She's had a rollercoaster year amid her shock split from Ben Affleck - less than two years after their lavish wedding following the showbiz reunion of the century.
And while this Christmas will be a world away from last year's festive season for J.Lo, 55 - when the loved-up star glowed as she and Ben, 52, hosted a star-studded bash at their LA mansion - friends say she is determined not to let her fourth marriage breakdown destroy her chance of finding her happily ever after.
A source tells us, 'Jen's been through hell over the last few months and has understandably been dreading the holiday season - especially given how much she and Ben loved Christmas and would go all-out to make it memorable for the children as one big, happy blended family.'
'The thought of being alone yet again, coupled with the pain of losing what she truly thought would finally be a future filled with contentment and happiness, has been extremely tough, and she's been doing a lot of intensive therapy and work behind the scenes to try and shift her mindset and pull herself out of the dark fog she's been in. Jen is desperate to heal and get to a place where she can move on.'
Fans went into meltdown when the showbiz couple - dubbed 'Bennifer' during their ill-fated relationship in the early noughts - rekindled their romance in 2021, almost two decades after calling off their wedding amid a global media frenzy.
But in August, just two years after eloping to Las Vegas for a no-frills ceremony followed by a lavish wedding in George the following month, Jen put an end to months of split rumours when she filed for divorce from the Hollywood actor, who shares three children with his ex, Jennifer Garner, 52.
Breaking her silence, the mum-of-two - who has 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme with her ex, Marc Anthony - cited the split as 'probably the hardest time of my life, but it was also the best time, because I got to do that work on myself.'
She added, 'You have to be complete if you want something that's more complete. You have to be good on your own. I thought I learned that, but I didn't.'
And after taking a break to spend time with loved ones and self-reflect - cancelling her 2024 tour due to being 'heartsick' - pals say the star is keen to start dating again in the new year. The source adds, 'Jen's determined not to be scarred by her past relationship failures, and while many who've been through something similar may swear off dating forever, she's determined on breaking the cycle and finding true love, with a healthier mindset using the lessons she's learned from past mistakes.'
'She's finally excited about the future again and is focusing on hopefully meeting Mr Right in 2025.'
