Ben Affleck's unexpected praise for Jennifer Lopez came with surprise strings attached

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck began divorce proceedings back in August, but the process has been slow-moving due to the lack of a pre-nuptial agreement, leaving millions of dollars worth of assets up in the air.

Affleck recently paid Lopez quite the compliment though, giving rise to new speculation about the unhappy couple's future together. Affleck called Lopez "spectacular", in reference to her performance in the upcoming Affleck-produced sports biopic "Unstoppable". However, a new revelation has made it clear what Affleck was getting at when he sent some unprompted praise his estranged wife's way.

Affleck's true motive

According to Radar Online, Affleck's motive for publicly praising Lopez comes with a cynical caveat: he wants "Unstoppable" to perform as well as possible in theaters, and he understands that a public spat with Lopez will damage the prospects of a financially-successful theatrical run.

"Ben doesn't want their relationship ruining any buzz for the movie and her performance. He wants it to stand on its own," the insider revealed. "He knows that he is going to be asked about Jen during media appearances. He is adamant about keeping it very civil."

Still, the insider has claimed that Affleck's praise for Lopez is genuine. The "Argo" auteur believes Lopez was stunning in her turn as Judy Robles, the mother of 2011 NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles -- who was born with just one leg.

"He truly believes she killed it," the insider said. "Ben is a filmmaker, and an Oscar winner himself, he knows what works, and he always thought JLo would be incredible."

Affleck and Matt Damon's production company, Artists Equity, is developing quite the resume, which includes the 2023 sports film "Air" and the upcoming drama "Small Things Like These", which stars Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy. Amid his divorce, there appears to be plenty going on in Affleck's life.