Lopez: Divorce sparked growth Affleck funded Kiss of the Spider Woman

Jennifer Lopez said her 2024 divorce from Ben Affleck was a turning point that helped her grow and become more self aware, telling an interviewer on Sept. 28 that the split was "the best thing that ever happened to me" because it changed her. Lopez made the remarks while promoting her forthcoming film Kiss of the Spider Woman, on which Affleck is credited as a producer and which she said would not have been made without his financial backing through his production company.

Lopez, 56, described filming the movie as both a refuge and a pressure point during a difficult period at home. "Every moment on set, every moment I was doing this role, I was so happy, and then it was like, back home, it was not great," she said. She added that the experience forced a reckoning and eventual personal growth. "It helped me grow in a way that I needed to grow. I became more self aware. I am a different person now than I was last year," she said, later describing the recent summer as "probably the best summer I ever had."

Lopez said Affleck, 53, and his company Artists Equity helped bring her role to fruition after she told him she felt born to play the character of Ingrid Luna. She said she will...