Jennifer Lopez was pictured holding Matt Damon's hand after it was revealed she is divorcing his best friend of more than 40 years, Ben Affleck .
The pair were spotted cozying up at the afterparty for their new movie Unstoppable at the Toronto International Film Festival. Eyewitnesses said the pair were chatting for more than 20 minutes as they sat in the corner of the room.
J.Lo and Matt were said to have been laughing and joking before their chat quickly turned serious and they clasped hands as they spoke. Body language expert Judi James said the pair's pose seemed "odd" and suggested it was a "loyalty test" for Matt.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror US, James said: "There are so many odd things about this pose that it's difficult to know where to start. Any divorcing couple will know the poignant pain and angst that occurs when you find you have to share out your friends as well as your property and savings.
"It can become a loyalty test, especially when old friends are involved. So J.Lo sitting in a corner at a movie event having what appears to be an in-depth communication with Ben Affleck's bestie Matt Damon is surely guaranteed to cause ripples, especially during this early stage of the Jen/Ben split."
Matt became friends with J.Lo's ex-husband when he was just 10 years old as they grew up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also became friendly with Jennifer through his relationship with Ben.
James suggested Matt will still remain close with J.Lo despite the divorce. She explained: "It's clearly not just a polite chat in passing. No-one would expect Matt to cut Jen to show loyalty to Ben and of course Jen and Matt (and Ben) will have professional bonds, like the movie they are plugging."
However, the body language expert suggested this chat "looks more emotional." She added: "The body language does not make it look as though Matt is consoling Jen here. His hand is resting on his knee and it's Jen who has placed her hand on top to grasp it in a gesture that looks more as though she is consoling or reassuring him.
"But if that is so, why do it in public? However much the 'we're still good friends' line is touted from a divorcing couple, the moment a loyal best friend reports back on an 'I was having a good chat with your ex' conversation is a moment when friendships risk getting frayed."
James also pointed to J.Lo's choice of outfit. In what has since been dubbed a "revenge dress", the singer attended the film premiere wearing a sparkling silver Tamara Ralph dress which was entirely cut out on both sides and held together by black bows.
The outfit showed off a lot of side boob and barely covered J.Lo's butt. James commented: "The third odd point is that Jen is sitting tucked into a corner in THAT dress.
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"This glitterball number with no sides is a saucy design that threatens to reveal all even when someone is standing upright on the red carpet. It has been touted as Jen's 'revenge dress' although it was mainly revenge on the poor photographers who would have struggled to get a usable pic with the light bouncing off the mirrors and onto Jen's face.
"It looked like a dress that would only really get you the length of the red carpet, not one that you would sit around relaxing in on a low sofa, chatting to other people. Matt's lowered head looks like a gesture of anything from tiredness to sadness to falling asleep sitting up etc, but it could also be a case of averting his eyes politely or fearfully from the rather risqué potential of Jen’s dress."
Prior to J.Lo and Matt enjoying a heart-to-heart at the afterparty, she was seen speaking to her co-star Bobby Cannavale as she seemed to open up about her relationship with Ben.
J.Lo could be heard saying "I'm a bad picker," several times in a row in a video of their conversation which was shared on TikTok. She then seemed to admit to her co-star: "It is what it is," before turning to pose for more photos.
It's unclear exactly what J.Lo and Bobby were talking about, but it seems the singer was alluding to her divorce with Ben. J.Lo and Ben have had a rocky history after first getting engaged in 2003.
They were due to walk down the aisle a year later, but abruptly called off their wedding just days before the ceremony. Ben went on to marry Jennifer Garner, and the couple welcomed three children together, while J.Lo tied the knot with singer Marc Anthony.
They share children Max and Emme. In 2021, following the breakdown of their respective marriages, Bennifer unexpectedly reunited, and a year later, they tied the knot in two ceremonies - once in Las Vegas, and a second time in Georgia. However, after less than two years of marriage, Jennifer filed for divorce from Ben citing irreconcilable differences.
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