J. Lo’s Bridgerton Birthday Party Was Missing Her Suitor, Ben Affleck

There was an ironic twist to Jennifer Lopez’s 55th birthday theme. The singer went all out to recreate the magic of Bridgerton to celebrate her big day on July 24. You know Bridgerton — the super-swoony show that’s literally all about romance and nothing else. Against this lovey-dovey backdrop, it was pretty glaring that Lopez’s own IRL suitor was nowhere to be found.

When Lopez shared a video montage of the event, it highlighted all of her guests who dressed up in their finest Regency-era glam to waltz the night away to a live orchestra. While it definitely looked like Lopez was having the time of her life with her family and friends, her husband, Ben Affleck, was absent.

Shortly after that video, Lopez shared a lengthy note thanking her fans for their support through the years, noting how their love carried her through times she felt “fragile” and “frightened.” “I still feel like the same girl starting out so full of energy and bravado, so ready to take on the whole world on the outside and yet so tender, fragile and sometimes frightened but always full of love on the inside,” she wrote. “I want you to know on my birthday that YOU are my biggest gift. Besides my family and friends, you have always been there for me in the good times and in the tough times. I can always count on you.”

This is the latest unsettling update in a growing rumor that Lopez and Affleck may be heading for divorce. The gossip started in May, when fans pointed out that the married couple had not been seen together in a month-and-a-half — a pretty alarming period for two of the paparazzi’s favorite targets.

Then Affleck was spotted on an outing not wearing his wedding ring, and Lopez was also seen without her ring. The split rumors got bigger in July, when Lopez and Affleck listed their Hollywood mansion on Zillow. And on July 16 — the couple’s second wedding anniversary — they reportedly spent the day apart rather than celebrating their marriage.

Add this birthday party snub to the list, and things don’t seem to picture-perfect for Bennifer at the moment. Then again, a Bridgerton party doesn’t really seem to be Affleck’s vibe — maybe he just preferred a Dunkin’ run to a carriage ride.