Ben Affleck spotted for the first time since JLo divorce filing – and fans are worried

Internet users are expressing concern for Ben Affleck after the actor was spotted out and about for the first time since his wife, Jennifer Lopez, filed for divorce.

Earlier this week JLo finally took the step that people have speculated over for the past few months, filing divorce papers at Los Angeles County Superior Court, and one the two-year anniversary of the couple’s Las Vegas wedding no less.

Needless to say, the filing has become arguably the most talked about story of the week, and though neither Affleck or Lopez have spoken publicly about the decision to call quits on their union, fans have had plenty to say after the former was sighted in a parking garage.

Much of 2024 has seen celebrity tabloids and gossip columns filled with updates regarding Ben and Jen’s marriage, and there have been very few pieces, if any, that had a positive outlook.

No, though fans of the A-list couple were overjoyed to see them find each other again – some twenty years following the breakdown of their first attempt at getting married – it quickly became apparent that there was trouble in paradise following their wedding two years ago.

As a result, when Lopez filed for divorce on Tuesday this week, there can’t be many people who can claim to be genuinely surprised.

Credit / Getty Images

The whys behind the decision remain a mystery beyond public knowledge, with differing reports offering motivations that supposedly lay behind ‘Bennifers’ deepest issues.

Perhaps in time they’ll come to light, but for now there’s not much left for fans to do but accept the couple’s place in the ever-expanding hall of failed celebrity matchups.

Fresh after the news of the divorce filing this week, Affleck was seen without his wedding ring, dressed in a gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. A video posted capturing Affleck’s outing claims that the movie star was leaving his office, while a photographer on scene can be heard asking him “How’s single life, Ben?”

After the clip inevitably did the rounds online, there were more than a few social media users who expressed concern for Affleck.

“This guy has gone [through] hell and back,” one person wrote on Instagram.

“Too bad, there’s probably something wrong with him. She loves him,” another added.

“Poor guy 😮” wrote a third, with another commenting: “So sad…” 

Affleck moved out of he and his wife’s Beverly Hills marital mansion earlier this year and is said to be currently residing in a rented apartment. As for Lopez’s divorce filing, a source told PEOPLE yesterday that the date she chose to take action was significant.

The date in question marks the two-year anniversary of her and Ben’s wedding, a point not missed by the masses.

“She was done waiting and the date she did it speaks a ton,” a source told PEOPLE.

A second Lopez insider told the same publication: “She tried really hard to make things work and is heartbroken.

“The kids are a top priority, as they always have been.”

Falling out of love is never easy. Here’s to hoping both Affleck and Lopez can move on without too much pain.