When Jennifer Lopez Signaled the End of Her Marriage By Switching Her 'Ben' Necklace to Own Name

After Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's dreamy Southern wedding in Georgia two years back; on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the singer filed for divorce. Rumors of trouble in paradise had lingered for months. For instance, in July, Lopez sported a trendy diamond-encrusted 'Jennifer' nameplate necklace while out and about in the Hamptons. Lopez, who enjoys wearing charms and custom necklaces, gave up the gold necklace she had been donning earlier that spelled out 'BEN' with a gold heart.

According to Page Six, the Dance Again singer wore the same in February, the month before it is believed they parted ways. She also flaunted a necklace in 2022 that was personalized with the words 'Jennifer & Ben,' written in cursive. The 14k yellow gold accessory, which retails for at least $176, was bought from Jennifer Zeuner. 

As per E! Online, Lopez was first spotted wearing the 'BEN' charm during her romantic trip with Affleck to Monaco, in 2021, when they had just rekindled their relationship. "They have been meshing their lives and families and don't feel the need to get engaged yet or even tie the knot. They have both been there and don't feel it's necessary," an insider explained back then. "They want to do everything they can to make this work," the source added. "They are madly in love." 

According to She Knows, Lopez has been particularly fixated with her gold 'Jennifer' necklace this summer. She wore the delicate item twice over the Fourth of July weekend, pairing it with a peach-colored bikini. As per reports, the Maid in Manhattan actress now wants to switch back to her maiden name, Jennifer 'Lynn' Lopez, USA Today claimed. She submitted the court paperwork 'pro per', that is, without an attorney. Lopez listed their marriage date as July 16, 2022 (the day they wed at a Las Vegas chapel) and their separation date as April 26, 2014.

Additionally, she put down "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for divorce. She also asked the judge to order both her and her estranged spouse to pay attorney's costs and to forgo receiving spousal maintenance. Ironically, in a 2022 interview with Vogue, she had defended herself on choosing to take her husband's last name after marriage. “What? Really?” she asked. “People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we are joined together. We are husband and wife. I am proud of that. I don’t think that’s a problem.” She added, “I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that’s okay, too...But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it’s romantic. It still carries tradition and romance to me, and maybe I’m just that kind of girl.”