Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck: The Art of Choosing the Right Moment to Announce a Star-Star Divorce

When a celebrity couple calls it quits, like it happened to Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck After two years of a much-publicized marriage, everyone is wondering why. Usually, a good question to ask afterwards is: why do we hear about it? Now?

Second PeopleLopez’s divorce filing lists their separation date as April 26, 2024, nearly four months ago. But it appears the day the divorce news hit the world was no accident. “She had had enough of waiting, and the date she did it speaks volumes,” a source close to Lopez told the magazine, noting that Tuesday, August 20, marked the two-year anniversary of her and Affleck’s wedding ceremony in Georgia.

As if that wasn’t enough, the divorce was announced in the middle of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, on the day Barack And Michelle Obama they were ready to give a couple of newsworthy speeches in support of Kamala Harris. “Overshadowed by Democratic convention, Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck,” headlined AV-Club.

A divorce between two celebrities of this magnitude cannot go completely unnoticed, especially when it has been talked about for so long (and so consistently) as in this case (even the celebrity news account Pop Crave he managed to report live from the Democratic convention and still generate content about the divorce of the Bennifer). But releasing information too quickly can minimize its potential coverage or distract from further research into the circumstances that led to a major separation. “Divorces, separations…these are things we have control over,” she told Marie Claire the PR of celebrities Jonathan Hay. «It’s not like a death or something like that: you can decide when to make the announcement. You can choose».

There are those who manage to separate in silence for long periods before the news becomes public: see Sarah And Todd-Palinwhose 2019 divorce filing was not made public for months, or Meryl Streep And Don Gummerwho have managed to keep their separation a secret for six years. Then there are those who seem to purposely separate on days when they feel it’s least likely to become the subject of a media frenzy.

This type of discreet divorce announcement usually occurs late on Friday afternoon, when the news may be picked up but not as carefully verified as a midweek announcement would be, with bonus points if the news is broken just before a busy and often understaffed holiday weekend (for what it’s worth, the “conscious separation” of Gwyneth Paltrow And Chris Martinpublished on Tuesday on Goophad been orchestrated to gain maximum press coverage).

If you look at any long holiday weekend on the calendar, chances are that a celebrity divorce was announced on the previous Friday. In 2011, the separation between Katy Perry And Russell Brand It was announced one day before New Year’s Eve. Six years earlier, Brad Pitt And Jennifer Aniston were photographed strolling on the beach on New Year’s Day, after which they tried to hush up their divorce on the first working Friday of 2005. Easter weekend has been an ideal calling-out ground for celebrity couples like Adele And Simon Konecki or Channing Tatum And Jenna DewanMemorial Day weekend brought news of the separation between Ben Stiller And Christine Taylorwho later reconciled, while the news of the divorce between Joe Jonas And Sophie Turner emerged right before Labor Day. And Halloween weekend came right after the divorce announcement between Gisele Bundchen And Tom Bradynot to mention Kim Kardashian And Kris Humphries.

This timing doesn’t always work in the best interests of those involved. When news broke in 2005, just before Thanksgiving, that Jessica Simpson And Nick Lacheythe event did not overshadow the news that the protagonists of the reality show Newlyweds were separating. One particularly vocal forum called their divorce “a real holiday tragedy.” Months of tabloid speculation about the reasons for their breakup followed, exacerbated by the release of Lachey’s breakup ballad, What’s Left of Me.

As with Lopez and Affleck, there is also a long tradition of celebrities announcing their divorces at major political moments. This dates back at least to 1961, when Marilyn Monroe reportedly filed for divorce from Arthur Miller on the day of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. News of the divorce between Naomi Watts And Lieutenant Schreiber It arrived a few hours before the first electoral confrontation between Donald Trump And Hillary Clinton in 2016. The divorce of the star of Real Housewives Erika Jayne and of her disgraced lawyer husband, Tom Girardihit the headlines on the day of the 2020 presidential election. Ten days later, the rift between Jason Sudeikis And Olivia Wilde. And the exclusive of Page Six on the separation between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West was released during the 2021 Georgia Senate runoff elections.

Despite their irreconcilable differences, the one thing two incompatible stars of this caliber can sometimes agree on is a little strategic planning. “When you have a celebrity couple, each party understands the need to keep things quiet and private so as not to destroy the other’s brand in the process,” she told Business Insider Christopher MelcherCalifornian family law attorney.

Which celebrity couple will be the next to divorce? Labor Day is right around the corner, so we may not have to wait long.