Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are embroiled in what could be a messy divorce battle that could drag on for years and cost millions. The power couple, once known as “Bennifer,” will have to untangle their assets, such as the $68 million home they have been trying to sell for months.
Their net worths are unbalanced, with Lopez having a net worth of an estimated $400 million and Affleck has a net worth of $150 million.
Divorce Complications?
The estranged couple, who according to TMZ didn’t sign a prenup, have turned to high-profile lawyer Laura Wasser for mediation, Business Insider reports. However, issues like the sale of their $68 million Beverly Hills mansion (which has been on the market for more than 100 days) and Affleck’s production company, Artists Equity, are causing significant delays. RadarOnline reports its sources claim Lopez is eyeing a portion of the company, considering it community property.
The couple’s divorce will be handled in California, which is a community community property state. Because of this, anything they have acquired during marriage, including real estate, bank accounts, and retirement savings, are split evenly. And not having a prenup could make this complicated.
Citing court documents, TMZ reported that Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, which could mean Affleck’s new $20 million property won’t be among the assets to be split. In November 2022, Affleck and his longtime friend Matt Damon co-founded a new production company, Artists Equity.
Since the company was made after Affleck and Lopez’s wedding, Lopez could receive some of the profits over the last two years.
The film company worked on Affleck’s Dunkin Donut commercials, “Air,” Lopez’s documentary “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” Damon’s latest movie, “The Instigators,” and three more upcoming movies.
Lopez also starred in multiple films and created a three-part multimedia project for her latest album, “This Is Me… Now’
Lopez starred in and produced two Prime Video movies and two Netflix movies in the past two years. She also appeared in Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts ads.
“For this couple, there could be a future stream of income, and that’s where it gets really difficult and painful. Let’s say there’s a movie project in the works or there’s a sequel — these things that can happen years after a split could still be community property and be subject to being shared,” Los Angeles divorce attorney Christopher C. Melcher told NBC.
But this remains all speculation. The couple could have made other financial agreements before — nor even during — their two-year marriage.
Veteran Los Angeles family law attorney Roz Soudry told NBC that he was “surprised by the reports that there’s no prenup, because I would think their business managers, their accountants, their attorneys would’ve insisted on one.” Soudry added, “I’m surprised that there’s none, but we don’t really know.”
