The Old Friend J.Lo Let Back Into Her Life After Ben Affleck Divorce Is So Telling

Jennifer Lopez's friendship with Leah Remini is back on as she divorces Ben Affleck, suggesting he may have been why they grew apart. To catch you up to speed, Lopez and Remini once had one of the most enduring Hollywood friendships, which dated back to the early aughts. At the height of their bond, they starred together in 2018's "Second Act," a buddy comedy about a woman looking to shift careers in her 40s and her overly pushy best friend. They also participated in a hilarious series of interviews — including one with James Corden from 2018 when the New Yorkers schooled him on how Lopez's Puerto Rican Bronx accent and Remini's Italian Brooklyn accent weren't even remotely similar! Seriously, it's a gem!

Unfortunately, though these celebs started out as friends, it seems they slowly turned into enemies. For starters, Remini didn't go to Lopez's long-awaited July 2022 wedding to Affleck. At the time, TMZ reported that Remini's decision not to attend wasn't related to any potential tension with Lopez but more about her supporting her daughter's transition into her freshman year of college. While that excuse sounded more than reasonable at first, it didn't really hold up as varying rumors about Lopez and Remini's fractured bond started circulating, suggesting something deeper was going on between them. 

Now that Remini has conveniently popped back into Lopez's life as Affleck has exited, the culprit of their friendship woes seems clear. 

In August 2022, Radar reported that Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini were on the outs. "Leah isn't a fan of Ben's," claimed a source, who also alleged that Affleck could very much feel the same way about her. "They don't get along and when you go up against someone's partner, you always lose." The source also revealed that Remini had all the scorching-hot tea about Lopez and Affleck's ups and downs over the years. "Leah was there for Jen when Ben broke her heart," they continued, adding, "Leah knows everything, all the ugly details about what went down between her best friend and Ben." And she wasn't a fan! "No wonder she doesn't like him. Jennifer might have been ready to move on and forgive Ben, but Leah hasn't and is worried it will happen again."

Fortunately, things are finally looking more positive for Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini's friendship, given that Ben Affleck is out of the picture. Why? Well, Us Weekly reported in September that the friends had found common ground while traversing their simultaneous divorces — Lopez from Ben Affleck, of course, and Remini from her estranged husband, Angelo Pagan. "J.Lo and Leah reconnected recently," a source shared with the outlet. "Leah and J.Lo bonded over the shared experience ... and are in the beginning of rekindling their friendship." And while it's been a while since the pair were photographed out together or traded likes on social media, their bond was obviously strong enough to get over a blip as minor as an ex-husband. 

After all, best friends are forever, while spouses, apparently, are not!