Body Language Expert Tells Us J.Lo Couldn't Hide Stress Scolding Reporter Over Ben Affleck Question
There had been signs that Jennifer Lopez's marriage to Ben Affleck may not last, and more signals popped up during a press junket as rumors of their split swirled. On May 20, a source for Page Six said Affleck was ready to call it quits. "If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would," the insider told the outlet, adding that "The Town" actor had "come to his senses." A couple days later, while attending a presser in Mexico for her Netflix movie "Atlas," Lopez was asked straight up about her relationship status. "Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? ... What is the truth of the situation?" the reporter asked, as could be seen in a viral video from May 22 posted to X, formerly Twitter. Lopez was dismissive and became semi-combative. "You know better than that," she tersely replied.
Jennifer Lopez shuts down reporter who asked about Ben Affleck divorce rumors:
"You know better than that" pic.twitter.com/3Yb9LJWlsN
— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 23, 2024
The rumors of Lopez and Affleck's divorce started earlier in the month when the "Shotgun Wedding" star attended the Met Gala without her husband on May 6. Fans then noticed the pair had not been spotted together recently. Not long after, a source told InTouch that the Hollywood power couple were no longer living together. "Ben already moved out and they'll likely have to sell the dream house," the insider said on May 15.
To get to the bottom of these reports, Nicki Swift had a body language expert dissect Lopez's heated reaction to the reporter's questions about their divorce.
How Jennifer Lopez grabbed the microphone spoke volumes
Body language expert Traci Brown, of TraciBrown.com, explained how this exchange was one of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's most intense moments, as the "Jenny from the Block" singer was noticeably uncomfortable when asked about the divorce rumors. "She chuckles — in this case I think that's nervousness," Brown told Nicki Swift. Before scolding the reporter, Lopez struggled to gain composure. "[Lopez] leans back — trying to get away from the question," the body language expert said.
The most revealing tell of how bothered Lopez was by the question came when she finally responded after moving nervously. Brown points out what Lopez did after saying, "You know better than that," to the reporter. "And most importantly [Lopez] wrings the mic. This is a stress relief," Brown said while adding this indicated the "Jersey Girl" actor and Affleck were having difficulties. "So she's got a significant amount of stress around the topic. If there's nothing to be stressed about then why not answer," Brown added. Multiple X users echoed the same sentiments. They believed that Lopez dodging the question spoke volumes about the status of her relationship. "If truly nothing was wrong she would've just said we are fine," one fan wrote.
Back in June 2023, another body language expert explained how Lopez and Affleck's love fest at an event felt scripted. The pair packed on the PDA while attending "The Flash" premiere, but Affleck kept his hands in his pocket while kissing his wife for the cameras.