Simu Liu Shuts Down Reporter at Jennifer Lopez Atlas Event After He Interrupts with Ben Affleck Question 

"Don't come in with that energy, please," Liu told the journalist after he interrupted a Mexico event for the new Netflix film

Simu Liu and Jennifer Lopez attend 'Atlas' press conference in Mexico City on May 22, 2024. PHOTO: 

ISAAC ESQUIVEL/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK 

Simu Liu is stepping up.

On Wednesday, May 22 the actor shut a reporter down after they interrupted a panel discussion in Mexico City with a personal question about Jennifer Lopez.

Liu, 35, and Lopez, 54, were promoting their new Netflix film Atlas at a press conference when the unidentified journalist interrupted proceedings to ask, "Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? These rumors?"

Despite it not being a Q&A, Liu immediately responded, "Okay we're not doing that... Thank you so much guys, we really appreciate it. Thank you."

Lopez then told the reporter with a laugh, "You know better than that."

Jennifer Lopez Briefly Mentions Ben Affleck amid Marriage Rumors on Jimmy Kimmel Live

"C'mon, don't come in with that energy, please," Liu told the journalist, before adding to the press conference: "If I could just end on one thing."

"Jen is a producer on this movie and the reason why I am here and why Sterling [K. Brown] was in this beautiful movie is because Jen cares. And Jen cares about things like representation and diversity, and she's a boss," the Barbie star continued.

The panel interruption came after a source told PEOPLE Lopez and Ben Affleck's marriage “is not in the best place at the moment.”

The couple, who married in Las Vegas in July 2022 before holding a second wedding at the actor's home in Georgia the following month, are said to have been living apart from each other recently.

Simu Liu and Jennifer Lopez attend 'Atlas' press conference in Mexico City. 

CARLOS TISCHLER/EYEPIX GROUP/SHUTTERSTOCK 

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Amid the rumors, Affleck, 51, was spotted heading out for dinner in Santa Monica, Calif. wearing his wedding ring on May 21. 

"He was in a great mood," a source told PEOPLE. "He seemed very relaxed and happy. Everyone chatted and seemed to enjoy."

A separate source insisted Affleck had "been busy filming this week too," working on The Accountant 2, a sequel to his 2016 action film.

"He's professional and shows up early on the set," the source said. "He seems focused and ready to work when he arrives. He looks very happy and is super friendly with everyone on set."

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Smile as They're Snapped Together amid Reports of Marital Strife

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. 

FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Meanwhile, Lopez continues to promote her new film Atlas, in which she plays Atlas Shepherd, who is “a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence,” per the film's synopsis.

After joining a “mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past,” her “only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it,” the synopsis adds.

Atlas is on Netflix from May 24.