Singer and actor Jennifer Lopez delivered an emotionally charged and introspective performance on the opening night of her new Las Vegas residency, choosing to openly address her personal journey, past relationships, and her recent divorce from actor Ben Affleck.
A Decade of Change in Las Vegas
The show, titled 'Up All Night' at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, marked Lopez's return to the Las Vegas residency scene after nearly ten years. She acknowledged the passage of time with a mix of awe and humour. "It's such a huge honour to be asked back. Do you know that it's been 10 years, 10 years since my last residency here. Almost 10 years to the day," she told the audience, referring to her previous run at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater.
Reflecting on the tumultuous period in her personal life, Lopez joked with the crowd, "And in that time, I've only been married twice." After the laughter subsided, she clarified, "That's not true. It was only once. It felt like twice." She was referring to her high-profile marriage to Ben Affleck, which lasted from July 2022 until she filed for divorce in August 2024.
Embracing a 'Happy Era' After Heartbreak
Lopez quickly shifted the tone to one of resilience and optimism. "I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. It's over and we just... it's fine," she stated, before delivering a powerful message of self-growth. "The good news is that I'm learning and I'm growing and we're in our happy era. I'm in my happy era."
This perspective echoes her earlier comments in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, where she described the split from Affleck as a transformative experience. "Because it changed me. It helped me grow in a way that I needed to grow," she had said. Despite the end of their romantic relationship, the former couple have maintained an amicable relationship. They were seen together publicly at the premiere of Lopez's film 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', which Affleck produced, and were also spotted shopping in Los Angeles with Affleck's son, Samuel, in December 2025.
Life Lessons and the Power of Perseverance
Lopez also touched upon her earlier divorce from singer Marc Anthony, with whom she shares 17-year-old twins Max and Emme. She credited that experience with a significant personal and professional evolution, telling the Vegas audience, "It was after my third divorce that I really started getting good at it [dancing]."
She shared poignant advice from the late author Louise Hay, who encouraged her to keep moving forward no matter the challenges. "She said, 'When you're learning to dance and you get the steps wrong, what do you do?' I said, 'I just keep going until I get the steps right.' And she said, 'That's right, Jennifer. Always keep dancing,'" Lopez recalled.
Concluding her heartfelt monologue, Lopez left the audience with an inspiring mantra for resilience. "No matter what life throws at you, you dance and you dance and you dance again and again," she said, framing her personal struggles as a dance where missteps are part of the journey to getting it right.
