Ben Affleck marriage called a publicity stunt by J.Lo's ex
Jennifer Lopez's first husband, Ojani Noa, has claimed her marriage to Ben Affleck was a “publicity stunt,” saying she needed people talking about her again. The remarks, reported by Yahoo Entertainment citing The Sun, revive years of public doubt from Noa about a union that ended with a divorce finalized in early 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Ojani Noa told The Sun that Lopez's marriage to Ben Affleck was a “publicity stunt.”
- Noa was married to Lopez for about a year from 1997 to 1998.
- He voiced similar doubts in 2022 after their Las Vegas wedding.
- Lopez and Affleck separated in April 2024; the divorce was finalized in early 2025.
- Lopez has largely avoided commenting on Noa's remarks.
What did Ojani Noa say about Ben Affleck and J.Lo?
Speaking to The Sun, as relayed by Yahoo Entertainment, Noa claimed: “That marriage was a publicity stunt. She needed people to talk about her again.”
The jab targets Lopez's fourth marriage—to Ben Affleck—rather than Noa's own brief union. Geo News notes this is the latest in a string of public comments he has made about Lopez's romantic history since their marriage ended more than two decades ago.
Has Noa criticized the Ben Affleck marriage before?
Yes. In 2022, shortly after Lopez and Affleck's Las Vegas wedding, Noa told the Daily Mail he wished them the best but was “not convinced it will last.”
He said Lopez once told him on their wedding night they would “be together forever,” and argued she was “someone who will be married seven or eight times.” He also suggested Affleck's chances improved if he had Lopez's mother, Lupe, on his side, according to Yahoo's Cosmopolitan-sourced report.
Why does this claim matter now?
Lopez and Affleck's divorce was finalized in early 2025 after they separated in April 2024, Geo News reports. Noa's “publicity stunt” line reframes a high-profile marriage that already ended, keeping old tensions in the news cycle.
His commentary also escalated after Lopez told the Howard Stern Show she did not believe she had ever been “truly loved.” Noa responded on Instagram, accusing her of “playing the victim” and writing that the problem was not her exes.
Lopez, married four times in total, has largely avoided commenting publicly on Noa's remarks. For more stories filed under our culture and innovation desk, see the Future Tech & AI Wonders hub on BlasterPost.
You can read the Cosmopolitan write-up via Yahoo Entertainment for the original report on Noa's comments.