Leah Remini Opens Up About Post-Divorce Bond With Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini are giving fans something to smile about as they mend fences and rebuild their friendship after a period of distance.

Once inseparable, the duo reportedly drifted apart during Lopez’s whirlwind romance with Ben Affleck. But now, following their respective divorces, the longtime besties are finding their way back to each other.

Remini is finally speaking out about where they stand, and it sounds like the bond is stronger than ever.

Remini and Lopez have moved past their differences and are friends again. Recently, Remini had a chat with Us Weekly, where she opened up about her friendship with Lopez.

The 54-year-old told the outlet that they started talking when they both filed for divorce from their respective partners in 2024.

“Right after the divorce, we’d text each other loving messages of support,” she shared.

Remini denied there was ever a rift between them, noting, “Sometimes you don’t talk to people every day like you used to, but that doesn’t mean the love is lost.”

“I cherish my friendships and not everyone is meant to be in your life in the way that they were. When you grow out of that person that you were, that doesn’t mean you are at odds with them,” Remini added.

Leah Remini and Lopez first met in 2004 at the premiere of Lopez's ex, Marc Anthony’s film “Man On Fire.”

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2018, Remini said she was hoping the singer would be ugly in real life.

“I was like, ‘she could be dumb!’ I wanted to find something,” she said.

Unfortunately, Remini couldn’t find anything, but instead came to appreciate Lopez’s sense of humor.

In the same interview, the “Shotgun Wedding” actress also recalled how they had instant chemistry, all thanks to their “similar upbringings.”

Following their first encounter, the pair got closer with each passing year. Remini even praised Lopez for helping her to leave the Church of Scientology, and when she finally did, she asked her to “keep the good things and move on with love.”

Over the next 15 years, Remini and Lopez remained very close. However, rumors of a fallout began making the rounds when the “Flight Risk” star was absent from Lopez’s 2022 wedding to Affleck.

At the time, TMZ reported that the mom of one couldn’t attend because she was helping her daughter, Sofia, prepare for college.

However, reports later revealed that Remini was absent because she didn’t support her former BFF’s decision to marry the “Gone Girl” star.

According to a source, the “Old School” actress told Lopez to remember why she ended her first relationship with Affleck back in 2004.

They claimed that Remini described the actor as “selfish” and “not committed,” which infuriated Lopez, causing her to sever ties.

In May 2024, fans feared Leah Remini was right after rumors of a split between Lopez and Affleck began swirling.

In the wake of the speculations, Remini tried reconnecting with Lopez to show her support.

“They were friends for years. She wants to reach out to her, but she can’t just call up and say, ‘I told you so,’” a source exclusively told Page Six at the time. Still, Remini reached out to the 55-year-old, and the duo mended broken ties.

Sadly, in August 2024, Lopez filed for a divorce from the movie star, listing April 26 as their date of separation and citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split.

She filed at the Los Angeles County Superior Court without a lawyer, requesting no spousal support for either party and that the attorney fees be split.

The divorce was finalized in January 2025.

Weeks after Lopez filed for divorce, Remini and her ex-husband, Angelo Pagan, also parted ways after 21 years of marriage.

The former couple announced their shocking split via a joint statement on Instagram, revealing the reasons behind their relationship's breakdown.

“Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce. This decision came after a lot of thought and care, and as hard as divorce is, we are approaching this with a positive outlook because we know it's what's best for us,” they wrote.

The two noted that they changed and “got used to playing roles that didn’t fit us anymore,” hence the split.

Nevertheless, Remini and Pagan said their bond remained intact but evolved into something different.