Jennifer Lopez Made a $60 Million Compromise When She and Ben Affleck Bought the House They Shared Together

Buying the Beverly Hills mansion was apparently "Ben’s idea."

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jennifer Lopez made at least one very big compromise during her marriage to Ben Affleck—a $60 million compromise, according to a new report.

A source told People that Lopez was never really a fan of the 38,000 sq. ft. Beverly Hills mansion she and Affleck bought together for a reported $60.8 million in May 2023 (they listed the home for $68 million in July, shortly before Lopez filed for divorce).

"The $68 million mansion was Ben’s idea and a major compromise for her," the source told People of the 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom contemporary-style (read: ultra-modern) home, which was a far cry from the actress and singer's preferred aesthetic. "She loves the romantic, Spanish, European vibe."

As for why Lopez agreed to the purchase, the source suggested that the former couple's large blended family (which included Affleck's three children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15 and Samuel, 12, as well as Lopez's 16-year-old twins Max and Emme, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony), played a big role in the decision.

"She agreed to it because of its spacious layout, accommodating both their families, a gym and a pickleball court, office space, plus it has two private entrances," the source said.

There are two sides to every story, though, and a second source told People that it was actually Affleck who made a sacrifice by agreeing to the pricey Beverly Hills mansion, since the commute to and from his kids' primary home in Brentwood was a lot.

“His life’s in Brentwood. His kids live there. It was such a pain and time consuming for Ben to navigate traffic from their house. He never liked it," the Affleck source claimed, citing the fact that the actor rented a house in Brentwood after his split from Lopez as further proof that he was never a fan of the Beverly Hills home.

Although Lopez and Affleck had not publicly announced their split when they listed the mansion for sale in July, industry insiders quickly pointed to the decision, along with Affleck's solo purchase of a $20 million home in Los Angeles the same month, as evidence that a divorce announcement could be imminent.

"Generally, people do not sell their primary residence a year after they buy it unless there is a divorce, a death, or some kind of desperation. I’m also going to take (a guess) that they’re not going to walk out of this making money," real estate agent Josh Flagg told People at the time. "They’re going to either break even or take a small loss."

Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.