Jennifer Lopez proved once again to be a class act when asked about ex-husband Ben Affleck during a Today interview.
Lopez, 56, appeared on the morning talk show on Monday, October 6, to discuss her upcoming musical film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, with host Craig Melvin.
“In the middle of filming this elaborate, beautiful musical, your divorce was also finalized with Ben,” Melvin, 46, said to Lopez, to which she responded, “There you go! Look at this guy!”
Lopez laughed it off and kept a smile on her face as they continued to discuss Affleck’s involvement in the movie behind the scenes.
“Then I read that your ex is an executive producer on the film,” Melvin noted, to which Lopez replied, “If it wasn’t for Ben, the movie wouldn’t have gotten made. And I will always give him that credit.”
The “Let’s Get Loud” singer continued, “And yeah, things happen. You have to keep going.”
Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck on August 20, 2024, on the two-year anniversary of their Georgia wedding ceremony. The former couple finalized their divorce in February.
For Lopez, working on the Bill Condon-directed film helped her get through a period of transition in her life.
“It’s funny, the movie is about escapism. It’s about how movies and art save us in the hardest times of our lives,” she shared. “Doing this project was such a dream come true for me that it really got me through to kind of survive a moment that was difficult in my personal life as well.”
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Lopez added, “After that I took some time off and now we’re back. I’m really excited for everybody to see this film. It’s a beautiful film about love.”
Melvin chimed in to say, “And it sounds like it might have helped save you.” Lopez agreed, confirming, “It did, it did!”
Elsewhere in the segment, Melvin praised Lopez for being a talented actress, singer and dancer and utilizing all of her skills in Kiss of the Spider Woman to portray Ingrid Luna/Aurora/The Spider Woman.
“It really is the first film in which I think people are going to see you do all three of the things that you’ve become known for,” the broadcaster said. “It’s hard to believe this is your first proper musical.”
Jennifer Lopez is returning the favor after estranged husband Ben Affleck recently praised her. Lopez, 55, stars in the new boxing drama Unstoppable, produced by Affleck, 52, and his best friend, Matt Damon. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight published last week, Affleck described Lopez’s performance in the movie as “spectacular.” On Monday, November 5, […]
Lopez explained that while she previously starred in the 1997 biographical musical Selena about the life and death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Selena’s actual vocals were used in the film. Filming Kiss of the Spider Woman was truly a unique experience after doing her own vocals and learning musical numbers on the fly. She also praised the upcoming film for having “a beautiful script about love.”
When Melvin asked if she considered reviving Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway, Lopez hinted, “There has been some talk about that.”
Kiss of the Spider Woman has seen many iterations over the years, based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig and the 1993 Broadway musical — and Lopez thinks it’s because of the story’s theme of hope.
“This movie keeps coming around because it has such a beautiful message … And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that this movie has surfaced again, this story has surfaced again,” she concluded.
