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Jennifer Lopez, Ben AffleckStefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA.

At this point in the summer, it’s probably fair to say that Jennifer Lopez‘s separation from Ben Affleck is serious. The break in their marriage seems to be moving in a direction where Bennifer 2.0 might no longer be a reality and Lopez may go back to being one of Affleck’s exes. If they decide to divorce, it will be the end of a relationship that fans feel like they participated in, too.

That might be where the problem was, to begin with — and Lopez is reportedly starting to realize that. The 54-year-old superstar worked hard on her movie musical and documentary about her love for Affleck based on her This Is Me… Now album. The Greatest Love Story Never Told showed cracks in their armor after Affleck showed his displeasure for her sharing his love letters with her songwriters. “Things that are private I had always felt are sacred and special in part because they’re private. So, this was something of an adjustment for me,” he said in the documentary.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the premiere of “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story” held at Dolby Theatre on February 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.

Lopez responded, “I don’t think he’s very comfortable with me doing all of this. But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist, and he’s going to support me in every way he can because he knows he can’t stop me.” However, that love-conquers-all approach with two people leading very different lives didn’t seem to work for them in the end, which is something J.Lo is apparently realizing in their time apart.

“She wants her fans to see she’s nothing like she’s being portrayed by Team Ben in this breakup,” an In Touch source shared. “When the dust settles and the divorce is final, she’ll get back out on the dating scene and find a new man. The more time goes by, the more she’s healing and realizing that things with Ben weren’t nearly as perfect as she tried to pretend they were.” The insider didn’t exactly have the most flattering things to say about Affleck either.

“As charming as Ben can be, he also has a pretty miserable side, which is something Jennifer endured a lot of the time when the cameras were off,” they continued. “She never wanted the marriage to end, but the more she reflects, the more she realizes she was the one doing all the work, constantly trying to lift his moods and make everything perfect for him. Truth be told, she’s so much better off without him.”

Affleck could barely mask his displeasure on the red carpet while Lopez thrived in the limelight. Those relationship moments are hard to hide when you’re both in the public eye — and a picture-perfect image isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Before you go, click here to see a complete timeline of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship.