Greek mythology has nothing on the epic tale of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who finally filed for divorce in August after a broken engagement, a decades-long friendship arc, a rekindling, a second engagement, a Vegas wedding, and then a bigger Georgia wedding. (In case you were wondering: yes, I was able to recite all of that off the top of my head.) Now, Lopez has addressed the aftermath of her second split from Affleck for the first time, telling comedian Nikki Glaser in Interview magazine: “Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person, but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m actually good.’” Later, when Glaser asked if Lopez had set a “new bar for the next person that comes along,” Lopez replied, “Here’s the thing: There’s no new bar because I’m not looking for anybody.”
Lopez also referenced her epic, white-pants-and-bike-rides-filled Nancy Meyers girl summer in the Hamptons in the interview, saying: “This summer, I had to be like, ‘I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that.’” Important as that experience was, it was also, Lopez acknowledged, “fucking hard.” (Real as hell, Jen; even if you’re truly and deeply enjoying life on your own, it’s still completely normal to occasionally dissolve into tears when the fire alarm is chirping and you have no idea how to make it stop.)
While Affleck has been busy dyeing his beard and experimenting with faux hawks (no shade: breakup makeovers—breakovers?—are also real, regardless of gender), it’s nice to know that the two newly divorced stars are still civil enough to hang out with one another’s kids and exes from time to time. Not to play favorites (I love all my parasocial celebrity relationships equally!), but I do love to hear that Lopez is on the road to recovery and enjoying her singledom to some degree. After all, how are Ben and Jen ever going to get to Engagement #3 if they don’t take some time apart to rediscover themselves?