Ben Affleck Can't Help Raving About Jennifer Lopez In New Movie
Months after their split, Ben Affleck reunited with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez at the New York premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman — and he couldn’t stop raving about her performance.
Ben Affleck showed up in New York to back Jennifer Lopez at the premiere of her new movie, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Yes, even after their split earlier this year. And he did not play it cool — he went full proud-producer, proud-ex energy.
Affleck on Lopez: not just supportive, genuinely impressed
On the red carpet, Affleck talked to E! News and basically broke down why Lopez’s turn in this musical drama is as hard as it gets. He pointed out that the film leans on long, unbroken shots — the kind where you cannot hide a flub in the edit — while Lopez is singing, dancing, and juggling the movie’s shifting tones. In other words: no safety net.
"Oh my god, Jennifer is incredible in this movie. She’s fabulous and it’s enormously difficult... This is probably the maximum level of difficulty. She pulls it off with grace. She’s wonderful."
E! posted the interview clip on October 7, 2025, and Affleck kept the praise going off-camera too. He’s a producer on the movie, and says he signed on because he believed in it — the kind of project with real potential that might get passed over by others. He called Lopez’s performance "amazing" and "spectacular," and said he’s "thrilled to be a part of it." For two people who quietly separated this year, that is a notably cordial (and very public) show of support.
The movie itself
Kiss of the Spider Woman is the second screen take on Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel, following the 1985 film that won an Oscar. This new version is a musical drama written and directed by Bill Condon, with Lopez in the title role and a strong Latin American cast around her.
- Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tenoch Huerta
- Writer/Director: Bill Condon
- Source material: Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel; follows the Oscar-winning 1985 adaptation
- Premiere: Red carpet in New York City
- Release date: October 10, 2025
- Extra context: Affleck and Lopez separated earlier this year, but he’s producing and publicly backing the film
Bottom line: Lopez took on a high-wire role with no place to hide, and Affleck is out here saying she stuck the landing. Not the reunion anyone expected, but it makes for a pretty compelling opening act.