Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's divorce judge has a surprising link to one of her famous exes

Talk about a small world!

Did you know the judge overseeing Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's divorce has ties to Affleck and Lopez's former fiancé, Alex Rodriguez?

Judge Bradley S. Phillips’ son-in-law, Strand Conover, is the agent for Affleck and A-Rod, making this high-profile case even more intriguing.

Conover, a partner at WME, serves as an agent for both the Oscar-winning Ben Affleck and former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.

He works closely with Affleck, according to reports.

Judge Phillips has dismissed concerns of a potential conflict of interest in overseeing the divorce, stating that his connections to both parties won’t affect his impartiality.

Phillips mentioned that Conover had previously met Jennifer Lopez through his work with Affleck and Rodriguez but emphasized that he has never directly represented Lopez. He also confirmed that he hasn't and won't discuss the divorce with Conover.

More about the divorce

Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on August 20, after months of speculation about their relationship. The filing, made in Los Angeles County Superior Court, coincided with the two-year anniversary of their wedding at Affleck's Georgia estate on August 20, 2022.

In the filing, Lopez waived spousal support and requested that Affleck not receive any either, as there was no prenuptial agreement in place, potentially classifying their earnings as community property.

Lopez and Rodriguez were linked from early 2017, got engaged in 2019, and split in 2021. Shortly after, Lopez rekindled her romance with Affleck, nearly 17 years after their first engagement ended in 2004.

The couple went public with their rekindled relationship in July 2021 and made their red carpet return at the Venice Film Festival. They got engaged again in April 2022 and exchanged vows in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, before hosting a second wedding at Affleck's Georgia estate a month later.

Among the guests at their Georgia wedding were Matt Damon, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, and agent Patrick Whitesell, with Jay Shetty officiating. Lopez is a mother to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, while Affleck shares three children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.

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