Jennifer Lopez Turns Heads After Gym Session as Ben Affleck Defends Her Overlooked Career

Jennifer Lopez was photographed leaving a gym in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday after a workout, drawing attention to her athletic appearance.

The 57-year-old actress and singer wore a cobalt green sports bra with matching high-waisted leggings, paired with white trainers and tall socks.

She was also seen carrying a coffee as she left the gym, while lavender-tinted aviator sunglasses completed her look.

Lopez Keeps Her Fitness Routine in Focus

Lopez appeared relaxed as she walked into the California sunshine, with her long caramel-coloured hair swept back and gold earrings visible beneath her sunglasses.

Her latest public appearance comes as fitness remains a prominent part of her lifestyle, with the actress continuing to maintain a demanding schedule in entertainment.

The outing also coincided with renewed attention surrounding comments from her former husband, Ben Affleck.

Affleck Praises Lopez’s Work as Awards Debate Returns

In a newly published interview with Variety, Affleck was asked about the view that Lopez’s acting work has sometimes received less recognition from awards organisations than her performances warranted.

Affleck responded by acknowledging that he was not an impartial observer because of his personal history with Lopez.

He said he had “an enormous amount of respect and admiration” for what she could do, while also questioning how awards decisions are made.

Oscar Winner Questions How Awards Are Judged

Affleck, who has received two Oscar nominations and won both, said commercial success does not necessarily align with individual tastes or determine which performances receive awards.

He also argued that awards are ultimately decided by people with their own preferences and perspectives.

The actor said he did not believe the person who wins an award is necessarily always the person who should have received it.

His comments have renewed discussion about Lopez’s acclaimed performance in Hustlers, for which she did not receive an Oscar nomination, as well as her later work.

Lopez and Affleck Worked Together After Their Divorce

Affleck and Lopez also continued to have a professional connection after their marriage ended, having worked together on Kiss of the Spider Woman.

The film was released last year, several months after their divorce was finalised.

Despite their separation, the former couple have appeared to remain on cordial terms. They reunited publicly at the New York premiere of the film in October last year.

A Relationship That Returned Nearly Two Decades Later

Lopez and Affleck originally separated in 2004 before rekindling their relationship in 2021.

They married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, before holding a larger wedding ceremony at Affleck’s Georgia property the following month.

Lopez filed for divorce on the second anniversary of their Georgia wedding, and the divorce was finalised in early 2025.

Affleck Discusses Life in the Public Eye

The Good Will Hunting star also spoke to Variety about his experience with celebrity culture and becoming the subject of internet memes.

Affleck has been widely featured in memes involving moments such as smoking, carrying coffee and appearing visibly frustrated. He said his daughter has jokingly referred to him as “the beleaguered man.”

Rather than rejecting the attention, Affleck said celebrities need to recognise the nature of modern media and maintain a sense of humour about public reactions.

Artists Equity Reflects Affleck’s Approach to Hollywood

Affleck connected his views on celebrity culture with Artists Equity, the production company he founded with Matt Damon in 2022.

He said the company was designed around giving artists greater control and allowing them to take more responsibility for the way they participate in the business.

Artists Equity has positioned itself as an artist-led production company seeking to alter traditional Hollywood arrangements by linking revenues, profits and performance-based compensation to creators and production workers.

Affleck Reflects on Losing Both Parents

The interview also addressed a deeply personal period for Affleck following the deaths of both of his parents.

His mother, Chris Affleck, died on June 2 following pancreatic cancer. His brother, Casey Affleck, later confirmed that their father had also died earlier this year.

Affleck reflected on the perspective that comes with losing parents later in life and said his mother’s death had encouraged him to think about how people spend their limited time.

Remembering His Mother’s Final Months

Affleck described his mother as an important influence in his life. She graduated from Harvard and worked for 35 years as a public school teacher before retiring in 2008.

He said that going through her belongings after her death gave him a deeper understanding of her life beyond her role as his mother.

Affleck also praised the decisions she made after receiving her cancer diagnosis, saying she took an active role in determining how much treatment she wanted and how it would affect her quality of life.

He recalled that she remained committed to seeing friends and spending time with her grandchildren during her final months.

Lopez and Affleck Continue Their Separate Careers

While Lopez has continued her work in film, music and entertainment, Affleck has remained active as an actor, filmmaker and producer.

Their latest public connection comes through both their professional work and Affleck’s comments about Lopez’s career, even though their marriage ended in 2025.

Lopez, meanwhile, was focused on her fitness routine when she was photographed leaving the Santa Monica gym on Wednesday.