Did Jennifer Lopez’s cocktail brand Delola lead to her marriage trouble?

In 2023, Jennifer Lopez launched her latest brand extension/side-hustle: an alcohol/cocktail line called Delola. There were two big problems from the start. One, J.Lo has always been a non-drinker, since her earliest days, throughout her entire career, people have always known that she doesn’t even touch alcohol. She’s a non-drinker for health reasons and because she’s so clean-living, so it came across as a particularly obvious money-grab. The second problem is that Jennifer launched Delola less than a year after she married a man who is in recovery, a man who has had very well-documented alcohol issues over the years. Granted, Ben Affleck has also had well-documented gambling issues over the years and he’s also paid to promote a sports-betting app. Still, it was a bad look for Jennifer, that she’s hustling liquor she doesn’t drink while married to an alcoholic in recovery. Well, interesting story, I guess. The Mail says Delola is actually at the heart of why J.Lo and Ben are on the outs and headed for divorce.

The promotional videos couldn’t look glossier. A perfect Italian summer’s day, the rugged Amalfi coast in the backdrop, beautiful people smiling and clinking glasses — and, at the centre of the group, an exquisitely made-up Jennifer Lopez. She smiles knowingly to the camera, as she prepares to sip her drink. This, then, was the launch of J-Lo’s own cocktail range, Delola. In common with other Hollywood celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and George Clooney, J-Lo had sought to develop her own alcohol offering in an effort to further monetise her empire.

One wonders if the brand of spirits and fruit juice mixes were really worth it. For, as a friend close to her husband Ben Affleck told Dailymail.com, her alcohol venture was ‘one of the things that broke the camel’s back’.

However, it’s understood that the drinks company was started prior to them getting back together and Ben was aware and supportive of the business. Indeed, they go so far as to say it contributed to Ben, not Jen, being the one to pull the plug on their union amid speculation that their marriage is finally at an end.

Why was Ben, 51, so infuriated by this high-profile commercial enterprise? Friends say that, as a recovering alcoholic, he felt his wife selling vodka and tequila tipples was insulting to him. He had, after all, spent many years battling his addiction. When the label was first launched last year, he was said to be devastated. His hurt was only heightened by his belief that her motivation for launching her drinks’ brand was purely financial — for cold, hard cash.

First seeking help for his alcoholism in 2001, Ben has since been in rehab multiple times. His drinking led to the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Garner. To make matters worse, J-Lo then went on a very public promo campaign where she told the Press how much she loves to drink to ‘relax and let loose’. Even this week, she released an image of herself lounging on a sunbed in a swimming costume to advertise the latest addition to the range.

One friend of the actor told the Mail: ‘Ben had to fight to get his life back after overcoming alcohol. Knowing how he lost everything including the love of his family, knowing that he could possibly relapse, Jen decided to start her own spritzer line for more money, as if she did not have enough. This was one of the things that broke the camel’s back. But Ben saved his sobriety.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Wait, the Mail is saying that Ben knew about Delola before the launch and he was supportive of J.Lo’s side hustle, and then suddenly he was Not Okay and actually very upset? I mean, that actually sounds like Ben. Super-supportive until he isn’t, until he changes his mind. I know people in recovery, people working a program, are told to be ruthless about their sobriety. They’re encouraged to stay away from triggers and bad influences. I could also see how the idea of J.Lo having a liquor label was different than the reality of it, you know? And yes, we all knew it was a bad idea last year. Overall, I bet “the Delola issue” contributed to their bad situation but it was far from the only reason.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images and Delola’s Instagram.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

79 Responses to “Did Jennifer Lopez’s cocktail brand Delola lead to her marriage trouble?”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Mil says:

    Again, blame the wife for your responsibility toward yourself…
    BTW, fail published two hit pieces blaming women over their hubbies troubles in a day. Bieber and Affleck. I see a pattern.
    Benny knew everything yet married Jen. Unless he’s under 18… Same PR bs as Depp, Pitt and many others.

    • Mightymolly says:

      MTE. It’s exhausting. The weaponized incompetence paired with blaming mommy-wives for not being actual mommies…

      • Snarkle says:

        It really is exhausting watching the media twist all these stories to blame women for everything. Gross

        Totally unsubstantiated take with no proof:
        when the split rumors first started and Ben was seen everywhere with Jen G and then Ben’s mom came out and stayed with him, it really gave falling off the wagon vibes. Last times he’s had breaks with his sobriety, the same actions took place from the people around him. Also, his puffier than normal face. So if this is true (if) it’s even grosser that all these tmz/mail/pagesix articles are all on overdrive blaming Jen

      • Jayna says:

        @Snarkle His mother came out to attend all of her grandchildren’s end-of-year school events: Finn’s school play, another event, Violet’s graduation ceremony, Samuel’s graduation ceremony, Violet’s graduation party at Jen G’s house, Samuel’s graduation party at Ben’s house. She was there a few weeks as a proud grandmother and left.

        Ben left J-Lo. Don’t you think that Ben and Jen G had many meetings on how their children were handling this. This was something that needed to be handled with care, and I’m sure Jen G was concerned about her children, and their emotional well-being, and the press’s attention on them since it came out during so many events with the kids.

  2. Hypocrisy says:

    I can’t see anyone giving up the supposed love of their lives over a wine label, especially when it is a side hustle not a main source of income or family legacy. If the problem was the wine label why wouldn’t she/they just sell it? He just seems to be a perpetually unhappy person and he likes it or he would have worked to change it.

    • Mil says:

      Owning a company does not mean she had a distillery in their bedroom. That argument is invalid and the company was developed before they began dating.

      • StillDouchesOfCambridge says:

        I dont think no there was a distillery in their bedroom but i do think that the entourage constantly with her and around her and probably 24/7 at her house didnt have much consideration for ben and his sobriety. They were probably drinking free delola alcohol around the house daily and a bad influence for ben. Well, his sobriety was his priority vs the greatest love story never told. Too bad. Selling the label would not have made all those drinking people disappear and all the dinners and parties without alcohol. Thats why he probably moved out months before.

      • DK says:

        So you think JLo, who famously doesn’t drink – so much so that the article also said that is ALSO part of what upset Ben, her lack of sincerely being into drinking her own alcohol – and JLo who is also famously professional and hard working – suddenly let her “entourage” (ie employees) lounge around the house drinking her alcohol all day rather than doing the work they are there to do?

        May I ask what your evidence is for this scenario, since it sounds absolutely ludicrous and implausible to me?

      • Jaded says:

        JLo runs a tidy ship, there’s no way on earth she’d be all “oh sure, Delolas in the fridge folks help yourself” with staff. Every social engagement Ben attends likely serves alcohol yet he’s able to attend without demanding that they all be booze-free. JLo’s entire life revolves around hustling something — movies, albums, concerts, books, documentaries, restaurants, perfume, clothing, skin care, whatever. Ben knows that so this is just fictitious nonsense.

      • Mightymolly says:

        @Jaded – Right? Unless we hear that Ben is retreating to a secluded ranch in Wyoming to avoid the temptations of Hollywood, this whole argument is BS.

    • Hypocrisy says:

      Being honest I don’t like BA at all, he is a sad sap type of person… I look at him and I see a “joy suck” personality. The entire wine label being the cause of the marriage failure is just ridiculous.. but people believe what they want.

  3. Elena says:

    Yeah, no. She’s been developing Delola since 2020. By the time she was with Ben she had the brand registered, contracts signed and everything. This involves work and effort from multiple people and doesn’t just launch overnight. She didn’t drop it on him during their marriage. He is a grown man and had time to decide if this would be a problem for him before they married. He made his choice. Now, as they are divorcing, he’s suddenly the victim of the problematic, callous woman and he is a hero for walking away from temptation. Nope. Not letting it fly this time, Ben. Sounds like preemptive damage control PR on his part, tbh.

    • Eloise says:

      Well said! Ben also said in 2022 in an La Times interview that he would sell alcohol if he could. I hope people don’t fall for this excuse. He’s also blamed his marriage to Garner as reason for his drinking. Dude, it’s time to look in the mirror.

    • Christine says:

      Really well said!

    • UpIn Toronto says:

      Agree! Agree! And he was gambling in Vegas with her Mom! Don’t tell me this man doesn’t put himself into situations

      What happened is what Ben ALWAYS does: HE FUCKED THINGS UP BC HE NEEDS THE COMEBACK

  4. Jay says:

    Typical of the DM – I particularly loved the phrasing that Jlo started and promoted her business “as if she did not have enough” money. I am sure that they made similar comments about Ben doing Dunkin commercials when he already has “enough” money.

    They really are using the same playbook as their breakup from 20 years ago – she is too ambitious, too famous, just too much and he’s tired/ bored/too serious.

    • Rhea says:

      Exactly! JLo is ruthless about clean living yet Ben shills for Dunkin! He’s just as ambitious as her. Who is he kidding? We all have eyes and ears. Geez, this is frustrating.

  5. Sandra says:

    The glamorization of drinking in advertising drives me nuts. I hope one day this changes and we look back on it with the same disgust that we do at old ads that made smoking look glamorous and beautiful.

    • orangeowl18 says:

      Preach! I never was hyperaware of that until my kids got to the age where they liked to watch sports on TV. Constant beer ads making it seem like life is one bit party. I ended up stopping drinking completely mostly to model to them that you could have a happy life and fun times without booze.

  6. Rhea says:

    JLo is ruthless about clean living yet Ben shills for Dunkin Donuts. Maybe his side hustle is to blame!!

    Tired of these stories blaming her businesses for their demise. He’s just as ambitious, who are we kidding?

  7. Amy Bee says:

    “It is understood” means the DM knows as much as I do about the cause of the breakup. I don’t believe this story because it doesn’t make any sense.

  8. Get Real says:

    Yeah that was it 🙄

  9. Kokiri says:

    But he has no problems gambling, so n casinos, around alcohol.
    Sure, Ben.

    This is why I always said what they shared wasn’t & isn’t love. You don’t do this to someone you shared love with.
    You don’t let tabloids blame them for everything that went wrong & absolve yourself.

    Well, you do if you’re Ben.

  10. ML says:

    Alcoholism runs in my family, and I call BS on this. Ben is showing up for events where people are drinking, and JLo doesn’t drink much at home. Plus, his gambling and Dunkin side hustles, as mentioned above… this is unlikely the reason for the breakup. Possibly, it’s become one of many things that they had issues with, but unless his recovery is going poorly, this story seems sus.

  11. Mina_Esq says:

    The “as if she didn’t already have enough money” comment bothers me. Why is it a problem for a rich woman to want to make more money? It’s never a problem for a man. She doesn’t drink, so I’m sure she is not a trigger and can keep her business venture away from his face. JLo makes mistakes, but this blame game Ben is playing is gross and straight out of Pitt handbook.

    • Chaine says:

      Yeah I don’t get it either. She is creating generational wealth. If she does it right it will impact her family for decades, even centuries after she is gone. That is what we all aspire to, what’s wrong with that?

      • Maggie says:

        Oh please, she spent millions on a mansion that they barely lived in, a movie about their love story that bombed, an album about it as well that flopped, makeup line that got dropped by Sephora, a restaurant that went out of business, Hermes bags that match her outfits. The last thing she’s thinking about is leaving millions upon millions to her kids much less her grandchildren🤣

  12. wolfmamma says:

    Hm.. well I disagree with the Ben bashing …. I do think the alcohol brand was a problem but a symptom of wider deeper issues.

    They are not a good fit.

    Sad but true.

    • Truthiness says:

      +1, not a good fit. Unfortunately this pot is going to be stirred over and over for polarizing content.

  13. Lens says:

    I think her decision to get into the booze business was odd but I also think daily mail is running out of their very lucrative run of Bennifer divorce articles and are now scrapping the bottom of the barrel so to speak. I think the reasons for their divorce have been most eloquently discussed right here on celebitchy (they should lurk in). They just have incompatible values and personalities and that’s no one’s fault and both their faults.

    • sunny says:

      This. I can’t see any truth to this story it is just the paper trying to make up a narrative and people rushing to accept this dumb narrative without thinking critically certainly is a choice.

      I think the papers are just eager to sell stories about their demise and are looking for any angle.

  14. BlueNailsBetty says:

    I’m not buying that Delola is what caused the break up. I think Ben just couldn’t handle Jennifer’s fame and publicity. She is glam, she is extra, she loves the white hot spotlight, and she wants a big glamorous life. And Ben just doesn’t like any of that. He may love her but he can’t handle her bigness and because he can’t adapt he’s walking away.

    Plain and simple.

    • Thymus says:

      So true! Part of it was certainly that Ben realized that Jennifer would always be more famous and accomplished than him, and couldn’t handle it. Good for Jennifer to move on and be free of all this bs, and she is doing it in a dignified and classy manner. Wishing her well.

  15. SIde Eye says:

    Geez Louise. As some commenters posted above, the backlash against rich women who want more. Would they ever say as if Jeff Bezos doesn’t have enough money? Or Mark Zuckerberg, or the Hedge fund dude who just spent 43 million dollars on a damn dinosaur fossil?

    I am so over this. Like less than 30 people have the equivalent of the rest of the world’s wealth. JLO is not part of that group of some 30 people. She’s not even close.

    Women – get your money. Get every cent. And then get more. Be ambitious. Be financially secure. And then increase your security. Rinse and repeat forever.

  16. Lili says:

    I’m done with Ben, i had really high hopes for their second time around the block. i thought they had both learned some life lessons. i too was blinded by the love bombing while she was in a relationship with A rod. This is coming across as a revenge relationship, He didn’t break her the first time so he is going to do a better job this time around, by mooching off her and blaming her for all his failures. her drink brand , she too famous, p diddy, Tell Me Ben what did you bring to the relationship, what did you do for her? Nothing you should be ashamed,

    • Jayna says:

      What did he do for her? He went on a family honeymoon that was all for paps. He did that to make her happy. He showed up to a ton of red carpets for her, which he hates. He did not want their relationship on blast, but she was insistent on making an album, making a $20 million musical movie, which she had to fund, and a documentary. There is no way he wanted any of that overload relating to their love, but as she said in the documentary, he knew he couldn’t stop her. She needed to get her art out there. So he fought against his natural inclination that it was a bad idea and he supported his wife.

      His company has produced a sports movie, which is coming to the Toronto Film Festival in September, and he put her in one of the roles in the movie and praised her. His company is producing another film in which she is starring and I believe Matt and will start filming this fall.

      A mooch? They are two complicated people who are both very successful. But being in your mid-50s in this business means adjusting. You are not in your heyday anymore. Ben is very smart and strategic with his vision, J-Lo is smart in going to mostly streaming movies in her 50s with projects, where she doesn’t risk looking like a flop with low box-office numbers. Many actresses her age are doing it.

      Ben has never ever been accused of being a mooch. Actor, director, screenwriter, and now CEO and co-founder of Artists Equity, which is a brilliant concept from Ben and Matt, an independent artist-led studio with a different business model, with the vision of creating the opportunity for creatives behind the scenes to make more money. They even financed and co-produced the brilliant Cillian Murphy’s new Irish movie, which premiered in Berlin to rave reviews, and will come out this year. Cillian: “Matt was telling me about Artists Equity and about what himself and Ben were doing, and it was kind of staggering what they were setting out to achieve. Then I said to him, “You know, I have this story…” and he said “Tell me about it,” so I told him about it and he loved the sound of it.’

      But, sure, Ben is a mooch. Jennifer and Ben will release a statement about the ending of the marriage and about continuing to work together. It is not in his or her best interests professionally and financially with their projects coming out from his studio to end this in an ugly manner. The Toronto Film Festival is in September for Unstoppable. I would imagine that Ben and Matt will be there also, and she and Ben will be fine on the red carpet, just not walking it as a couple.

  17. Maggie says:

    I knew it was over when Ben was caught crying during their honeymoon in Paris.

  18. SarahCS says:

    Yeah unless she started keeping stocks of this stuff around the house I’m calling this a PR move to put the blame on her and ‘oh poor Ben’ him in the divorce. The ‘how dare she want more money’ line is something of a giveaway.

  19. Stef says:

    Had no idea she had a booze label, and frankly, it makes no sense. Why would anyone want to buy alcohol from someone who doesn’t drink?!?

    Seems like another spin to blame Jen for Ben’s shortcomings….

    • Jaded says:

      JLo will jump on any bandwagon to make bank. She probably looked at all the other celebs who are cashing in with their own brands of gin, tequila, vodka, wine, etc. and thought hmmm…Imma take a crack at that even though I rarely drink.

      • pottymouth pup says:

        since she doesn’t drink at all, why not be creative and make a tasty, as healthy as possible, mocktail line? There would probably be a bigger audience for this than for yet another celebrity alcohol line

      • Jaded says:

        @pottymouth — great idea. I think it would have been a successful move.

    • BeanieBean says:

      There’s 💵 in booze. Shoot, even Real Housewives have their own wine labels, or wine clubs, or whatever.

    • Carolnr says:

      @Steph
      But she does drink…she admitted to enjoying it & drinking & relaxing with friends. She admitted this publicly after people commented why would she create an alcoholic line if she doesn’t drink?
      She probably kept in the house to have with her entourage relaxing & promoting her brand.

  20. Colette says:

    She’s well rid of that drunk with addiction issues. Now she won’t be wondering about the what if? She knows he’s no prize! She’ll land on her feet.

    • Jayna says:

      I think they both have issues. Living with a moody man, who is more reclusive, would be hard for J-Lo and her big life.

      But belittling a recovering alcoholic who appears to be handling it by calling him a “drunk” goes beyond the pale. It is a disease and probably means recovering alcoholics find calling a man working on his sobriety “a drunk” offensive.

      As for the article, I don’t believe Ben has any issue with her business.

      Regarding her issues, Ben’s thoughtful insight about J-Lo might have been prophetic as one of the reasons for their demise on his end.

      https://www.tiktok.com/@primevideo/video/7344828173424643370?lang=en

      • Jaded says:

        Thanks for posting that Jayna, it makes a lot of sense.

      • FYI says:

        Ugggh. I mean, what he’s saying is obvious to anyone. ANYONE with eyes and ears. He’s saying it like its some kind of sharp insight into her psyche, when it’s not at all. It’s also the human condition, not particularly unusual.

      • Jennifer says:

        That clip from Ben is interesting for sure. I think it’s been clear for a long time that Jen doesn’t feel she is “enough” without constant praise, attention, etc. But this paired with her Mother’s Day post about her mom (she mentions twice that she “accepts her” for who she is) …. I think her mom did a real number on her growing up. I think Ben is an ass who has his own issues for sure, but I think Jen has never dealt with the trauma caused by her mom. I can see that being exhausting to deal with on a day to day basis. This is likely a situation where there are wrongs on both sides and just pure incompatibility despite a lot of love. Jen certainly looked heartbroken for awhile, which is not on brand for her at all.

      • therese says:

        I think anyone who is struggling with and trying to overcome an addiction is a hero: I think it is a heroic struggle. Many people just are not able to do it, and my sister was one of those people. She was a tiny woman who drank her way into diabetes, and then discovered pharmaceuticals, and neglected her diabetes. She is no longer here, and it absolutely killed me. People who have problems with addiction have people who love them dearly, and to hear an alcoholic or addict spoken of in a derogatory way is like a gut punch. I support both Ben and Jen. Neither of them have spoken ill of the other. I think he loved and cared for her and supported her in many ways. In the clip that Jayna posted he said that a person’s issues can only be worked on by the person themselves. I hope that is what they are doing and that they are remaining friends and allies.

    • pottymouth pup says:

      Why does it have to be a one-sided thing with one person at fault?

      Perhaps they were naive when they got back together thinking the only reason they split the first time was because of the media intrusion and external forces, but after getting married they realized they are just not compatible. She likes to live very publicly, overshares and perhaps he was fine with it at the level it was when they got married but that whole greatest love movie was much more over the top when it came out than how he felt supporting her while she was making it and they both came to the realization that their expectations of their relationship and each other were unrealistic after release and the tour flop so they split up instead of sticking together in a way that would make them both resentful of one another.

    • Jaded says:

      Way to show compassion for someone struggling with a chronic disease, especially since he’s been sober for some years now. They’re both at fault for the demise of their marriage, let’s leave it at that.

  21. Rnot says:

    Nope. I don’t buy it. Something’s going on with him. Jennifer Garner and the kids aren’t acting like JLo is the bad guy. She doesn’t seem to be out there leaking stories blaming him. He’s so fickle.

    • Christine says:

      This is an excellent point! Jen Garner and the kids are the rebuttal to whatever this is.

  22. Mightymolly says:

    Dayum. Looking at JLo almost makes me want to adopt clean living. *Almost*

    • Giddy says:

      If I thought I could end up looking like JLo I’d adopt a clean living lifestyle immediately!

      • Mightymolly says:

        LMAO! Good point. If I had her trainers, doctors, chef, and a time machine to start this journey 20 years ago, maaaybe 😉

  23. Sass says:

    Lol wow. What a weak hit piece.

  24. Flamingo says:

    The Fail is so upset they won’t just file for divorce. So they have to come up with clickbait articles. Until it finally happened.

    I doubt Ben cared about any business venture that brought in money. I mean is he in movies that ban the showing of any alcoholic beverages being drunk by the characters. Was Ben featured in any advertisement that showed him with bottles of alcohol. No, as far as I know they only collaborated on Dunkin Donut commercials. Which were hella cute.

    A business was the last thing that is wrong with this relationship. They just aren’t compatible for the long term. And rushed into marriage way too fast.

  25. Lu says:

    Honestly, why is anyone promoting alcohol? It’s toxic to all body tissues, carcinogenic, promotes dementia in people with one or more copies of the ApoE4 allele, and steals so many lives thanks to addiction.

  26. Supersoft says:

    What the fail seems to forget: Jlos business model is to be seen and heard. As much as possible. This is how she sells her brand and her stuff. Her music is mediocre and her acting is not going into a new direction now she is getting older. She is not a character actress. Maybe she is having trouble accepting this, it reminds me of Madonna in a way.
    The alcohol was just another way of getting seen by a different target group. Maybe it’s not as successful as they thought it would be, maybe again it’s got something to do with Medina. Whatever it is, is has nothing to do with BAs addiction. It’s just a scapegoat story for whatever is going on behind the curtain.

  27. BeanieBean says:

    Not buying it. The DM hates women, particularly successful women. I really don’t see how Jennifer having a cocktail line would have any specific effect on Ben’s sobriety. If it’s not in the house, how could it? How could any income stream of Jennifer’s have any effect on Ben’s sobriety???

  28. Eloise says:

    And the original Daily Mail article has now disappeared from their site. Interesting.

  29. Mahidevran says:

    This is a shot in the dark, and I doubt it comes from either camp. Each one of them is doing their own thing, showing no rush to call separation or date other ppl. As it happens, an unceremonious, drama-free split bring no clicks. So, let’s make news interesting things by throwing into the mix a venture that Jennifer was developing when she was still with ARod.

  30. Carolnr says:

    Bottom line..they are unwilling to compromise on any of the issues that plagued their marriage regardless of what the issues actually are! There has to be some compromising in a marriage or it simply will not work!!!

  31. Mel says:

    Oh please, he does not care about her liquor business. This is stupid . They are business people, they both know the deal. Their incompatibility caught up to them and it has nothing to with her side hustle or his illness. Since when is the Mail a bastion of truth, they love making stuff up.

    • Lens says:

      I agree I don’t think it came from either camp. I find it kinda distressing to see people taking it seriously. I think tabloids make shit up. Maybe sometimes they get lucky and get a real source and they break something thats news but that happens in times few and far between. Daily Mail is a right wing rag that is all “entertainment” not news and the only thing that matters is clicks. And stirring people up.

  32. 80sMercedes says:

    The alcohol might be a factor, but good god that movie and documentary. He was clearly uncomfortable, she was told by many people other than Ben that it wasn’t a good idea, the similarly-branded tour tanked – Ben might be a lot of things and he might make a lot of crap decisions, but he’s also pretty savvy in the industry. She put stuff out there that he didn’t want out there, and considering that his worst attributes are common knowledge, I could totally see how that would be a violation of trust. The DM sucks and are totally sexist, but it’s puzzling how pro -JLo the response is here. We’ve all seen who she is just as many times as we’ve seen who he is..?

  33. Tmac says:

    Ridiculous. If he is secure in his recovery, she could be an active drinker and it wouldn’t matter.