a home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Rumors of a rift between the pair began to circulate after fans noticed that Affleck and Lopez hadn’t been photographed together in more than 40 days. Several sources claimed the couple were experiencing “issues” in their marriage, while the “I’m Real” singer was also spotted solo during several outings, such as promoting her new Netflix film Atlas and attending the 2024 Met Gala.

Speculation fueled even further when Lopez canceled her “This Is Me... Live” summer tour to spend time with her family. “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down. Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary,” she told fans back in May. “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…”

Live Nation said in a statement that the tour’s cancellation was due to Lopez “taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends.”

On June 11, a source told People that Lopez and Affleck remain on good terms despite the strain in their marriage. “They’re still friendly and see each other every few days,” they said.

Most recently, the Marry Me star shared a Father’s Day tribute for Affleck on social media.

Lopez posted a black and white throwback photo of Affleck to her Instagram story, as she wrote over the image: “Our hero. Happy Father’s Day.”

The pair reunited in early 2021 following Lopez’s breakup with former New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez. She announced her engagement to Affleck in April 2022, 20 years after they were engaged in 2002 before their split in 2004. They tied the knot in July 2022 during an intimate Las Vegas ceremony and hosted a second wedding ceremony at Affleck’s home in Georgia one month later.

Affleck was previously married to actor Jennifer Garner in 2005. They welcomed three children – Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12 – before announcing their separation 10 years later. They finalized their divorce in October 2018. Meanwhile, Lopez shares 16-year-old twins Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony.