Ben Affleck praises ex Jennifer Lopez as ‘spectacular’ in new film amid divorce
Ben Affleck is giving credit to where credit is due when it comes to his ex Jennifer Lopez.
Amid their divorce proceedings after less than two years of marriage, the Oscar winner unexpectedly gave props to the “Monster-in-Law” star in a new interview promoting a new project.
During the promotion rounds for “Small Things Like These,” he also discussed another film, “Unstoppable,” which stars Emmy Award-winner Jharrel Jerome, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale and Lopez.
“’Unstoppable’ is a very different movie than this, but in a way, it’s similarly rooted in the passion of really talented artists,” Affleck, who produced the film, told Entertainment Tonight. “Billy Goldenberg and Jennifer and Don Cheadle and Jharrel [Jerome], and Bobby Cannavale, all were really passionate about this film.”
“Jennifer’s spectacular,” he continued. “We believed in the right people, and ‘Unstoppable’ is another example of that.”
“Unstoppable,” based on the true story of college wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and went on to win a national championship in 2011, is due in select theaters Dec. 6 before streaming on Prime Video Jan. 16.
Lopez portrays Robles’ mother Judy in the drama, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
“Judy Robles is quite an amazing person,” Lopez, 55, told EW. “She had a child very young, at 16 years old, and they kind of grew up together.”
She added: “I really got to talk to her about how she felt about being a mom, being a mom to a child that was handicapped, being a person who was really kind of lost and in bad relationships and had to kind of figure herself out while she was raising these five kids.”
The “Can’t Get Enough” singer filed for divorce on Aug. 20 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The estranged couple’s fast-burning fairy-tale marriage apparently hit the skids months earlier after reports of two living separately.
The “Gigli” stars were originally engaged in the early 2000s before scrapping wedding plans and breaking up shortly after.