Jennifer Lopez says ‘dysfunctional family’ film hit ‘close to home’

Jennifer Lopez is offering insight into her mindset, weeks after filing for divorce from Ben Affleck.

The actress premiered her new film Unstoppable – which Ben helped to co-produce – at Toronto International Film Festival on Friday September 8 and has now revealed that there were times on set when she struggled because the character traits and developments hit too close to home.

“I struggled on the set a couple of times,” she told People magazine. “I was like, ‘Ugh, too close.'”

“Women who are moms who get in relationships, and you struggle with them, and you find yourself in dynamics that are not healthy, but you care about the person, love the person? That’s those complicated dynamics about life that I understand really well,” she continued.

In Unstoppable, Jennifer plays Judy Robles, the mom of NCAA wrestling national champion Anthony Robles, and Jennifer acknowledged that being involved in portraying the “dysfunctional and unhealthy” relationship between Judy and her husband Rich felt “very cathartic”.

© Emma McIntyre

Jennifer married Ben in 2022 and they began shooting the film alongside Matt Damon, another co-producer, in early May 2023.

They were forced to stop during the SAG and WGA strikes before picking up again at the end of the year.

© Monica Schipper

However by early 2024 there were cracks in their marriage, and the pair split in April 2024, less than two years after they eloped in Las Vegas.

Ben did not attend the premiere, but Matt did, and Jen and Matt took a few pictures together on the red carpet.

© Kevin Winter

There had been signs of significant turmoil, notably when Ben was pictured moving his things out of their $68 million mansion, and the occasions when they were seen without wedding rings.

July 16, 2024 marked their second wedding anniversary, and they spent it apart, with Jennifer in the Hamptons with friends, and Ben in Los Angeles.

Jennifer filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on August 21, 2024, and listed April 26, 2024 as the date of separation. She also filed for divorce without a lawyer.