JLo pals make rare confession about downfall of Ben Affleck’s marriage

Jennifer Lopez's decision to file for divorce from Ben Affleck came as no surprise to many, given the months of speculation surrounding their troubled marriage.

However, sources close to the singer and actress reveal that she had been holding on to hope of saving the relationship, despite the couple's prolonged separation.

As one friend confided to Page Six, "She loves him, she will always love him, that's the problem."

Despite friends' hopes, the Hypnotic star failed to join Lopez for her 55th birthday celebration in the Hamptons last month, a "Bridgerton"-themed party attended by friends and family.

Instead, Affleck has been spotted at various Hollywood hotspots, including the Polo Lounge, where he was seen socialising with Kick Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

Meanwhile, Lopez has taken steps to end their marriage, filing for divorce on the second anniversary of their lavish wedding ceremony at Affleck's Georgia estate.

She has also requested to drop Affleck from her last name.

“She truly believed this was the greatest love story she’d ever known and she was finally getting her chance at the fairy tale,” said one Hollywood source who knows the couple.

“She just really didn’t stop to consider who the actual man was [in] the fairy tale.”

The source added that the kind of “big love Jennifer believes in” is “not in [Ben’s] DNA” — adding, “Ben has a darkness to him that no other person can fix. [His actress ex-wife] Jen Garner couldn’t fix it, all the success in the world couldn’t fix it.

“[Lopez] gave this everything she had; her whole heart. She would have done anything to make this work. She opened herself up to criticism, ridicule and countless naysayers who told her this was a bad idea, that it was doomed, that there was a reason it didn’t work the first time,” the source said. 

“But she didn’t want to believe it— she truly believed love would conquer all.”