People covers Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck’s anniversary: suspicious or PR?

The 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles
It’s interesting when People Magazine runs a story that tries to combat what the tabloids have been saying for weeks. When People runs it, it comes with a publicist’s approval to some degree. So take this bizarre story on Jennifer Garner and her kids for what it is – a confirmation that Jennifer Garner was in West Virginia with her kids this weekend and then spent her anniversary with her husband.

We previously heard from People Magazine that Ben bought Jennifer some incredible jewelry for their anniversary. So now they’re running a follow-up with a little blurb about how Jennifer flew to Detroit to be with him to celebrate the day. Is this a tacit acknowledgement that they’re having problems? It’s just somewhat worrisome to me, particularly that it’s in People. It could be nothing though.

Jennifer Garner jetted back to her hometown for a low-key trip this weekend – before flying solo to see husband Ben Affleck for their anniversary.

Garner, 42, visited Charleston, West Virginia, where she relaxed with her family and surprised local fans. After grabbing dinner with friends Thursday night, the Draft Day star stopped by her alma mater, George Washington High School, on Friday. The next evening, Garner was spotted enjoying a minor league baseball game with her parents, sister and three children: Violet, 8, Seraphina, 5, and Samuel, 2.

The group cheered on the West Virginia Power to victory as spectators Tweeted their excitement at seeing the actress return to her roots. (She even posed with the team’s mascot!)

But Affleck, who has been in Detroit shooting his role as the Caped Crusader in Batman vs. Superman, was nowhere to be seen.

Though his gambling has been making headlines, sources say he and Garner are still going strong.

“She never understood his gambling obsession and she doesn’t want him to be in the news [for it],” one insider “told PEOPLE of Garner. “[But] she’s the most patient wife ever and is still very much in love with Ben.”

Despite Affleck’s absence from the weekend getaway, the couple celebrated nine years of marriage together Sunday. Affleck, 41, bought Garner jewelry from Barneys in Beverly Hills last week, and she joined him in Detroit after sending their kids and nannies back home to Los Angeles from Charleston.

[From People]

That’s nice that Garner went to her old high school and to a baseball game. I love this couple and I hope they’re ok. I get the sense that they’re not, considering that they’re trying to make sure there are no cracks in their public image. Ben is gambling heavily and maybe Jennifer is putting her foot down to some extent despite the public declarations of support. I do think Ben is going through a crisis related to his decision to play Batman, as I’ve mentioned before. This role is not consistent with everything he’s said about wanting to change his career focus. Plus he’s a tabloid fixture again and that’s got be bothering him. I hope I’m wrong, I hope this is just some publicist’s way of countering the gambling stories.

5th Annual Thirst Gala Hosted By Jennifer Garner In Partnership With Skyo And Relativity's Earth To Echo

2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Lunch At Bricks and Scones

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are shown at the Vanity Fair Oscar party on 3-3 and out together on 2-18-14. Garner is shown at an event on 6-25-14. Credit: WENN.com and Fameflynet

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77 Responses to “People covers Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck’s anniversary: suspicious or PR?”

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  1. Abbott says:

    I’m more interested in the shade Mark Ruffalo threw on WWHL about Ben not allowing Jen to be friends with men.

    • Kristen says:

      Whaaaaaat? Please elaborate!

      • Abbott says:

        Andy Cohen asked Ruffalo last week if he still talked to Garner. He said something along the lines of “She’s great to work with, we were friends, but then Ben came along.”

        Andy followed up with something like “I heard Ben won’t allow Jen to have male friends.” Mark just shrugged.

        I thought it was very telling, considering Mark doesn’t ever seem to create waves.

      • Marty says:

        It’s consistent with some stories I’ve heard about him before. He would limit interactions with the men in his current gf’s lives. I never knew about this though, sad.

        Ben Affleck<<<<<<<<Mark Rufalo.

      • megsie says:

        Definitely consistent. Ben’s very insecure. He’s also a mama’s boy and prone to depression. He’s got problems, as we all do, but they’re not so much the problems everyone thinks he has.

    • Detritus says:

      Abbott, that’s some good dirt! I could totally see Ben being like this. He can’t be friends with women without trying to bone them, so he makes sure Jen doesn’t get the chance to do the whole goose/gander thing.

      • Tiffany says:

        Or he acting like the other man. How you get them is how you lose them and Ben knows his wife. The start of their relationship is always whitewashed in the press.Looking at Jen movie choices and Co stars as of late, I totally believe Mark.

      • kri says:

        Damn! Definite trouble. Her taking the kids “back home” without him and being sure to be seen is a show of “I don’t need your shit, I have support”. (In my opinion). Really, I hope he gets a grip on himself, because he is one very fortunate person. Ya know…if I was working with Mark, my SO would be nervous too!

      • mercy says:

        So good that it probably wouldn’t come out of the mouth of Mark Ruffalo on national TV, unless it was a joke. Or Andy. He’s always messing around like that. I’m sure he’d love to have Garner or Affleck on his show.

    • Anna says:

      He was joking. Cohen even says outright that he made it up. Context is important.

      • lisa2 says:

        I thought Cohen was talking/joking regarding his comment.. that Ben doesn’t allow male friends.. I don’t think he made up Ruffalo’s response to the question. There is a video of it IIRC..

        so maybe I’m confused too.

      • mercy says:

        It’s everything. Thanks for clarifying.

      • Talie says:

        Andy as joking, but Mark held his ground. That’s what was weird about the exchange.

      • Bob Loblaw says:

        Sometimes jokes contain a grain of truth.

  2. lisa2 says:

    We are not into the Summer.. I don’t recall where the story came from; but there was a big deal made of Jennifer and the kids spending the Summer in Detroit while Ben filmed. I wonder if they are still going to do that. So far they have been staying in LA.

    The story sound hinky; but I don’t have a problem with them trying to counter the negative stories out there. Sometimes you have to do something before things start to snowball out of control.

    • Jayna says:

      Exactly. They are together every weekend. It’s just always a new they are breaking up rag mag story. If they didn’t do anything, people would say it’s true. They can’t really win.

      • mercy says:

        That’s a good point. I’m sure their marriage is far from perfect (who’s is?), and they probably have their own issues as individuals (who doesn’t?), but when the celebs in question are the frequent target of a multi-million dollar industry that feeds off of negative gossip, rumour, and innuendo I can see where they might feel it necessary to protect themselves with puff pieces like those that appear in People mag. It can be a vicious circle, and I sometimes find the complaints of those in the media who often indulge in negative speculation and invasion of privacy for profit to be rather disingenuous when they are sometimes part of the reason those puffy pieces exist. Same thing with those who pay for photos from paparazzi, but complain when celebs take matters into their own hands and work with their photographers of choice. If I was a public figure, I would do whatever I had to do to protect myself and my family and maintain some semblance of a private life while still meeting the demands of my career. But I would also be extra cautious not to put myself in precarious situations, like showing up in a casino when I have a history of addiction. That’s where Ben loses me. He walked right into this one.

    • BangersandMash says:

      Agreed!!

      But it actually puts attention to the fact that there may be problems as well!!

    • Anna says:

      Actually, the kids have spent time in Detroit. They were all spotted at a Farmer’s Market, at Starbucks and in Whole Foods.

      • lisa2 says:

        I don’t deny the family has gone to Detroit.. my thought was that Jennifer and the kids were going to pack up and move there for the summer since no school.. But maybe that won’t happen and they will just go back and forth.

    • Candy Love says:

      I would agree but this is the second story their PR person has sold to People Magazine in the last three weeks. They are trying way too hard to show their are no problems which makes me think there are.

      If they were going to try and counter the negative stories then they should have just given a statement saying that the stories were BS instead of the photo op and running to People Magazine.

    • Bear says:

      I used to live in Detroit. I cannot blame them for being in any other city, especially if they have kids. Detroit is a sh*th*le.

    • don't kill me i'm french says:

      +1

  3. Audrey says:

    I like them, I hope they’re okay. But all of the people stories are definitely a bit suspicious.

    I think Ben has personal stuff going on and it’s getting harder for jennifer to turn a blind eye to it.

  4. Bubulle says:

    This is 100 % PR, Ben has been cheating, drinking, gambling during their whole relationship, they truly mean it when they say “she’s the most patient wife ever “.

    • Belle Epoch says:

      He always seems cranky or blazed. Just doesn’t seem to have a good personality.

      Being an actress, she could be fooling us all with her lovey-dovey role. I could easily believe that behind the scenes things are VERY different.

      So many relationships in Hollywood are straight up fake. Sometimes it’s just for good PR. Sometimes the acting bleeds into life until nothing is authentic. Gertrude Stein: “There is no THERE there.”

  5. Anna says:

    There were pictures all over twitter of Jennifer in West Virginia so someone at People just wrote a story around that. Anyway, Jennifer and Ben were seen at Bistro 82 in Detroit last night. They also went on a family mini-break to San Francisco a couple of weekends ago (some fan pics), the whole family has spent time in Detroit and Ben has been photographed back in LA during his time off. I think they’re fine. Every marriage has bumps but these seem to be in it for the long haul.

    • mercy says:

      Proving once again that social media is often the best resource.

      • Jane says:

        OMG THIS !!! If you are a celeb stalker and you want to know where you might be able to find a celeb, look no further than your twitter search or fb search, people tweet about celeb sightings or post on fb who and where they saw a celeb. Who do you think were the sources of all those Ben sighting in Detroit casinos? it was people tweeting about it , then radaronline, Star, and TMZ reaching out to these people and getting info sometimes paying for it. This is where your cover story on Star magazine came from, random people. All these sightings of Jen in WV, all on twitter, easy story for People you don’t even have to talk to their publicist sometimes except to verify. That is why People didn’t dispute the gambling claims because they were and are true, Ben has a gambling addiction, for sure.

  6. Regarded says:

    The only thing these stories convince me of is the fact that Jennifer seems to have sacrificed a lot to be with this guy, and bends over backwards for him at any opportunity.
    And I don’t think he deserves it.

  7. Amy123 says:

    People write stories regardless if there are problems or not. This story doesn’t mean they are about go get divorced.

  8. GlimmerBunny says:

    I love that silver fringed dress. It would be so much fun to move in!

  9. Mia4S says:

    They are selling hard! With no projects for several months this is “preserve the image” selling. The scrutiny will get 10000x times worse when he’s Batman. Not good, I really don’t think he’ll handle it well. Bale is extremely unique in his ability to vanish and isn’t trying to sell/direct/produce his own stuff. The fact that Affleck agreed to play the role was a warning sign in itself for me. He had so much…it wasn’t enough. Trouble’s coming.

    I agree with the comment above about Ruffalo’s interview, it startled me. Ruffalo doesn’t shade, so this just made me wary of Affleck. Although Garner clearly made him get rid of some of his friends too; for image I assume? What a tiresome couple.

    • Lena says:

      Oh calm down. He’ll do fine as batman. The reason he took it is Snyder asked him and he liked the director’s vision. He also has little kids and how cool would that be for them?

      • mercy says:

        I agree. I don’t think it’s a role that requires stellar acting abilities, tbh. It will probably come down to the script, direction, and special effects, as it usually does with those kinds of movies. People bag on Clooney’s Batman, but he was the least of that movie’s problems.

      • Lexie says:

        Wrong. He made a deal with the studio: star in a huge vehicle like the Batman reboot in exchange for the studio to make the projects he REALLY wants to direct.

      • Bob Loblaw says:

        He made the deal with the studio to get his own project down road but it’s a mistake to follow up his hard-earned Oscar with a franchise comic book movie. It puts too much pressure on the movie to be exceptionally good and the role involves wearing a mask and costume which does not suit his natural, Everyman style of acting. This is a career step that is very hard to understand in the wake of his relentless effort to restore his credibility and be taken seriously as an actor and director. What happens to him if the movie tanks? That is why this is a bad move, he will be blamed if the movie fails, not the director or the studio or the bad script, it will be pinned on his casting.

  10. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    Why do they care so much? They seem to spend so much energy trying to prove they’re the perfect couple. Nobody’s perfect. Lighten up, already, these stories are boring.

    • Bridget says:

      I think it’s Ben. If you notice, the hard sell always comes out for *his* stuff, not hers, and Batman still may be a while off, but between people’s unenthusiasm for the Batfleck and now all these reports about him having serious issues, it’s creating bad buzz on a product that they’re spending an astronomical amount of money on, that’s supposed to launch a bunch of other movies.

      • Bob Loblaw says:

        I agree, but I think it’s Ben’s project, not necessarily Ben. I think this is all studio pushback for the bad PR of late, they don’t want their valuable investment undermined by tabloid nonsense.

      • Bridget says:

        Affleck worked hard for that image cleanup, and he showed us with his Oscar campaign that he can really work the family angle. I certainly think he’s getting studio pushback, but this is Affleck’s style and has been since he and Garner had those kids.

  11. Talie says:

    I just don’t get the vibe that he likes being a family man… every time he’s with his kids, he seems uncomfortable. This might sound crass, but I do think he would’ve been happy with some hot young chick bouncing around the world partying. I don’t think the quiet life on the tree-lined street is for him. And really, thats what his wife represents to a T.

    • Becks says:

      I actually think he looks happy and relaxed in the pictures with his children. However, he always looks miserable and uncomfortable around Jen. It seems like there is alot of tension there.

  12. Tippy says:

    Ben appears as though he’s preoccupied with counting imaginary cards.

  13. JoJo says:

    First of all, all of this fuss about the Ruffalo comment is ridiculous!!!! I watched the whole show live. The press is taking it out of context and blowing it out of proportion. He said it totally jokingly – in a dry humor kind of way. Then, Andy jokingly said, “Right, because I heard Ben doesn’t let her have make friends.” And then Mark jokingly/dryly said “I can’t comment either way.” And Andy said, “Of course not because it’s not true!” and they both were laughing. This is similar to all the coverage of JLo’s comments on Andy’s show recently. The media made it seem like she was out there talking about Ben. Andy asked her direct question – “Did you dress Ben when you were together?” and she responded to his question. That’s it – nothing more. Anyone who watches Andy’s
    show knows that’s the format – he asks questions and guests can answer
    or “plead the fifth.” It’s all in fun, and that got blown so out of proportion, just like Ruffalo’s comments. Ugh. I do think there is major trouble for this couple – and I think there always will be due to his addictions, etc. but she’ll NEVER leave him, and I fully believe he won’t leave either – primarily because of the cost to his image/career. Said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m sure he loves his family, but I do think he would make a break if it would be easier for him. I think his family/friends want him to stay in line – Jen helps him do that. Too many repercussions for them both if they were to split.

    • Sarah says:

      i agree about almost anything in your comment. i think she will tolerate anyting as long as its not really out in the open. think Rupert Sanders/Kristen Stewart level of disrespecting their partners. if something like that happens she will go and good for her. if it stays under the radar i doubt that they wll divorce ever.

      Ben is not the only gambler in the family. Jen has been social climbing into this marriage. there was always overlap from one husband to the next more powerful husband. so she certainly is no saint and put it all on one card, the kids and marriage is everything she has going on professionally. every role she gets is based on that wholesome image. And it is a tough bet, Ben has a lot of demons and very likely to fall out of line. Addictions stay a whole life, maybe when he is 80 it’ll stop but thats still some decades to go. So she also gambled. too bad Ben is better at card counting, Jennifer should have done that before she married him and realized that this is a huge gamble.

    • The Original G says:

      No repercussions for her if she’s decided she’s had enough. It might open up a new world for her. She’s obviously thinking of the children and he’s not. But eventually, isn’t baby sitting a gambling addict AND his image just too exhausting?

    • mercy says:

      Thanks for the clarification. I hate when things are taken out if context, especially if it was a joke. I love deadpan humour and dry wit, but it seems to not be appreciated by those who are looking for scandal or outrage at every turn.

  14. Isa says:

    I couldn’t figure out why her hand was holding his arm so oddly in the first picture. Took me a minute to realize she was holding his hand.

  15. Jane says:

    Of course they are in trouble and every photo or story is a PR move to keep up false appearances. Ben is in a bad place and Jennifer seems to be falling apart trying to keep them together. It’s fake, Ben’s a cheat and an addict and she would be better without him.

  16. smutwriter says:

    Maybe Jennifer Garner’s taking the long view?

    Whether her behavior is genuine or calculated and whether she really wants to save the marriage or not – whether there is actually trouble or not, and I believe there has to be – she’s going to come out of it unscathed from a PR perspective when all is said and done: the longsuffering mom who did everything she could and was eventually overwhelmed by Ben Affleck’s sheer…Affleck-ness. And Ben is not really discrediting that idea.

  17. K.B. says:

    Rut roh. Does this mean that Strippergate: The Sequel is on the horizon?

    I don’t feel bad for Jennifer Garner at all. She got what she wanted, and now she’s paying the price. That little comment about being the “most patient wife ever” shows her true colors. Too bad those of you who fall for her act won’t see it for what it is.

    • JennySerenity says:

      Wow. Why so much Jenn-hate? She has just one marriage behind her, and as far as her past dating life, people break up and fall out of love all the time. Don’t see where she was trading up in any of her past relationships. I think she had a crush on Ben ever since Pearl Harbour. When she had an opportunity to be with him, she took it. She’s clearly genuinely in love with him. Where’s the crime?

      • Jayna says:

        Isn’t that the truth? She wasn’t married to her co-star, and broke up with him because she was interested in Ben. It happens all the time. It’s called dating.

        As far as her ex-husband. He spoke about the marital breakup.

        “Foley and Garner went their separate ways earlier this year (03) after walking down the aisle in 2000. And although Garner is now enjoying a romance with her ALIAS co-star MICHAEL VARTAN, Foley, 31, is eager to point out infidelity was never a factor.
        He says, “Nobody else was involved. Jennifer became a huge celebrity. She became a huge star, and she deserved everything she got. There was no other relationship, there was no infidelity.
        “People get divorced, you know? Through no one’s fault and everyone’s fault.”

  18. The Original Mia says:

    There’s trouble. Why run to People with perfect wife Jen/ his gambling isn’t that bad stories if there isn’t something to hide? He’s an addict. He likes the risks of high stakes gambling but this time he’s playing with his family. Jen will eventually tire of propping him up and she’ll bolt for her kids’ sakes.

  19. Kate says:

    I feel as though he buys her jewelry all the time as an empty, go-to “nice” gesture instead of doing anything meaningful for her. If I were her I would have bailed a long time ago, bless her for trying.

    • Lena says:

      the jewelry was for their anniversary – hey I’d take it!

      • Kate says:

        I think he also bought her jewelry after the birth of one of their kids, and she was quoted as saying something along the lines of him always being so thoughtful. It strikes me as lazy and unoriginal. He seems devoted to everything but his family, IMHO. : /

  20. Shelby says:

    There are several large casinos in downtown Detroit too…jus sayin’ 😉

  21. MrsBPitt says:

    I always hesitate to click on an Affleck post because there is always so much hate for Ben (I don’t get it), Where is there ANY positive proof that Ben has cheated on Jennifer? Where are the pictures of Ben, stumbling out of a bar, drunk? And, not everyone who likes to play cards is a gamblilng ADDICT…my dad played cards with his friends for years…he loved it, but he didn’t HAVE to do it…Ben and Jen seem to have a great family. The kids looks happy. They are always doing things as a family…I guess I just don’t get the hate for these two…especially Ben…

    • Jayna says:

      I agree. It’s over-the-top bizarre on here about them.

    • Bear says:

      When he’s having his picture taken by paps he looks angry, that could be because he feels violated. When he’s being interviewed by people about her he’s very pleasant.

    • mercy says:

      I think he has admitted he had issues with addiction (gambling, alcohol) in the past, but I’ve seen no credible evidence of him cheating on Jen. If he has, I doubt he’d be obvious about it. Too much to lose on that front.

    • don't kill me i'm french says:

      The cheating rumors are because of the pic with Blake Lively and him together on The Town’s set .The pic when he has his face ,the face of a guy under the charm on another woman.

      • MrsBPitt says:

        Wow…a picture of him smiling and talking to a co-worker at work…thats proof positive, right there! (sarcasm)

      • mercy says:

        I’ve seen pics of him looking at a lot of people that way, including male co-workers. 😉 And I’ve seen many pics of people of both sexes looking at her that way. She seems to be a bubbly, smiley person by nature. Her older sister and Ben go way back, to when they played siblings on a TV series he did when he was just starting out.

  22. Size Does Matter says:

    Is it their tenth anniversary? That makes sense for a people cover.

  23. Bren says:

    She just has to put with him for one more year, and then it’s the 10th wedding anniversary and Jen gets half of everything Ben has. She deserves it after 10 years of putting up with his gambling, cheating and all his other issues. They will divorce when it’s the right PR time for a divorce.

    • don't kill me i'm french says:

      I don’t believe the next year will be a good year to divorce for them because Batman Vs Superman movie will be released and Jennifer Garner’s career is as exciting as Katie Holmes’s one

      • Dee says:

        Jennifer has 3 projects coming out. Two of those are possible Oscar contenders. She is steadily working. She is well like because of her professionalism and talent.

  24. Camille (The Original) says:

    This couple is about as exciting or interesting as a cold bowl of oatmeal. I don’t know why I just wasted time reading about them :\. Doh.

  25. JoJo says:

    Also, maybe I’m crazy for thinking this, but I think it’s entirely plausible. What about the possibility that Mark said that because he knew it would grab attention, drive tons of media coverage and bury the existing focus on Ben’s issues and their potential
    marital problems. He knew it would be a pretty harmless story to unleash and would also shift the focus from Jen always looking like a victim to Ben being jealous of other men being friends with her, as if she has the upper hand. Mark seems like a super nice, genuine guy, and I truly wouldn’t doubt if he figured this would be a good way to help out his former “13 Going in 30” costar. It was all said in jest anyway, as I said above, but he’s smart enough to know the media would take the bait.