Jennifer Lopez Says Taking Ben Affleck’s Last Name Is A ‘Power Move’

Jennifer Lopez has responded to criticism about her decision to take Ben Affleck’s last name. Lopez announced the change in her subscription-based newsletter just after their July wedding, calling herself “Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck.” 

IN MEMORIAM 2022: 100 GREAT CELEBRITIES WHO DIED THIS YEAR!

A New York Times opinion piece responded to the news calling the practice of taking a husband’s last name “cringe-y” and “dispiriting.” The guest writer compared it to something out of The Handmaid’s Tale and criticized Lopez for participating “in a tradition that’s historically rooted in women relinquishing their identities and their legal standing.”

Lopez addressed the criticism in Vogue’s November cover story.

“People are still going to call me Jennifer Lopez. But my legal name will be Mrs. Affleck because we’re joined together,” the star said. “We’re husband and wife. I’m proud of that. I don’t think that’s a problem.”

The 53-year-old, who is in her fourth marriage, appreciated the traditional aspect of taking the husband’s last name. She emphasized that it doesn’t negate her power as a woman.

“I’m very much in control of my own life and destiny and feel empowered as a woman and as a person,” she continued. “I can understand that people have their feelings about it, and that’s okay, too. But if you want to know how I feel about it, I just feel like it’s romantic.”

Lopez said her relationship with Affleck has been full of “self-discovery.”

She revealed that she’s been learning how to be herself and how to be happy.

“I’ve lived with tremendous sadness, like anybody else,” she told Vogue. “But when I make my best music or my best art is when I’m happy and full and feel lots of love.”

The singer eloped in Vegas in July, then celebrated again at the actor’s Georgia home with family and friends in September.