'The detail in Bennifer's divorce that proves my "publicity stunt" theory.'

Hello, and welcome to my off-brand TED Talk. We're gathered here today to talk about the so-called "break up" of one Jennifer Lopez and Benjamin Affleck.

Unless you've been living under a celebrity news-rock, you will have heard that after two years of marriage, JLo filed for divorce from Ben Affleck — and on their second wedding anniversary, no less. The drama!

But here's the thing... I don't think they were ever actually in a relationship. Well, no. I do think their initial relationship was real. But Bennifer 2.0? I don't buy it.

Yep, that's right: I think their entire marriage was a PR stunt that has simply run its course.

Let's look at the timing.

Bennifer 2.0 kicked off in the midst of a publicly tumultuous time for both Ben and Jen. As a refresher, the "couple" first reunited in May 2021, and the news set the internet alight.

"Ben reached out to her to see how she was doing and they had dinner together a few times within this last month. It's natural between them and the chemistry is unreal," a source told E! News at the time.

"They picked up where they last left off and are enjoying each other's company right now."

By the end of May, the couple had already been on holiday together, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But let's add some context here. Jennifer was fresh out of a very messy relationship with her ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez. The couple had gotten engaged in 2019, postponed the wedding twice due to COVID, and eventually split amid rumours that he had cheated on her with Southern Charm reality star Madison LeCroy. Around that time, reports were that JLo was in her 'Please Please Please' era, ie. — not wanting to date another person who would publicly humiliate her by cheating on her.

Meanwhile, two-time Academy Award winner Ben Affleck was keeping busy with work — 2021 marked the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League as well as Ridley Scott's The Last Duel — but his work was largely being overshadowed by headlines about his personal life. There was his pandemic romance with Ana de Armas, and of course, the memes. The many, many, memes.

Which Ben Affleck with Dunkin Donuts are you today? pic.twitter.com/16IgMORtWW

— Summer Morris Hobson (@summeramorris_) February 16, 2021

Now, I'm not saying it's impossible that these two met back up and felt sparks fly. They're both extremely hot, and that would make sense! But you know what else makes sense? The idea that both of these A-list stars wanted to reclaim control of their respective public images, and regain control of the narrative. Beyond that, I'm also not the first person to question whether their relationship was real — this has been the topic of much speculation since news broke that they were back together.

Everybody loves nostalgia!

Let's say that after a few decades, these two were older, wiser, and on friendly terms. No hard feelings from that time JLo broke off her engagement to Ben just days before their wedding! Water under the bridge!

What better way to control the conversation around each of them as individuals than by... teaming up? Two A-listers getting back together is a huge story, regardless of whether you care about either of them individually. The power that each of them has as an individual is one thing, but Bennifer, as an entity, is the kind of relationship that leaves little oxygen in the room for any attention to be placed on their individual PR messes.

Even better, their public appearances and projects would also get an automatic boost from the other person's presence. One of the key components to spotting a PR relationship is that it's mutually beneficial to both parties — and there's no question they were stronger as a couple. You can't tell me that Ben and Jen weren't both benefitting from their relationship re-do!

"Celebrities are brands in and of themselves, and a PR relationship is just another way to market themselves, to appeal to more people if they have a project coming out," Sabrina Alexis Bendory, a New York City-based dating coach told Independent earlier this year.

"Being in a high-profile relationship is a good way to get people talking about them, and the more people talk about them, the more they're referencing the new project."

Another sign of a PR relationship? Constant paparazzi photos, and these two really delivered on that front, especially in the early days of Bennifer 2.0. And it wasn't just that they were photographed together; they were intentionally playing into our love for nostalgia and the idea of these two finally getting their fairytale "happily ever after" ending.

Jlo and Ben Affleck literally said let’s break the internet again pic.twitter.com/ai2A9q4tVl

— Liv Marks (@OliviaLilyMarks) July 25, 2021

Need an example? Let's talk about this very specific paparazzi shot of Ben Affleck recreating the infamous moment from the 'Jenny From the Block' music video. I'm sorry, but you cannot tell me that wasn't staged!!! They knew what they were doing, and we were eating it up! Hell, I thought it was staged and even I loved it.

Mutually BENeficial... until it's not.

So, if it was all a PR stunt, why not stay together? Great question.

Essentially, I think Bennifer 2.0 just sort of... ran its course. JLo was kind of down bad in the press last year, what with her bizarre self-funded docu-project This Is Me... Now, the cancelled tour, the movies that weren't replicating the success of Hustlers. Perhaps Ben didn't want his star tarnished by her career missteps? After all, if a PR relationship is no longer mutually beneficial, why bother?

"But Jennifer was the one to file for divorce!"

I hear you! And to that I would say that it's all about public perception. Almost immediately after JLo filed for divorce, the tide began to turn in her favour again. After all, a divorce can distract from any number of career failures, just like a new relationship can, right?

Personally, I feel like after the novelty of Bennifer 2.0 had worn off for the public, it was only a matter of time before one of them pulled the plug on the faux-lationship. They got what they came for and got out when it stopped working!

The telling divorce details.

When A-list Hollywood celebrities get divorced, it's common for the divorce proceedings to take years. Look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Look at Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. When you have that much money on the table, when there are high-profile people, joint projects, business deals and property involved, things can get messy quickly.

On the other hand, Bennifer's divorce has taken just five months to settle. It's an especially notable detail, because the pair didn't sign a pre-nup before tying the knot.

TMZ has reported that Lopez and Affleck's divorce settlement will see each of them walk away with whatever they earned as individuals through the course of the marriage, and neither party will pay spousal support. Essentially? From a financial standpoint, it seems both stars will come out of the marriage unscathed.

As for their joint home, which is worth a cool USD $61 million, the stars also reached an agreement on that, although the terms of that settlement haven't been revealed.

Riddle me this: Does this not sound as though they didn't need a pre-nup because there was a mutual understanding that the entire relationship was not real to begin with? It's kind of giving 'this whole thing was a business deal and now the contract is up', no?

Look. I'm famously not a lawyer, and I am truly just speculating based on a lifetime spent ingesting celebrity news and tabloid rumours, but to me, this does not sound like it was the acrimonious split that it was reported to be. If I were to really put my tin foil hat on, I would say that perhaps they want us to believe it was acrimonious, because that would make it feel more real. But again, I'm just a girl on the internet who doesn't know much about much!

Here's the thing, though. Just because I think their relationship was a stunt doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. After all, I love nostalgia as much as the next person. I love to be entertained, and they delivered!

And on February 20 when the divorce is finalised, it will be over.

Do I care? Not really. But here I am, here you are, here we all are. If you're convinced, welcome. If you're not, I love that for you! You believe in love, and that can only be a good thing, right?

Feature image: Getty.

This article was originally published in August 2024 and has since been updated with new information.

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