The September 2024 report that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s divorce “has the potential to get ugly” was an anonymous source’s prediction, not a court finding. Later reporting says the pair reached a mediated settlement, which a judge approved on January 6, 2025; the divorce became effective February 21, 2025.
What the September 2024 report said
PEOPLE, in a report published by AOL on September 3, 2024, quoted an anonymous source who said the divorce had “the potential to get ugly” and that there were “some sticking points over financials.” The source linked that concern to a reported lack of a prenuptial agreement and said the couple was in mediation. These were claims attributed to an unnamed source, not statements from Lopez, Affleck, their attorneys or a court. Read the PEOPLE report via AOL.
The headline described a possibility at that moment. It did not establish that the divorce would become contentious or reveal the couple’s private financial arrangements.
What happened in the divorce
The Associated Press later reported that Lopez and Affleck reached a settlement through mediation in September 2024. The agreement was submitted to the court in January 2025, and a judge approved it on January 6. AP reported that the divorce became effective on February 21, 2025, after California’s six-month waiting period following the filing. Neither party would pay the other spousal support. Read the Associated Press account.
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The public reporting does not disclose most of the settlement’s financial terms. It is not possible to say from these accounts who received what, or to assess the legal or financial consequences of the reported absence of a prenup.
Why published accounts give different separation dates
The dates reported in the two accounts do not match. PEOPLE’s September 2024 story said Lopez filed for divorce on August 20, 2024, and listed April 26, 2024, as the separation date. AP’s February 2025 report described the former couple’s court filings as placing their separation in April 2023. Those accounts should be kept distinct; the discrepancy is not resolved by the reporting cited here.
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When a California divorce is final
California Courts explains that a divorce is final when the court files the Notice of Entry of Judgment. The judgment states the date the marriage officially ends. California Courts’ guidance on finalizing a divorce.
For someone seeking the official record in a Los Angeles case, the Los Angeles Superior Court provides a service to order divorce judgments. A case number is required; if a judgment is not available through that service, the court points users to case-document access. Los Angeles Superior Court divorce judgment ordering information.
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