In the latest chapter of the Bennifer saga, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are getting a crash course in the not-so-fairy-tale side of marriage. Despite their whirlwind romance, they're now facing a less-than-romantic reality as they divorce: dividing their assets without a prenuptial agreement.
TMZ has unearthed new details about the tangled web the power couple finds themselves in, just a week after J.Lo officially filed for divorce from the "Argo" star. Over their two-year marriage, Bennifer amassed significant shared assets, and now they have to figure out how to split them up – and it's not as simple as splitting everything down the middle.
At the heart of the complexity is Affleck's joint production company with Matt Damon, founded in November 2022, four months after the wedding. If J.Lo wants a slice of its profits or equity – especially since the company is behind her upcoming film "Unstoppable" – Damon could find himself unexpectedly tangled up in their divorce drama, possibly gaining a new business partner in the process.
Meanwhile, Affleck could claim his share of the earnings from J.Lo's projects during their marriage, including hits like "Atlas," "Marry Me," "Shotgun Wedding," and her film "This Is Me... Now: A Love Story," along with its soundtrack.
Adding to the drama, Bennifer has already put their lavish Beverly Hills estate on the market. The sprawling property, boasting 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms, was purchased for a cool $60 million (plus a $20 million mortgage). They're now asking for $68 million, but so far, no buyers have bitten.
Legal whiz Marilyn Chinitz explained to People magazine why the couple, who've both been through the divorce wringer before (this is Affleck's second and Lopez's fourth), skipped the prenup: "The only scenario where couples don't sign a prenuptial agreement is when they place their assets in trust funds for their children, clearly excluding these from marital property."
Chinitz also noted that, with Lopez filing for divorce independently and sans lawyer, we're waiting on Affleck's response to shed more light on this murky situation.
Family law attorney David Glass suggests the duo might be working with a mediator to navigate their division and agreements. "Sometimes, people opt for a neutral third party, like a retired judge or an experienced attorney who doesn't represent either of them, to help them reach a compromise. This mediator assists in dividing assets and helps submit their requests to the court, though officially, they file them themselves. This might explain why she filed solo, but it doesn't necessarily mean she's flying solo legally."