Jennifer Lopez Says Her New Movie "Wouldn't Have BeenMade" Without Ex Ben Affleck

#benaffleck #jenniferlopez

Jennifer Lopez is stepping into the role of her dreams, and she isn’t shy about acknowledging the part her ex-husband Ben Affleck played in making it possible. The singer and actress, 55, recently opened up on CBS News Sunday Morning about her new film Kiss of the Spider Woman and the pivotal role Affleck had behind the scenes.
“I told him, ‘This is a role that I was born to play,’ and I wanted to do it,” Lopez recalled. “And he said, ‘Okay,’ and he helped make it happen.”
Lopez stars as Ingrid Luna in the musical-meets-movie and also serves as an executive producer. Affleck shares the same credit, having helped finance the project through his and longtime collaborator Matt Damon’s production company, Artists Equity.
“The movie wouldn’t have been made if it wasn’t for him and Artists Equity,” Lopez admitted. “That is right, and I will always give him that credit.”
From Love Story to Creative Partnership
The acknowledgment comes just months after Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck in August 2024, ending their two-year marriage. Their on-again, off-again romance first captured headlines in 2002 after they met on the set of Gigli. Though their relationship has gone through many ups and downs, the pair have maintained a professional collaboration even after parting ways romantically.
Last year, Affleck and Damon also produced Lopez’s boxing biopic Unstoppable, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024. Now, Kiss of the Spider Woman has become another significant milestone in their shared creative history.
A Dream Role Fulfilled
For Lopez, the film represents more than just another acting project—it’s the realization of a lifelong dream. Speaking at the film’s Sundance Film Festival premiere, she became emotional as she reflected on what musicals meant to her growing up.
“When you talk about the importance of musicals, the reason that I even wanted to be in this business was because my mom would sit me in front of the TV… we’d come on once a year, West Side Story on Thanksgiving,” Lopez explained. “I remember I was just mesmerized. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ That was always my goal. And this is the first time I actually got to do it. This crowd made my dream come true.”
#benaffleck #jenniferlopez