In her first big hit song, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” Jennifer Lopez derided a materialistic lover — who may or may not have been Sean “Diddy” Combs — for trying to impress her with “bling” and BMWs.

But 24 years later, it’s hard to imagine Lopez never wanting to surround herself with the trappings of extreme wealth, especially when it came to rekindling her romance with Ben Affleck. As Lopez and Affleck let the world know, their latest, three-year whirlwind courtship and marriage played out against the backdrop of lavish vacations, a three-day wedding extravaganza with multiple designer outfit changes for Lopez, the purchase of a $60 million Beverly Hills they barely lived in for a year and Lopez reportedly sinking millions of her own money into making a documentary about their “Greatest Love Story Never Told.”

Many in America were charmed by the idea that these two famous and attractive ex-lovers had found each other again in mid-life and were finally ready to fulfill their imagined destiny of happily ever after. But two years after marrying, Lopez and Affleck are living separately, reportedly not speaking to each other and on the brink of divorce. It’s expected that they will soon conclude what Page Six called their costly, multimillion-dollar “exercise in closure” — all because, sources say, they couldn’t stop wondering about the “unfinished business” of their past.

“They got caught up in the moment,” a friend told Page Six. “Jennifer had wanted this wedding — the gowns, the friends, all the trappings and trimmings — for decades.”

But after indulging in “the nostalgia,” and playing out the romance “through to the end,” they “know for sure now that they are not built for the long haul,” the friend said.

“No further unanswered questions,” the friend continued. “They’ve seen all they need to see, and it’s over.” But the friend also offered a bitter dose of reality: “In the end, it’s gonna be the most elaborate and expensive exercise in closure ever.”

Lopez and Affleck first dated from 2002 to 2004, following Lopez’s tumultuous relationship with Combs and her first marriage to backup dancer Cris Judd. The ups and downs of Lopez and Affleck’s first romance were avidly followed in the entertainment and tabloid media, until they called off their engagement, citing the intense media scrutiny.

They rekindled their romance in 2021, shortly after the multi-hyphenate singer, actor, influencer and entrepreneur broke things off with retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez. Affleck, meanwhile, had already finalized his divorce from Jennifer Garner. Amid even more intense media scrutiny, Lopez and her fourth husband first tied the knot in a quickie Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022, then hosted an elaborate wedding ceremony and reception at his Georgia estate. For the ceremony, Lopez walked down the aisle in the first of three Ralph Lauren gowns of the night and wore more than $2 million in diamond and pearls, according to People magazine. 

Reports began circulating in May that their marriage was in trouble, after TMZ and other outlets reported that the “Argo” actor and director had moved out of their Beverly Hills estate. That month, Page Six and other outlets reported that Affleck was pressing for a divorce. “If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would,” a source told Page Six. “He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream … .”

Other reports said that the actor, who has long struggled with alcohol addiction, was trying to stay sober and healthy and looked forward to “escaping this roller coaster.” Sources close to Lopez countered this week that she was “furious” and “humiliated” about Affleck’s actions, with one telling Page Six that “he was the one who initiated getting back together.”

Certainly, very few people on the planet could afford to indulge themselves in such “a fever dream” or “ride the roller coaster” in the way Lopez and Affleck have. While Lopez sang in 2000 that “love don’t cost a thing,” the reality is that divorce can often come with a hefty price tag, especially for high net-worth individuals.

What should ease the divorce process for Lopez and Affleck, who have estimated net worths of $400 million and $150 million, respectively, is that they had a prenuptial agreement, TMZ reported earlier this week. The only asset they shared was the Beverly Hills mansion, which reports say, neither ever really wanted. They’ve put the house on the market for $68 million.

That means they’ve separately had to find new accommodations, with Affleck renting a $100,000-a-month mansion after their separation and now closing on a $20 million home in Pacific Palisades. After Lopez spent the summer in Europe and the Hamptons, where she threw herself an over-the-top “Bridgerton”-themed 55th birthday party, she’s back in Los Angeles, where she’s now house-hunting.

TMZ reported this week that the two have not yet hired divorce attorneys, and are allowing their financial managers to work out the terms of divorce. However, TMZ cited sources who said that this process has slowed because the two are no longer speaking, either in person or on the phone.

There’s no word, though, on whether there’s been other financial fall-out for either of the estranged spouses amid their marital woes.

The repercussions might be higher for Lopez. She had to cancel her planned “This is Me … Live” summer tour due to weak ticket sales and middling reviews for her album, “This is Me … Now.” Her album and tour also were created as a multi-platform project, aspects of which were built around her being “a serial romantic” and her desire to celebrate her rekindled romance with Affleck, Variety reported.

That’s especially true of the companion musical film and documentary, the latter which had the self-aggrandizing title, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told.” Lopez portrays Affleck as her great love, who has helped in her journey of self-discovery. But to tell this story, Lopez had to finance the films herself for $20 million before Amazon Prime would purchase and distribute them, Variety reported.