Ben Affleck’s ‘mood swings’ led to divorce from Jennifer Lopez

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According to a new report in PEOPLE, Ben Affleck’s “erratic mood swings” contributed to his split from Jennifer Lopez.

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“The truth is there was a great deal of love but also unfortunately what became clear were Ben’s erratic mood swings that he couldn’t hide from the press, as much as he tried to,” an insider told the outlet.

After months of speculation over the status of their relationship, Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from her husband after two years of marriage earlier this month.

“You could see the erratic behaviour, the giant mood swings,” PEOPLE’s source continued. Describing the deterioration of their relationship in recent months, the insider claims that the Oscar-winning actor/director would go from “being incredibly happy and warm” to “the deepest, darkest behaviour.”

Lopez filed for divorce on Aug. 20 — which was two years to the day that the pair married. TMZ reported further that Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024. The website added that she did not mention any prenuptial agreement.

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PEOPLE’s source said that while the two still deeply love one another, Lopez couldn’t get over Affleck’s “mood swings.”

“They were trying to work through it, but when the mood swings and the big highs and big lows informed a toxicity that was pervasive, no one can help you — you have to help yourself,” they explained. “The world was rooting for them, but who he said he was and who he turned out to be were two different people.”

In the lead-up to the divorce, the couple had been living apart and were only photographed a handful of times since March.

One insider told PEOPLE in May that the two buckled under the intense media scrutiny surrounding their high-profile marriage.

“They just have very different approaches when it comes to media attention. Ben hates all attention and it makes him very uncomfortable. Jennifer has always had a different approach,” a source told the website.

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A second person close to the couple told the publication that while Affleck was appreciative of his wife’s success, he didn’t embrace her need to share intimate details from their life together.

“Even though he admires that about her, it doesn’t make him happy and causes stress in his life and then in hers. There is no question their different styles clash,” they said at the time.

A third confidante described Affleck as “more introspective and private” and hinted that his personality “causes tension” between the two.

“She likes to open her heart to her fans and to the world. This makes them considerably different, and it has been difficult in the day-to-day relationship,” they added.

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Last month, the pair listed their palatial Beverly Hills mansion for sale — just over a month after reports emerged that the couple were preparing to unload the property.

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After the pad had been on and off the market for five years, Lopez and Affleck scored the place in May 2023 for $60,805,000 — well below its previous owner’s original $75 million asking price.

According to the Daily Mail, real estate site Zillow added photos of the grounds, which features a 5,000-square-foot guest penthouse, courts for pickleball and basketball, parking for 80 cars and more, in June. Realtor.com called the home “one of the most iconic estates” in Beverly Hills.

The official listing says the home blends “cutting-edge technology with timeless elegance.”

In its Zillow write up, the couple says the home was “recently renovated with the highest level of quality” and boasts “a stunning zero-edge pool that artfully frames the expansive estate and its picturesque views, offering a haven of tranquillity amidst lush surroundings.”

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Lopez and Affleck started dating in the early aughts and were engaged in 2002. But the twosome buckled under the constant media attention and called off their wedding in 2004, with each finding love with new partners. Lopez went on to have twins with singer Marc Anthony, while Affleck went on to father three children with actress Jennifer Garner. Both unions ended in divorce.

A source told Us Weekly last week that it was their incompatibility that ultimately led to their separation.

“It was more and more apparent they weren’t a good match,” the confidante said, revealing that the two tried to “make it work” by going to therapy. “It boiled down to (the fact that) they are two different people.”

The pair decided to separate when they both realized they were never going to be on the same page when it came to how they handled fame.

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“She came to the realization things weren’t going to change and they were incompatible,” the source added. “Spending time apart — it became obvious it wouldn’t work … Jennifer loves luxury, mansions, jets, yachts, red carpets and all things glamorous. Ben has never liked those things.”

Lopez, another person close to the couple told PEOPLE, “was done waiting” for things to work out.

“She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken,” they said of the split.

In December, Lopez told Variety “we both have PTSD” following the media scrutiny that followed their relationship the first time around. But she was optimistic that the passage of time would give them a chance to build a lasting relationship once and for all.

“We’re older now. We’re wiser. We also know what’s important, what’s really important in life, and it’s not so much what other people think. It’s about being true to who you are,” she said.

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