Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck reportedly sailed on yacht owned by Russian oligarch before it was seized
Recently-seized $150m superyacht was owned by former KGB agent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to have sailed on a recently-seized yacht linked to a former Russian KGB officer.
The $150m superyacht, Valerie, was seized by officials in Spain on 14 March. Two sources for Reuters said the 85-metre (279-ft) superyacht belongs to Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russian state conglomerate Rostec and former KGB agent who served with Vladimir Putin.
Lopez and Affleck chartered Valerie in July 2021, according to Boat International. The yacht accommodates 17 guests in nine cabins, contains a six-metre swimming pool, multiple jacuzzis, and has its own helipad. The yacht is listed for sale with Dynamiq Sales and Charter for €89m ($98m) after being originally listed for €120m.
Lopez and Affleck chartered the yacht last summer to celebrate the singer’s 52nd birthday and their rekindled romance. Photos and videos shared to Lopez’s Instagram from the vacation match the promotional images for Valerie listed on the site, as first reported by Insider.
The vessel is registered to Chemezov’s stepdaughter, Anastasia Ignatova, through a British Virgin Islands company, according to a 2021 report published after the Pandora Papers information leak.
The seizure of the $150m superyacht follows a series of sanctions levied on Russia that investigates the ownership of superyachts associated with Russian oligarchs amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This week, a £530m mega-yacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italian authorities.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments