The marriage of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez is officially over with the divorce being finalized earlier this year. While the two have appeared to move forward in their lives without each other, working through the split was reportedly difficult for both of them. Now, a friend of Jennifer Lopez who lost her own husband more tragically, has spoken out about how she and her friend grieved together.
Loren Ridinger is an entrepreneur and a longtime friend of JLo. Speaking with US Weekly, Ridinger talked about her friend and the strength she has had as both women have been dealing with grief together. She said…
She’s been one of my best friends for so many years and somebody who’s been a big support. I love her and I admire and I look up to her, but she’s been a pillar of strength at a time where it’s been hard for her too. She’s a powerhouse.
Loren Ridinger and her husband, JR Ridinger, were in attendance when Ben Affleck and Lopez held their wedding in 2022. Unfortunately, JR Ridinger passed away suddenly only a few days later. Ridinger has since written a book Scrambled or Sunny-Side Up?: Living Your Best Life After Losing Your Greatest Love, and while the author’s loss was certainly more tragic than that of JLo, she says that ultimately both women found themselves grieving together. Ridinger continued…
Part of this whole journey was the week before JR passed away, we went to the wedding. By the time I finished the book, she was grieving with me. I realized that you don’t have to lose someone to grieve. You can actually go through the loss of a loved one or a divorce and grieve.
It’s certainly not a surprise if Lopez and Ridinger found something of a bond considering both of them did lose their long-term relationships (even though they happened in very different ways). From various reports we’ve heard, while Lopez was the one who filed for divorce, it was something she didn’t really want to do, and coming to terms with that had to be difficult.
Anybody going through a difficult time can see the load lightened with the help of friends, so the two women were able to help each other. Ridinger said she and Lopez often cried together but ultimately both came out the other side in a better place. She explained…
I think we were so fortunate that we had each other. If we wanted to cry, we could cry. If we wanted to laugh, we could laugh. And we realized that there is sun again and there are rainbows again. She’s such an inspirational person.
While the Affleck and Lopez split is official, that doesn’t mean both parties aren’t still dealing with loss. They clearly loved each other and that’s not something that most people simply get over.
Considering that parts of Affleck’s family are still close to Lopez, it’s possible they’ll never be entirely out of each other’s lives. Whether that makes things easier or much more difficult remains to be seen.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
