In our last story on Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s headline-making presumed split, many of you pointed out that it’s telling that their reps haven’t issued a denial at all. GossipCop reports that they have a source or sources close to the couple (probably a rep off the record), but that the source, who was previously reliable, has not replied to repeated requests for comment. When GossipCop doesn’t shoot down a rumor, you know it’s bad.
Entertainment Tonight does have a kind of weak denial, which dovetails with a report in People last week about their latest outings and social plans. They claim that Ben and Jen are “fine,” which is what people always say when things aren’t fine, right? Whenever I ask my kid to do something he doesn’t want to do he says “fine,” with a sigh. This is basically all ET wrote about it, which sounds just like my kid before doing an unpleasant task.
ET can confirm that the A-list couple isn’t headed towards an imminent split.
Sources tell ET that Ben and Jen “are fine,” and that the pair is actually focusing on spending time together as a family this summer.
ET is billing this as an exclusive and add in their video report that “our sources say divorce is not on the horizon.” They add “every marriage has good times and bad, but all is ok for Ben and Jen.” Why is this coming from a “source” and not a rep?
The NY Daily News has a report which may come from one of the neighbors in the Affleck’s posh neighborhood. Apparently the two used to go out to specific places at certain times, but their couple-y outings have dwindled down.
We hear the duo’s once frequent lovey dovey brunches at the private, members only Jonathan Club on Palisades Beach Road in Santa Monica have all but died down in recent weeks, and the duo have been experiencing troubles for some time, says our source.
“The haven’t been seen at the Jonathan Club, the beach one in some time, and Ben and Jen were also talking about land and property expansion as late as December,” says our insider. “That’s all in the past.”
Our source adds that neighboring residents in Affleck and Garner’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood are throwing a private neighborhood block party soon for nearby homeowners, but have yet to hear from Garner, who usually attends most neighborhood functions with her kids.
“They’ve been out of the loop socially for a while,” says our source…
Confidenti@l reported recently that the couple have been leading separate lives for a very long time, and have sadly been on a long, slow drift apart.
“They had good times when they were living in Brentwood and hanging at Matt’s (house),” said one insider. “Things were definitely a lot more upbeat and optimistic then. Now there’s friction and tension between them. They’re like two ships passing in the night.”
It’s been well over a month since rumors of their rift have covered a tabloid and now it’s on the cover of US, but still no comment. Affleck has a Facebook account where he addressed the issue of asking PBS’s Finding Your Roots program to edit out his slave-owning ancestor. That was in late April. At any point he could have put up a quick note with something like “I love my wife very much and these rumors are harmful to our children,” but so far nothing. Maybe he really has been living in a hotel and consulting lawyers, which would just be sad.
candid photos are from 5-28 and 6-14 credit: Pacific Coast News and FameFlynet. Event photos are from November, 2014. Credit: WENN.com
So true – they are fine, especially Ben, as everyone knows FINE stands for Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional
‘Two ships passing in the night’ ? Really??
Did they move to a different/new house? I thought they lived down the street or near Matt. The thing is since Matt moved to LA you don’t see he and Ben together at all really. I thought they were going to be working on their Production Company. I know they do have a few things in the works. But Matt is away filming IIRC.
This story just keeps going. Curious to see if it is on any of the tabloids next week.
I thought Damon moved to California specifically to be near Affleck for their producing activities and moved down the street from them. Why move away from them as this sounds. Who knows with this or any couple, but they seem to have dueling “sources” with different stories depending upon who they talk to. Hopefully they won’t do a pap walk on Father’s Day and force Affleck to smile.
@Jen2 …
I recall an article shortly after Matt Damon moved his family to Los Angeles about Ben spending nearly every waking moment at Matt’s house. That in itself was telling and may not have sat well with Jennifer (it wouldn’t sit well with many wives/mothers). The last picture I recall of Ben and Matt out together was shortly after Matt’s move to L.A., when he was still bald and doing re-shoots for “Elysium.” He and Ben were captured leaving a restaurant after having dinner. Matt was ignoring the PAPS and trying to get in the car as quickly as possible … Ben was engaging the PAPS and allowing them to take pictures.
A more telling tale is that Matt Damon seems to spend a lot of his ‘buddy’ time (mountain biking, etc.) with Chris Hemsworth these days and their families often vacation together. On the other hand, I see Ben as a big, pampered cat (he ‘is’ a Leo, after all), someone who only truly hits the gym or bikes when he’s training for a film. I also haven’t read anything about the Afflecks and Damons taking family vacations together since Matt’s move to L.A.. Interesting.
Matt isn’t hungry for the pap shots like Ben and Crew are.
There are stars we never ever see, then there are these hypocrits who only go to Pap-Heavy locales. Seriously Ben and Jen use the paps like Kardashian.
You are right! they still lived at Brendwood /Pacific Palisade area in the same street than Damon,Spielberg and Hanks
Matt has said that he thinks its because his own wife isn’t famous, so they aren’t as interesting. They do live on the same street, and the paps sit outside the Affleck/Garner house but not his own.
I do think there are daily pictures of these guys, and they get purchased and published when there is a story – Jen looks pregnant and there is trouble in the marriage – but not printed when there is no ‘news’. I don’t think they never use the media for their own purposes, but I dont think they are always out doing ‘pap walks’. I think they just get reported more. You can find a lot of pictures of Matt and his family, or other celebrities and their families that arent part of daily stories.
I do wish some paps would name the people who call them more regularly though. That interests me.
I was hoping to see his purple raincoat for the third day in a row. 🙁
Ha ha ha!! 😂😂
Jen said the end of last year or so that Ben had three movies almost back to back, but that she told him to go for it as the were great opportunities, Gone Girl, Batman and another one he’s filming now or starting to film. But that has taken him away from home a lot this year and end of last. But she said she was going to be working in the spring and summer on some movie projects that she wants to do, and that Ben was supportive for her to do that,, but that he would be working too so it will take some adjusting as far as the family. I think with both of them flying in and out since spring each going off to do movies and back and forth and three kids and Ben being moody anyway that their marriage has hit a stressful rough patch I don’t think they are divorcing at all. I think it’s just a matter of two parents off working often at the same time and Ben having been off on location a lot over the past year. I imagine a lot of marriages in Hollywood when the husband or wife is off filming a lot and then the other spouse also has some projects they hit rough periods.
Even Natasha Richardson said their marriage had some rougher periods because it’s not easy when one of you is gone for months at a time off on location and then you try to go off and do your movie when he comes back here or there (she backed off her career to part-time also when she had the kids but worked some with Broadway, a movie off in China, etc) and you also have a family and navigating that. She said you just get through those periods and then enjoy the good times when it evens back out. Even Mark Ruffalo talked about back when he was working a lot back to back and not able to see his kids as much and the stresses on your relationship but his wife was a stay-at-home mom for the most part and handled the family. After years of that, they decided to simplify their life more and move to the country in NY.
Jayna…when my kids were age 3 and 6 months old, my husband had to go to Alabama for three months…he would fly home every weekend. I always had the hope that the weekends would be a joyous homecoming…NOT…he was tired from working, not sleeping well in a hotel and flying, and I was exhausted taking care of a baby and a toddler, with no relief…It was one hour of I’m so glad to see you, and the rest of the time it was fight, fight, fight…it almost drove us to divorce…so I can see, if they are so busy, it could be very stressful, Of course, I didnt have the luxury of a nanny, cook, housekeeper, etc. I’m sure that would have helped ease the stress a little…
My husband has had to be in Europe for a week about eight times per year (two weeks per month for one year) and we live in Texas. We have three kids – two in middle school and a two-year-old – and one due in October. And his travel is going to increase starting this year.
I totally agree with you, @Mrsbpitt. The travel is rough. I get resentful and bitter thinking about him having the luxury of only worrying about himself and his needs plus I get used to doing things my way without having to consult or compromise when he’s gone. And he’s distracted, tired, and disconnected when he gets back.
I think Ben and Jennifer underestimated how hard it would be, just the work and travel and being apart, without throwing in Hollywood scrutiny and infidelity rumors. Plus he is a worried, depressive, moody type who struggles with demons while she is constant Miss Merry Sunshine, so these pap walks have the opposite of the intended effect and emphasize the problems. I hope they can get it together, but I will not be surprised or disappointed if it is all just too much.
On the reverse side of this, a friend of mine is a lawyer and would travel out of town to do hearings. She told me once that she had to stay in another city for a hearing for two weeks. She was in a hotel (had all her meals made for her, all cleaning done for her) and went home on weekends. Her husband ran the house and looked after their daughter (age 8). She said she LOVED it. We were discussing travelling on business and I said I never slept well away from home; she said she slept great away from home. Fewer mommy-wife responsibilities, I guess 🙂
It sort of sheds a new light on the Jolie-Pitts dragging themselves and their children on location when the other parent is filming. 🙂
I personally hope all is well with the Afflecks and the Tabloids are just throwing something against the wall hoping that it’ll stick. But if it really is over with them, I hope they don’t drag it out and that they remain good parents for their children.
No comment on Facebook doesn’t mean anything. A lot of celebrities use it for work not for personal lives. The Finding Your Roots thing was more business than personal. Is he even active on Facebook?
Exactly. No he’s not active on social media at all.
I only peruse these articles for ugly shoe displays.
that’s why i’m here
the grumpy face never changes but she has an endless supply of ugly shoes
And you’re rewarded every time!
Why is this sad? Sounds like he’s been an absent father (always taking off for this or that) and cheats on their mom and who knows what he is like behind closed doors. None of it a good example for the kids. Sometimes separation is the best for them.
Remember how A LOT of gossip tabloids & sites were basically confirming Will & Jada were officially divorcing?
I’m not sure what happened there, but it’s been years & they’re still together. Some couples, regardless of how happy they are or if it’s more of a brand than relationship, will weather the storm.
When they tried to sell their home or holiday home.I remember the same rumor about Julia Roberts ( she’s selling her Hawai home) and Ben Stiller ( he sold a NY home one year after to buy it )
are they though? i mean, they didn’t divorce, but from the way she talks about it, they’re clearly in an open marriage. i’m not judging as to each their own and if it works for them fine, but it’s entirely possible that at the time they were contemplating a divorce.
And this man is supposed to be a good actor. In every picture he looks like he’s thinking, “Just shoot me now.”
He has addiction problems that he hasn’t handled, and it shows IMO. He looks haunted.
I agree, Crumpet. Anyone who has been close to a person with addiction and/or depression issues knows how difficult it can be. Maybe they’re just trying to work through that as a couple and it is playing out in a more public way? I do wish the best for them and their family.
His facial expressions and body language are exactly like my cousin’s when he was struggling with his massive drug and alcohol addiction. Showing up, doing his duty, yet writhing on the inside.
Yes, he looks miserable. Whether it’s active addiction or not, I don’t know. But I think he and Garner married (she was pregnant with Violet) the same year that he got out of rehab. A friend in rehab said he was told not to make any big decisions in the first year out of rehab because you need to focus on yourself and your recovery. And your life is so totally in flux that you don’t really know who you are. So yeah, getting into a marriage and family at that time would not have been good. And there have been many rumours that he has fallen back into addictive behaviour such as drinking, gambling, etc. Not a good thing.
Hasn’t she been on the East Coast working? A little hard to go to brunch in California every weekend when you’re 3000 miles away! And he’s been super busy filming too. So far, despite the rumors, I’m not seeing anything besides difficult schedules.
It seems like whatever happened in Novia Scotia was the trigger for everything.
Whether they split up or stay together, those poor kids are probably going to have major daddy issues either way.
The thought of BA scheming with his lawyers to push JG to divorce him is very disturbing to me. We don’t know if it is true or not, but it does seem like something is going on behind the scenes, and it wouldn’t seem unreasonable that an A list movie star and director would do what he can to keep his image in tact as he sheds himself of his family. I get that people drift apart, and for some couples divorce is the best option. Staying together for the children in most cases is wrong. But if he is really trying to coerce her into divorcing him first, and before a specific date (their 10 year anniversary), it would make him seem more like a controlling monster than just another dude has drifted apart from his wife. I am curious to see what kind of pictures this weekend brings of the Affleck/Garner clan. Will they make up for Mother’s Day and spend time together at some family friendly place, their favorite farmer’s market or toy store, with lots of JG smiles and hand holding. Will Ben look like the a miserable, grumpy fart? Or will we not see them at all?
Jen and Ben have always been very careful when it comes to their relationship, I remember that their reps denied they were dating until they actually got married! Over the years,there have been so many different rumours,some of them ridiculous & their reps only denied the first time. The other rumours just were dismissed with the pass of time & Ben even said last year that all those rumours started by Ok! & Star were BS. Besides, I would never imagine Ben posting in FB about something like this, he is just not like that and neither is Jen. They both use mainly their FB pages to promote their movies and their humanitary work,almost never to post about their personal lives…Many people also say he doesn’t look happy & they haven’t been in touch socially. Well, Ben has always
looked this way when he is stalked by paps. And would you be all happy and peachy knowing there is all this gosssip around you? I mean these rumours especially picture Ben as a gambling addict & irresponsible father! That ET source says they are fine & that’s more than enough. We can’t know for sure what’s going on,but the kind of interest in their lifes that many magazines & websites display is just wrong.It’s like they want them to split. don’t these guys have a heart in their chest? If they are indeed going through a divorce, that’s already an awful experience,you should just leave them alone & not expose & disect every single aspect of their facial expressions or lifes!
I feel like issuing an official denial would stir the pot even more. Especially if they are not going to divorce.
I think the comment that a divorce isn’t ‘imminent’ says a lot. But yes, anything official would just add fuel to the fire.
Well, we’ve got the big July 4th weekend coming up, so if there are any divorces to announce, it will probably happen at 4:55pm Friday, July 3rd.
I didn’t believe the rumours up til now. The frenzy surrounding them and their children as a result of this could be stopped with a denial from their reps. Even the notoriously super private Leonardo DiCaprio issues denials when rumours go too far. This couple are perfectly happy to do interviews about their marriage when selling a movie or whatever product she’s shilling, they would deny these rumours if they weren’t true. They’re not saying anything because they probably don’t even know what’s going on themselves right now.
I feel sorry for them, they look so stressed, especially Ben. He looks pulverised. I hate that he’s the one being demonised. Nobody knows either of these people personally, there doesn’t have to be a bad person involved for a relationship to fail. Good people can bring out the worst in each other and become toxic but we don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.
All these sightings make me think they’re not divorcing, at least not yet. Ben is going along with these pap walks for a reason. Unless they are about setting up a ‘still a family no matter what’ narrative for the kids’ sakes and for the sake of his reputation. But god almighty, they look miserable.
i mean, it seems that jen aniston and brad pitt were spotted together just right before announcing their divorce, and so were goopy and bland martin. if anything all these pap walks makes it more suspicious.
Yeah, all that Ben needs is a t-shirt that says “Trash.”
True, although Pitt never looked particularly miserable (if he was, didn’t make it obvious), unlike Ben.
In the past, their reps have given denials to Gossip Cop, which they’re not doing now, which is a bit odd since this seems to be the most serious and most extended period of time and most widely reported instance of divorce rumors. Seems they’d take 1 minute to have official reps claim the rumors are false, like they’ve done in the past – especially this time. My guess is something is truly going on with them, but they probably haven’t figured out what they’re going to do yet. My feeling is … It’s a matter of time. Not if but when, but the “when” might be now or in years to come.
You know when I use the word “fine”? When I am. If they were using Twitter or Facebook to deny the rumors, you would be writing an article about how they are protesting too much. If they had reps say they were fine, you would be writing about how they are paid spokesmen and we shouldn’t believe them. Face it, when this is the rumor the couple is in a no-win situation.
I agree. If they ignore it, it’s signs of trouble, if they respond, some won’t believe them. I’ve seen some celebrities and couples praised for ignoring the tabloids, and others criticized for it. It’s definitely a no win.
But sometimes rumors or stories get out of hand & need to be shut down. Denying every story is not needed & is ridiculous.But this story is everywhere and keeps growing. They have denied stories quickly in the past, this time they are quiet.
If not true, a simple denial would help. Who knows what kids at school say to them, their school mates parents may talk about it.
Agreed. If they aren’t going to divorce, then there is no reason to comment. If they are going to divorce, then that will be revealed soon enough.
Well. Either they are stunting to keep in the paps. (ugh, cause they should be above that trick); or it’s true. Whichever it is? I’m not worried about their future. Together or apart. Team Kids. Always.