Jennifer Lopez opens up on her split from Ben Affleck, says it feels 'sad' and 'desperate'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jennifer Lopez has opened up on her split from Ben Affleck for the first time, following just two years of marriage after rekindling their relationship in 2021.

The couple, affectionately known as "Bennifer," parted ways in April with Lopez filing for divorce on August 20, marking what would have been their second wedding anniversary, according to People.

Jennifer Lopez speaks about her lessons in self-discovery

In a candid interview for Interview magazine's 55th-anniversary issue, Lopez described the emotional toll of her breakup with Ben Affleck, though she avoided directly naming him.

"It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary. It feels sad. It feels desperate," she said.

Speaking with comedian Nikki Glaser about the life lessons she's learned through this challenging year, the actress hinted that she needed to focus on herself after the split.

"You have to be healthy. You have to be complete, if you want something that's more complete," said Lopez.

"I thought I learned that, but I didn’t. And then, this summer, I had to be like, 'I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that,'" she added.

Jennifer Lopez says she's moving forward without regrets 

Jennifer Lopez also revealed that she remains steadfast in her belief that the experience was necessary.

"Not one second [of regret]. That doesn’t mean it didn’t almost take me out for good. It almost did," she shared.

"I'm not looking for anybody," said Lopez, emphasizing the importance of finding happiness within herself.

Glaser, who interviewed the actress for the feature, pressed on the difficulty of the breakup, to which the 55-year-old actress responded, "Yes, it’s f*****g hard!"

Reflecting on life, Lopez said, "When your whole house blows up, you’re standing there in the rubble going, 'How do I not ever let that happen again?' And then you start examining it little by little."

Without directly mentioning Affleck from whom she first split in 2004, 'The Hustlers' star acknowledged that her previous mistakes and blind spots had played a role in the collapse of her marriage.

Jennifer Lopez embraces singleness and self-love

Jennifer Lopez further discussed how this moment in her life is the first time she has embraced being single with true contentment.

"For people who are romantics and love being in relationships... we think, 'I have to have that to be whole and happy.' And you don’t," she said

As the interview drew to a close, Glaser asked the actress once more about the end of her marriage.

Lopez reiterated that she has no regrets despite the pain. "The pain you just went through, you do not regret," she shared.