I had the chance to read Star Magazine’s epic cover story this week about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s alleged reconciliation and I have to say that they did a great job! They put a lot of detail and supposed insider quotes in there, and they painted a pretty complete picture of what’s going on in the Garner-Affleck household. Of course Star is probably playing photo assumption like the rest of us but it’s still a good story, albeit mildly offensive. I like some creative fan fiction, although this needs hot makeup sex, some bodice ripping and a bunch of empty promises from Ben. Oh wait the empty promises are there, they just need to change the context from therapy sessions to pillow talk.
Yesterday we reported on the details from Star that Ben used to feel like he was “walking on eggshells” around Jen and that “he started to resent her for not letting him do what he wanted.” The tabloid reported that Ben opened up to Jen in therapy, apologized and that Jen took him back after realizing she made a mistake and that “she’s never going to find anyone as great as Ben.” The print edition is much juicier of course, and includes alleged twists like Jen believing Ben’s claim that he never cheated with the nanny. They even state that Jen tried to go on a date with another man but that it turned out to be a disaster, sending her back into the arms of her true love.
Here are the highlights from Star’s article. The headers are my own. We heard a couple of these quotes yesterday but I’m including them for context.
Jen made Ben feel guilty
“She’d scold him like a child whenever he had a beer, or make him feel bad for having a night out with the boys. It made him feel like he was always walking on eggshells around her and he started to resent her for not letting him do what he wanted. He told her that in therapy.” He also made it clear, according to the source, that he will never fully stop gambling, but he will pull back on it for her and their family.Jen has ‘chosen to believe’ Ben didn’t cheat
While he denied the allegations [of cheating with the nanny] thanks to their counseling sessions, [Jen] has chosen to believe that her husband didn’t cheat on her. “That meant a lot to Ben… And although he still swears nothing ever happened with Christine, he accepts his part in allowing the rumors to start.”After Ben apologized she decided to take him back
His heartfelt confessions in therapy ended up opening Jen’s eyes to the fact that she too created some of the problems in their marriage. “That’s why she decided to forgive Ben… and give their marriage another chance.”Jen went on a date!
Ben was spotted with a mysterious blonde woman at the Beverly Hills hotel on Sept. 18, but sources say he ended that flirtation as soon as Jen told him she wanted to get back together.Jen also went out with another man – a producer – but her date just made her miss her husband more. “It was a bust. All this producer did was talk about his work, and then he made an awkward move on her at the end of the night, which she didn’t appreciate… it made her see that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. And she says she’s too old to go through the dating mill again.
Jen has promised to change, she wants another kid
“She’s agreed to loosen her grip on Ben and give him more freedom to be the man he wants to be. And she’s been saying she wants another baby with him… she’ll pretty much do whatever it takes to get him back now… And if thy can reignite the passion in their relationship, maybe Ben won’t get the urge to find happiness elsewhere.”
[From Star Magazine, print edition, November 11, 2015]
That last quote is just ridiculous. Working at this awesome job has given me a lot of conventional wisdom about relationships, and two quotes come to mind. “Cheaters are going to cheat,” and “Show me a beautiful woman, and I’ll show you a man who’s sick of f’ing her.” In no way is it Jen’s fault if Ben steps outside their marriage, particularly with the nanny. It’s not because she didn’t give him enough sex, or because she wasn’t enough of a doormat. If any of this is true, I wish her luck but I doubt that Ben is capable of being faithful. I get it, she loves him, but it sounds like they’re just retreading the same ground.
Oh and Star claims that the nanny texted Ben with the intention of seeing him “but he told her he was getting back with Jen.” Ben wanted to ditch that woman anyway after all her antics with the press. Saying he’s back with Jen is an easier excuse than “you’re crazy, leave me alone.”
Whatever is going on with Ben and Jen’s relationship, Star does sound like they have the couple’s dynamic down. (Except for the “wanting another baby” stuff, I don’t believe that.) We’ve heard so many PR pieces in which Jen comes across as a control freak (whether that’s true or not) and Ben as a resentful, passive aggressive cheater who can lay on the charm when it suits him.
Jennifer Garner is shown out in Brentwood yesterday in two different outfits. Ben Affleck is shown on the Savannah, GA set of Live by Night on 10-27-15. How does he look so different week to week? Credit: FameFlynet
All I have to say is: you are dumb, girl.
Dumb as a box of bricks
(If this is true)
Women. “Please stop drinking yourself to death. Gambling away our money. Please don’t ignore your children.” Nag nag nag. Poor Ben. Doing whatever he felt like but being made to feel guilty about if. Hopefully he can find a woman with even lower standards that Garner’s six foot under ones.
JEN! If you want to get over somebody, you have to get under somebody!! Turn the tables on Ben! Get a stylist and maybe meet The Real Housewives of BH out for a drink! 🙂
Also, remember when Ben was so GQ after Argo was released? I still think he is hotter than most dads at our school, but he needs a stylist too!
Jennifer Garner has done plenty of cheating on her significant others as well. She probably has not cheated on Affleck because he is far higher on the food chain than her previous husband and previous boyfriend. She is not Snow White. I do not condone Ben cheating but I do not really feel sorry for her either.
Has anyone else noticed that the top picture of her with a white shirt and jeans has the initials JA on the shirt pocket? That picture was taken yesterday, I saw it on the People App as well. No one has mentioned those initials. Jennifer Affleck. Am I crazy or is this significant? It’s like ring watch 2.0! Maybe it’s a name brand and I’m not getting it.
Maybe it is the brand or just an old jeans?🤔
I noticed that too! I’m also fascinated by the 2nd outfit, because everything goes together. Cute sweater, jeans good with the cute leopard flats…I believe the cute outfit was an accident, but not the J.A. on the blouse.
She never cheated on her ex hubby. They divorced and then she dated the guy from Alias and then met Ben
Ironically she’s one of the more educated Hollywood celebrities out there. And yet dumber than a box of rocks. Sad.
Totally agree! He’s a gambling, down and dirty cheat….he shows a quick boozy gut weight gain in Georgia. She wants her bs fairy tale, must have low self esteem and doesn’t mind being played a fool. This will go on and on until they divorce….or she catches something from him. My projection is that some young chick will get knocked up by him down the road. She’s also gotten botoxed and fillers to look younger in these pics. SAD. Money doesn’t buy you love sister.
It’s the Star, everyone! So believable. BTW, is he pregnant in his pictures?
Ah yes, this is Test Ending #1 for the marriage story arc. Or perhaps it’s just Episode 10: “Ben and Jen Reconcile”. Will they be able make it work or is true love dead? Stay tuned!
Yup…by the New Year or around there.
I don’t believe she wants to let him go at all.
Or will they finally file after March 26? Because that’s when the big movie (for him) hits theaters. I realize some say it won’t matter, but who knows how these two think.
Sounds like she treats him like one of her kids instead of her husband. Chose not to believe he was cheating? I chose to believe there was a Santa Claus until my brother clued me in.
Went on a date with a producer? Chile please. If she went on a date she would have called the paps to document it.
And Ben and this blonde woman were probably a thing….for a night. Then he probably told her he was getting back with Jen just to find a way to nicely dump her too.
I’m bitter this morning.
Don’t dudes usually LOSE weight after a break-up? Ben’s gotta get that ass into a gym if he wants to keep making superhero movies.
Meanwhile, Jen looks amazing in that last pic.
As far as their relationship goes…eh, who knows. I believe that she would be nervous about dating again but that’s why she should just take time to focus on her kids and avoid relationships for a while. In one sense I do see how she could be controlling but I’m not married and I don’t have kids. Of course I’m cool with my BF going out and we both do a lot of things independently, but that would definitely change if kids were in the picture. I’m not sure how involved Ben is with raising his children but Jen has every right to expect that he’ll be there supporting them and actively raising them instead of out partying.
It must be repeated that this is Star, so who knows if this sh*t is even true.
I’m not really sure if they lose weight on a general basis but Jonah Hill did come to mind. He got really big again after he broke-up from his ex-gf (daughter of Dustin Hoffman, I believe). Wasn’t he a superhero, too?
Perhaps it’s all that training that just wears the guys down. Paul Rudd was really cut before/during Ant-Man but is generally not that beefy.
I guess it could go either way. Maybe he’s an emotional eater…
Jonah’s issues with food go much deeper than a break up.
I sorely hate man boobs. I agree, get to the gym Ben. She’s so little red riding hood and he the big (fat) wolf….a rather strange coupling. I liked Ben with J Lo, with his little side eye…oh those were the days. Oh Joaneu:….I was prepared not to like Ant Man, but my husband insisted and then I saw Paul Rudd and was happy, the guy makes me happy like homemade chili on a cold day.
You know, the “nagging woman” myth gets my goat every time. If I remind hubs that we need to get groceries, vacuum and clean the freezer, it’s nagging. (And I do remind him, and I do make the grocery list because I make the menu and do most of the cooking. He wouldn’t know what to get for dinner otherwise.)
But if he says we are going skiing in Whistler in April, I am thinking of getting Apple TV so I will be at the store for two hours this afternoon and my favourite golf jacket is ripped, can you fix the sleeve… that is being a good husband?? Men can get praise for the things that women get ripped apart for. That sucks.
Each relationship is different, and participating fully in it means you will tell each other stuff – sometimes good, sometimes bad. There are reminders and occasional arguments, sometimes one will do a thing he hates (tile shopping. God help us) that she wants done, and she will say sure, one night a week you can go play hockey right after dinner and leave me with a messy kitchen and the child’s unfinished homework. This makes marriage work. If they do give it another try, I hope it works. Despite all the media feeding we still do not really know everything that goes on between them and how they really feel. We do know he gambles and drinks and that is never a good thing in a family. As far as the cheating goes we all believed the nanny story but maybe she chooses to move beyond that for reasons of her own.
What I find insulting is the patronizing tone of the article. She is too old to date? Who the hell writes this crap?
I’ve said it before but my mom always says “I nag because if I didn’t then nothing would ever get done.” lol
It’s a joke but it’s also true in a way…and my dad is a good helper in the sense that he cooks and cleans, does the dishes etc. In other words, he does his part.
But I completely agree with your assessment and I admit that I’ve been guilty of reinforcing gender stereotypes. For instance, I was at my friend’s house once and her husband was cleaning the rug and doing general chores around the house and I said “well he’s not afraid to clean–that’s good!” and her response was “and he damn well should clean. After all, he lives here too.”
When we moved together with the bf I was doing all the cleaning. After a few fights about it we agreed that we both hate cleaning and therefore we will do it together when we both have time. I still do most of the cooking and dishes but he is doing most of the grocery shopping and laundry.
So because he says he didn’t cheat and she chose to believes he didn’t cheat does that mean he didn’t cheat?
I ask the question because some people chose to believe that another male Hollywood star didn’t cheat on his wife because he and his partner said he didn’t cheat. And his then wife said I don’t think he cheated.
It is their choices
Seriously why bring beat that decade old horse right at this minute???
Because that conversation was just had a couple of days ago. And because the double standards on this site seems to be constant. That’s why.
“Jen has promised to change.” !?!?!?!?!? I’m really not invested in the Jen & Ben saga, but that sentence annoyed me.
Because it is Jen’s behavior the problem.
While Ben will gamble ,cheat ,drug and drink,Jen will stay at home and continue to parade with the children in front of the paps …Wait …where is the changement?
I think Jen is just as cunning as Ben, but he will never change his ways for anyone.
Ben looks like a bloated, nervous, unhealthy addict in the pics.
Ben will never be the man Jen wants him to be. He is very selfish and intelligent addict- a poisonous combination indeed.
Well, she really does need to change (to single status).
+1 for that,and for good.No man can date this woman after Ben dumps her she is beyond pathetic at this point.
1/ if it is true, I have a word to say …. DOORMAT !
2/ Ben forgot to suck his tummy on the pics
There’s no way she’s not letting him drink beer, dude has a little pony keg belly going.
2) Or Ben forgot his man-girdle.
Or his corset ?
Yeah, if true, this chick is DE-LU-SION-AL!
And Ben looks like crap.
Who would want to date Jen? Her rep is a nagging, frumpy, controlling, saintly, perfect mom with hideous fashion sense more often than not. Jen seems completely Sexless now. Everyone knows too much about her private life, and it seems exhausting.
Even my hubby does not think Jen is attractive – “very plain and bitchy looking”.
Jen and Ben are a marriage of convenience, nothing more.
I have found her very funny in interviews. Others comment how much they like her socially. I think that, free from the behavior that you get trapped in when you are married to an addict, she will be a different person. It really does change your personality. I think she will be fine.
My 19 year old son thinks she is gorgeous and a sweetheart. My husband thinks she is beautiful. To each his own…
I like her black pumps. Yep, I complimented her shoes! I hope this is not true.
Once it’s over, it’s over. There’s no point in flogging a dead horse, and getting back together for the sake of the kids is not going to work. I doubt being married to her was a pleasant experience. He could probably feel her silent disapproval every time he opened a beer or went out with the guys.
I can’t help myself now, I came here to see the shoes! The black pumps aren’t bad, but the loose leopard print ballet flats are execrable. Perhaps she views Ben as a comfortable pair of old shoes, and better the devil you know. Poor woman, I do feel sorry for her, who would want to live like that?
The pumps aren’t bad, but those jeans are terrible. A pair more flattering to her, and she would have had a good, classic casual outfit (for once!). I think she’s trying though — that skirt with the oxfords in yesterday’s post, and then this outfit make me think she’s trying to up her casual fashion game, but she just doesn’t have much of an eye for it.
And I agree that she’s comfortable with Ben, and I think she truly loves him. That’s one of the hard things about divorce — sometimes you really care about the person still, but for whatever reason, it’s just not going to work. You have to be able to get past this feeling, and it’s powerful in pulling you back to what you’re comfortable with.
The woman uses R Zoe as a stylist – how hard would it be to get her (or one of her minions) to go through J’s closet, trash the ugly and Polaroid good outfits, down to the shoes?
Wow, Rachel needs to stage a casual clothes intervention then!
And you just reminded me, I need to watch Rachel’s new show, Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe. Her old Bravo show was one of my guilty pleasures.
he is an addict, period. he has been to rehab and his problems have crept back in. drinking. gambling. probably drugs. if he is not willing to try to combat those things 100% he is not worth taking back. “pulling back” on gambling is still feeding an his addiction and that is not a worthy compromise for the health of a family. run girl.
I choose to believe she is a fool and a doormat, and thirsty for that wife-of deal
I also choose to believe that because everything is coming up roses for Ben, his snake will see no need to go back in the trousers, he can keep taking occasional trips with his Strange of the moment and boink his troubles away
So, back to the usual…
I choose to believe I am not short of money and a bit overweight – boom rich and thin. If I would have known how easy it is, I could have spared so much time working and dieting.
I, too, choose to believe that I am 5 foot 9 inches tall and very thin. And that even though I’m 54, I look 35. I choose to believe this, so it’s true.
Gotta love the part where the source relates exactly what was said in their therapy sessions.
I know. It reminds me of all the stories where they recount what Brad, Jennifer and Angelina are all saying to each other over the phone.
I choose to believe that Joel Edgerton will magically appear in my bed tonight. We can all dream, Jen.
It just seems at this point Jen is going to look really foolish and kind of ridiculous for taking him back at this point. I do think she is image conscience to a fault, but isn’t it a little late to try and put back the happy family act at this point? And I really don’t know why Ben wants to do this either. It’s pretty clear he hated being married in the first place…..IMO Jen must be hopelessly addicted to this guy. If they do get back together I think she will just let him do whatever he wants (women, drugs, gambling) and turn a blind eye.
His public image has taken a huge hit, so I’m cynical enough to believe that the only reason he would even attempt a reconciliation is to repair that image. Given that she was willing to parade their children in front of the paparazzi like dancing monkeys for the sake of his Oscar campaign, I don’t believe she would be above being complicit in such a scheme. Even still, I hope and assume she has more self-respect than to take him back and is providing an example to her daughters by showing them that she values herself enough to demand to be treated with some dignity by her partner.
No one will think twice about his divorce with the initial messiness by next year. He and Jen put on a united front now as co-parents. He’s directing a great thriller as we speak, which he co-wrote the screenplay adapted from the book. He’s writing the next Batman movie and will direct and act in it. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is coming out next March and will be a massive hit.
Ben is a power player in the movie industry and Warner Brothers’ golden boy. He’s fine.
I’m sure you’re right, Jayna. In the end, I don’t think this divorce and the bad press hurts him in the long term, but this is the same guy who sanitized his ancestry for the sake of his public image. I think that shows that he is to a degree quite vain and deeply interested in how he is perceived.
I agree, Kate, he does care how he is perceived. Ancestorgate proved that. But Nannygate will fade. It’s already faded and no hard facts ever came out. He and Jen have been seen out enough with the kids to calm that down. I just don’t think he has to stay married to fix that. He can get divorced and put effort into being a good ex-husband, be a good father, not having a scandal while doing it (try, Ben LOL), and life moves on.
Having gone through my own marital woes and therapy, I say you CAN work stuff out and I’m hoping they can rise above our opinions on who looks like the bigger idiot to do what’s right for them. I’m rooting for them.
I agree, Pandy, and I hope for the best for them.
thank you for saying that. I am going through an attempt to work things out with my man. He is in therapy and we are in therapy. I have been watching the Jen and Ben saga very closely this summer. I don’t know if it will end up working out for us, but I know that it can if both partners want it to and there is forgiveness and patience.
I do hope/pray it works out for you. It takes 2 and if both are making it a priority, it’s a good thing.
Don’t care about them really. I am a fan of Ben the director; I could give a damn less about either of them in any other capacity.
No real sources. Just patched together stuff.
Jen said she is done, that three kids feels like way more than three, and that having a third sent her over the edge for a while. She has said she adores being a mom but you do lose part of your identity and was excited about new projects. Sam is now older.
No way is she taking on a fourth kid with Ben even if they got back together, WHICH THEY AREN’T. She had said last year they were trying to, for the first time, do short trips away from the kids. A fourth kid would take the marriage down with so little time already for them between kids and his career.
It doesn’t matter, though. They aren’t back together, and I expect to hear sometime over the next three months that they’ve settled all of the financial issues, sorted out all of his and their real estate holdings, and custody issues and it’s done.
Do I think Jen still adores Ben? Yes. I think he’s the love of her life and the father of her children. I’m sure more than anything she would love to stay married and them be in a happier place, but you can’t always fix things.
Hope those Batman residuals are worth the humiliation, Jen.
(BTW, pretty sure this was studio deal to keep the Batman franchise safe and to ensure all those mothers who will be buying their kids show tickets, Halloween costumes, toys and McBat Happy Meals that Ben’s a nice guy.)
You have to be kidding me. Christian Bale had very abusive rants on tape on a movie set. It was ugly.. He had a horrible row at a hotel with his mother and sister the night before a Batman premiere, with assault charges investigated, and it became huge rag mag fodder with lots of ugly stuff being hurled about him, estrangement, won’t speak to them now. It didn’t hurt the Batman franchise one iota with him doing three Batman movies. Were the mothers bothered? Batman has been a darker movie for years. It’s packed with adults.
Mothers aren’t going to take their kids to see Batman v. Superman because they don’t like Ben or need to assure mommies he’s a good guy? So he needs to get back with Jen. LOL That’s funny.
Ben will have been separated/divorced eight months by the time Batman comes out, with the brief nanny thing faded and Jen and Ben seeming to get along as co-parents. No one cares about a divorced Ben, even from the sweetheart Jennifer. A divorced Jennifer is never to going to give interviews and say mean stuff about him because he’s the father of her children and he’s not contesting splitting up his fortune he’s made during their marriage.
Ok,then. She’s humiliating herself for no reason at all then.
Mothers aren’t going to take their kids to see Batman v. Superman because they don’t like Ben or need to assure mommies he’s a good guy? So he needs to get back with Jen. LOL That’s funny.
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Absolutely. Your comment is gold commonsense. Thank you!
Well I for one hope they do mend fences. I never believed he slept with crazy nanny. I do believe he used her shoulder to cry on re Jen. If my husband related marital issues with an employee I would kick his butt too. Marriage is a lot of work. I decided that years ago, and have stayed single after divorce at 21.
When nanny never presented any proof of an affair, I began believing it was just overblown speculation. I think she played a game.
Like you, I think he turned to her to vent. It was still a dumb decision on his part, because that publicity hungry nanny is desperate for any crumb she can turn into a meal.
JLo is probably jubilating right now somewhere she is getting Ben back mark my words and report back to me when it happens if u do not believe me.
Stuck record.
She & Ben are the perfect couple. Had all of Ben’s b.s. not become public, Jen wouldn’t have cared one bit. She has the name, fame and photogs following her to the public market. She has it all. *barf*
Those pictures make him look like such a catch! Lmao.
Not wanting an alcoholic to drink? Wanting her husband to stop gambling compulsively? That’s what we call nagging, huh?
Yeah, right.
Excerpt from Gossip Cop below. This is directly in response to this Star story. Note that a source close to GARNER assures the story is “not true.” I don’t believe they are going to stay together. Too much damage. I do believe that she, at least, would do everything in her power to maintain a good relationship with him so her kids could have peace.
“Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are NOT “back together,” despite a new tabloid cover story. Gossip Cop can exclusively debunk the report.
“Look, there’s no doubt Affleck and Garner are making a concerted effort to work on their relationship. But they’re doing that as friends and co-parents, not as spouses who have the intention of staying married. Gossip Cop is told, once again, that the plan is still to move forward with the divorce. A source close to Garner exclusively assures us the Star story is “not true.”
What is shocking is the difference in Ben’s gut in the photos taken Sunday and those posted on DM today.
I know. I saw a photo of him filming somewhere. He’s definitely wearing a man girdle for the film.
The Daily Mail has pics of Ben on set today. There is a woman walking behind him, talking on her phone. Several comments that she looks just like the nanny. ( she does resemble her)
She is such an idiot. To each their own. But I would have walked right out that door.
If this is true she will live to regret her decision. He’s pathological and its not possible for a man in his 40s to stop cheating and gambling. She’s degrading herself for him? She needs to grow a pair and leave because the older she gets the more difficult it will be for her to find a single man.
I can’t be the only person who’s thinking this smells of Gone Girl
I can’t be the only one to think that Star would be the last to know what Jen really feels. I say this is pure speculation and make believe. 50/50 chance of being right I guess.
Just Jared has photos of Ben on set with his German Shepherd, which I thought was interesting (and nice) to see. That does make me think that he is still living separately from Jen; otherwise, seems he would have left the dog at home with the family while he’s filming. I also wonder what happened to the Goldie puppy they got over the summer – not a glimpse of him/her since Atlanta in August. Hopefully, he didn’t become another celeb casualty a la Miley Cyrus and the Kardashians, but I wouldn’t think so given their history with dogs… (Martha Stewart and such).
Three other random, pointless comments:
– I’m never one to comment on Jen’s fashion since I tend to dress the same way, but really, what is with that white shirt with the initials? It looks like part of a uniform – it’s what I wore as a waitress in college.
– Radar is claiming she’s wearing her diamond engagement ring on her middle finger. Hard to tell, but I don’t think it looks like her wedding ring.
– I think she’s had some work done. All very natural and good for her – nothing wrong with it. Just an observation.
I really think she has transitioned into the friend zone and that is all.
If that’s true, that’s a good thing, but I’m not convinced yet. Finding it hard to believe she’ll truly kick him to the curb, even if things aren’t fixable. In the months before the split announcement, reports were saying while Ben wanted out, she wanted to keep going to counseling and would stay in the damaged marriage forever if she could. That rings true to me, just from what I’ve seen of them over the years as a gossip reader (which might not be worth much!) 🙂 I hope you’re right, but I’ll believe it when I see the divorce filing! 🙂