Jennifer Lopez has spoken openly about taking a full year off from work following her divorce from Ben Affleck, describing the period as one of genuine self-reflection and, ultimately, liberation.
appearing in Good morning America On Wednesday, March 11, Lopez, 56, said she had to “stop everything” following her split from Affleck, 53, and explained that being at home with her twins Max and Emme, 18, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, became her immediate priority.
But the time they were away was for more than just family.
“I was at a point where I was wondering, ‘What’s going on with you?'” he said. “I can’t blame anyone else because I don’t think that’s the lesson. So I really needed to discover myself.”
Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024 after splitting from Affleck earlier that year, and the divorce was finalized in January 2025.
More than a year later, he says he’s reached a place he’s never been before.
“I feel like, for the first time in my life, I’m free. I’m alone. It feels really good. I didn’t really know what that felt like since I was in my early 20s, and even before that I always had a boyfriend. There was always someone in my life and a lot of other things that I felt were out of my control,” she explained.
“I’ve gotten to the point where I really trust myself and appreciate myself a little more.”
Lopez has had a full romantic history, married to Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998, Cris Judd from 2001 to 2003, Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2014, and Affleck from 2022 to 2025, with a high-profile engagement to Alex Rodriguez from 2019 to 2021.
When asked again about dating, she was emphatic.
“God forbid,” he joked. “I don’t want to ruin anything. It’s so nice now. I’m so happy. It’s the best. I feel so good now, and that was a scary thing for me when I was younger. I didn’t know if I could do that. I was always so afraid of being alone.”
