The &34;Kiss of the Spider Woman&34; star says the split &34;helped me grow.&34; Why Jennifer Lopez says Ben Affleck divorce is the 'best thing that ever happen

The "Kiss of the Spider Woman" star says the split "helped me grow."

Why Jennifer Lopez says Ben Affleck divorce is the 'best thing that ever happened' to her

The "Kiss of the Spider Woman" star says the split "helped me grow."

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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September 28, 2025 4:03 p.m. ET

Jennifer Lopez earlier this month, and Ben Affleck in April. Credit:

Robin L Marshall/Getty; Eric Charbonneau/Amazon MGM Studios via Getty

Jennifer Lopez believes that her split with Ben Affleck has changed her for the better.

Lopez got candid about how the breakup impacted her work on film *Kiss of the Spider Woman* while speaking to *CBS News Sunday Morning *correspondent Lee Cowa.

"It was a really tough time," Lopez admitted. "Every moment on set, every moment I was doing this role, I was so happy. And then, it was like, back home, it was not great. And it was just like, '*How do I reconcile this?*'"

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in February 2024 in Hollywood.

Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

As Lopez prepared to celebrate the film in the public eye, she was also weathering a media storm over her heavily scrutinized relationship with Affleck. Making matters more complicated, her now ex-husband, Affleck, and his Artists Equity partner Matt Damon serve as executive producers on the movie musical.

Publicly, it was difficult to fully sever one from the other:* Kiss of the Spider Woman* wrapped production in June 2024, and two months later, the couple announced their split. Weeks after Lopez teared up onstage at the film's Sundance Film Festival world premiere, she finalized her divorce from Affleck.

How did it feel for her dream role to coincide with the breakup?

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Lopez told the outlet. "Because it changed me."

She then amended, "It didn't change me — it helped me grow in a way that I needed to grow."

A reimagining of the 1994 Kander and Ebb Broadway musical*,* the film sees a political prisoner named Valentín share a cell with a man named Molina. They soon form an unlikely bond and escape their drudgery by envisioning a wondrous, musical tale.

Jennifer Lopez teases 'singing and dancing' in 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' movie

Jennifer Lopez is perfect 'contemporary diva' for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' says director Bill Condon

Connecting the contrast of darkness and joy to her own experience, Lopez noted, "The hard times are the lessons, and you have to understand that. You have to understand that. And once you do, everything just becomes a little bit lighter. And you can really, really fly."

Cowan asked, "Does it feel like you're flying now?"

"Yes. It does," she replied. "And I still feel like I want to fly higher. I want to see more. I want to do more things."

Jennifer Lopez in 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' which opens Oct. 10.

Roadside Attractions

Lopez and Affleck — affectionately known as Bennifer — originally got together in 2002, after meeting on the set of their movie *Gigli*. They were engaged by November of that year, however, the wedding was postponed and in January 2004, they announced their split.

But, after marrying and divorcing others in the intervening years, the pair coupled up again in 2021. They married in July 2022, but ended their relationship just two years later when Lopez filed for divorce and asked that Affleck be dropped from her name. The superstar has since stated that her "whole f---ing world exploded" in the wake of their split. Affleck has largely kept quiet about the breakup, but did speak up to shut down rumors of a messy, dramatic split.

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Jennifer Lopez attends the 2025 American Music Awards Winner's Walk.

Taylor Hill/Getty

"There's no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue," Affleck told *GQ* in March. "The truth is, when you talk to somebody, 'Hey, what happened?' Well, there is no: 'This is what happened.' It's just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do. "There is no 'So-and-so did this' or 'This was the big event.'"

Prior to their split, the former couple teamed up creatively, with Affleck appearing in *The Greatest Love Story Never Told*, a documentary about the making of Lopez' album, *This Is Me… Now*, which includes several songs referencing her romance with Affleck. As for her role in the upcoming musical, Lopez has described the film as a "dream come true."

*Kiss of the Spider Woman *hits theaters Oct. 10.**

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