During a new interview with Variety, Affleck, 54, was asked about the Academy's failure to nominate Lopez, 57, for her acclaimed film performances. He acknowledged that he may be biased but said he has "an enormous amount of respect and admiration" for what she can do.
Lopez has received critical praise for performances that include her role in 2019's Hustlers and her work in last year's Kiss of the Spider Woman. Despite the acclaim, neither performance earned her an Oscar nomination. Kiss of the Spider Woman was produced by Artists Equity, the production company Affleck shares with Matt Damon, as well as Lopez.
Affleck explained that awards do not always reflect his personal opinions about the quality of a film or performance.
"What I've found with awards is that sometimes the degree of commercial success for things doesn't always correlate to my taste," he said. He added that awards are part of a "weird, subjective business" where voters bring their own perspectives and experiences into their decisions.
The Animals director and star also acknowledged that he does not always agree with award winners, noting that he does not believe there is an absolute authority determining which movie or performance deserves recognition.
"At the end of the day, it's just a bunch of people voting on movie prizes," he said.
Affleck and Lopez rekindled their romance years after ending their first engagement in 2004. They married in July 2022, but Lopez filed for divorce on their second wedding anniversary in August 2024. Their divorce was finalized in January 2025.
Since their split, Affleck has continued to speak highly of Lopez. In March 2025, he told GQ that he had "nothing but respect" for her. The following month, he praised her relationship with his children while attending the premiere of The Accountant 2.
Affleck described Lopez as "spectacular" and said she has maintained a great relationship with his children. He also said he loves her children and called Lopez an important person of integrity whom he adores and appreciates.
During the Variety interview, Affleck also praised Lopez and his other former wife, Jennifer Garner, for their ability to build successful social media platforms, admitting that he could not do the same.
