Several of you mentioned in yesterday’s Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner post that Ben has movies coming out in the next few months, particularly Live by Night, which is a prohibition-era gangster film he’s directing and starring in, and that he stands to benefit from positive family-friendly coverage just as much as his maybe-estranged wife, Jennifer Garner. This was Lainey’s take on the paparazzi photos of the two of them going to breakfast, and she’s right of course. They’re putting out this image of a united co-parenting couple in contrast to the seemingly contentious Brangelina divorce. As Lainey put it, Batfleck’s nanny scandal of last summer seems practically quaint. So that’s why I’m wondering if there’s any truth to this In Touch story claiming that Ben told Jen he wanted to move forward with the divorce, which allegedly caused her to have a “breakdown.” *eyeroll* It looks like this story is based on some tense paparazzi photos, which you can see over at InTouch.
In Touch exclusively learned the actress had an emotional breakdown while speaking to her estranged husband, who, days before, proposed they push forward with their plans to divorce.
The heated conversation occurred just after the couple dropped their children — Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and Samuel, 4 — at school.
“Ben and Jen were talking in the car,” one witness told In Touch. “There was a lot of gesturing, and it seemed intense. Jen looked really upset, like she was crying. Ben seemed both detached and, at other times, like he was reaching out to her.”
Further, an insider revealed just days earlier Ben finally pulled the trigger on his and Jennifer’s strained 11-year marriage, and told her he is ready to end things.
“The divorce is moving forward — their business managers are hashing out their finances right now — and Ben wants to get on with his life,” the insider said. “Jen started crying when Ben told, but he’s had enough.”
For more on Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s split, pick up the latest issue of In Touch, on newsstands now!
These two have lasted so long I don’t really see them moving forward with the divorce anytime soon. They’re both dealing with the status quo, whatever that is, and it looks like they’re ok with things as is.
Meanwhile Radar has a paparazzi video of Ben they’re billing as sensational. It’s Ben smoking and shooting the sh-t with some lady. They describe it as “a bloated and bedraggled Ben Affleck having an intense conversation with a stunning redhead woman” but is that really what’s happening? It looks more like he’s just talking to someone as he’s necessarily outside to have a smoke and it doesn’t look intimate or anything like that. It’s more like he’s passing time chatting, I don’t see the big deal.
photos credit: FameFlynet and WENN.com
These two bore me… just get divorced already!
Lol seriously
My thoughts exactly! Are people realllly invested in this couple?? Geez just go through with it already!!!
Well, get on with it then.
why fight a loosing battle? He does seem (and never seamed) all that into her.
Holy Man Boobs Batman!!!!
he has some nice B-cup action going on there…………
Those moobs are so distracting
I think they are pretty bored with each other and over it, but putting the kids first.
Frankly, good god them. Say what you will, but the nanny scandal is pretty much forgotten and the kids seem well adjusted and happy. They are not together but they are co-parenting.
I’m sorry but being in an unhappy scandal filled marriage is not good for the kids. This antiquated idea that staying together for the kids is so crazy being in a toxic situation is toxic for kids and sets an unhealthy example for relationship for kids.
They posted an update and said this woman is a business associate. I do wonder if they’ll ever go through with the divorce, bet he’s back and forth between wanting to make his marriage work and wanting to be a partying bachelor half the time.
Yeah even I thought that video was completely innocent and I think he’s probably screwing anything that moves.
The stories about this two shall never end divorce or no divorce.Can’t wait for the post divorce stories.
Hello Jen? Angelina actually made a decision and she has a lot more kids than you do!
Angelina did make a decision and great for her. But at least Ben and Jen are not dragging each other through the mud. We know, or assume that Ben loves his liquor, gambling and women but Jen has not accused Ben of being an abusive ill tempered drunk to her or the kids. People have speculated for years that Ben and Jen marriage was in trouble while to the public eye Brad and AJ had the fairytale relationship. Things went south for them and they both came out swinging at each other. Ben and Jen are not throwing each other under the bus. But Brad and AJ, Holy sh-t.
I would go as far as saying that they are trying to protect their kids somewhat from the wars of what could be a nasty divorce . While AJ and Brad kids are caught in the middle of a nasty mudslinging bitter divorce. Maddox is old enough to go on the internet and read this stuff and it’s sad that he might have access to all the negativity surrounding him, his parents and siblings.
@V4Real Agree with everything you said. I always thought Jennifer was kind of manipulative with the media and the mom image, but she seems to genuinely care about protecting her kids. Not saying Angie doesn’t, just that I misjudged Jennifer.
Silence does not make the mud and ugliness go away. A broken household is broken whether is public or not. Even for people that are not megastars divorce is hard and going public with it in front of relatives and friends is hard but, if a decision is made, it must be done.
Some people like to drag a doomed marriage to protect the kids. Some people like Ben and Jen. What they are actually doing is straight up lying to their kids. They hide the resentment, the frustration between them. They may ‘protect’ their kids now all they want but when they grow up they will find out who dad and mom are. They will find out the awful truth that they are also individuals beside being parents, they’ll know that dad did the nanny and others, that their mom just accepted it all and they will know that the idea of a perfect family drilled into their brains was a lie.
If the love, peace and quiet are done, the marriage is done, everyone must accept it, including the kids. They can still have a loving mom and dad, just in a different setting, maybe one that brings more joy in their hearts.
In this particular case, it is clear that Jen made a career from her mom status, there are regular pap walks, so is it debatable how much protection she offers. And of course, Ben loves all that so his idea of protection is also questionable. A divorce would not suit them. The idea of protective parents suits them. Good marketing from these two.
Angelina, Gwen and co had the dignity and self-respect to actually file for divorce and leave their husbands. Jen, on the other hand, is still obsessed with Ben and is unable to move on with her life. Even during nannygate she was still playing happy families with him. Ridiculous.
Gwen totally trashed her ex and jumped immediately into another relationship, and that will have not been a favor to her kids in the long run.
AJ is calling out child abuse allegations, so not the same.
I like the slow transition that the Afflecks have done, with no other partners being too quickly introduced to the kids. As for them using it for PR, whatever. I think they would have done the slow transition even if it were private.
Maybe it’s dipped in gold? LOL
It’s back and forth in the tabloids because they don’t know anything and know they will get hits. They have said through reps they are not in a hurry and they clearly are working on keeping the peace and keeping the kids in the front. By the time they file and move on it will be no big deal. They really are doing this well for their kids. Much less trauma.
Of course that video/story was total BS, but the Gossip Cop posting about it was interestingly worded, saying that he is not with Garner romantically so he can do whatever he wants.
There have been a couple of these stories recently about Ben wanting to push through with the divorce and Jen being upset – from ROL and In Touch, etc. Of course they’re rags, but the story rings true to me, both that Ben probably wants to move on and she may not. As trashy as they are, these tabloids are sometimes right (In Touch broke Duggar story and ROL had early info on Ben and Jen’s split last year, etc.), so it wouldn’t surprise me. Why doesn’t Ben file first? Seems like he’s a go along to get along guy.
I do think she made the decision early after the announcement that the marriage was done and there was no going back after the nanny. She’s been managing the divorce to make a slow transition for the kids to make it less of a sudden trauma. I get that. I don’t think they live together and as for vacations and holiday together that is a trend among even ordinary people who can get along to give a better childhood to their kids. I know many families that gather with exes who have new spouses to share the kids and it’s actually very nice. I think she is handling the divorce better than he is, actually. The photos they are using for the story are the ones where she is actually laughing when you see the whole string, I believe.
According to the photo agencies, Ben still lives at the family home – that’s where they follow his car to.
@Diane – If you’re right, then I applaud Jen. I really do. But I just don’t believe it. I think she still considers Ben her husband, wants him to change and won’t pull the plug. I think the Lainey post said it all – that Jen doesn’t get enough credit for her tenacity and how she told Ben she would never leave him. I agree that getting along for the kids is great, but it doesn’t seem obvious to me that’s all she has in mind. As for the photos, I agree – the ones in the car look like she’s laughing, but the ones from a few weeks ago after karate class, she definitely seems to be crying. If you zoom in (yes, I did that! :)), you can see it pretty clearly. :/
@jojo I think you are right about her being teary a few weeks ago by that karate class – but the same day she was videotaped with Violet and a bunch of her friends getting breakfast – she was wearing glasses then and her eyes looked irritated. So it really could have been an alert thing. As for the photos last week (and they were papped almost every day together). They were totally fine – if not laughing. I don’t believe this in touch stuff. Either their still getting divorced (or not) – I think the story about him telling her last week is total manufacture.
DM just posted Jen landing at JFK in NYC today – she had been papped leaving LAX Monday. I trolled Facebook and seems that flight went to Memphis based on the post and pics of a very excited fan traveling on the flight. Does Jen have any movie projects comIng up? Charity work? Seems odd she would leave her kids for a multiple stop trip without any promoting duties etc.
@J – I think she was at a Huggies event earlier in the week, which is where all of the pickup of her parenting interview came from, and I think the NY Film Festival starts today, and Wakefield is there.
Poop or get off the pot already.
Why is she getting papped at church?
Honestly it’s hard to respect her, when she is willing to play these paparazzi games with her children to help promote his bad movies. And seriously if make a good movie, so he doesn’t have to shill out his kids and stay in a sham marriage to try and get a movie to work.
These two are just thirsty and need to decide what they want to do or not but shut up about it! But stop calling the paparazzi, stop leaking stories, stop all the games. Stay together, break up but leave the media out of it.
She could have gone after Ben a lot more than she did. She could have completely alienated him and punished him for his mistakes, and irreparably changed his relationships and access to his kids and she didn’t.
Hahaha no she couldn’t! He is her career, she is completely and utterly tied to being the perfect mommy and wife. She doesn’t get movies really anymore she isn’t in demand. He is her income, her ties to Hollywood and one thing we’ve seen from Jenn is she is an opportunistic social climber.
Ben is her meal ticket- she can’t pull and Angie and take the kids because she doesn’t have the clout or career.
Ben wants Jen to pull the plug so he can ride his usual wave of partner blaming on to his next relationship. If they divorce, it won’t be because he didn’t try to make amends. It’ll be Jen, who couldn’t give him another chance, give their family another chance. And this Jennifer isn’t going to play his game. She can and will wait him out. Let Ben finally take responsibility for his life choices.
He looks like he’s wearing a hair cap.
I think this in touch story is not relevant. Some intern made it up based on some perceived tense photos from last week that if you looked at the full set you would see they were laughing and smiling with each other.
The rol story was hilarious- why did they have to go to gossip cop about at all – he is “divorcing” his wife – he can be with whomever. Why does Ben’s team need to even dispute it?
As far as them divorcing – they say they are – so until they say they are not – lets just all believe them. Though I do think that their co parenting goes way beyond- I think they may have some sort of arrangement- ie when we are in town together we are together- and when we are not – do whatever.
Who said that Ben’s team disputed it to Gossip Cop? When I read the GC thing I didn’t see any mention of a rep or an exclusive inside source. It seems that someone over there recognized the woman and they created an article about it. They didn’t provide any inside info. It’s all for clicks… (like this site and its daily reports on these two, despite nothing being new).
They both look terrible here.
Let’s see once Ben has a new significant other. The daddy duty will be the least priority since he will be so in love and too busy with his new woman. He could move out of state too. If this happens, the kids life will be disrupted since they will have to go visit daddy every other weekend.
Garner: cookie baking mom…speaking of quaint.
jennifer garner cares more about being married than the emotional well-being of her kids. she thinks being married = happier children. that isn’t the case, at all.
that basically sums up the whole situation.
I feel sorry for her daughters….they’re going to grow up with such man issues.
I just want him to get back with J Lo. That is all. Garner is a doormat.
Ben and J Lo made the perfect couple.
Yea it was so romantic the way he had sex with vancouver strippers and left her at the alter. I remember cringing at the public humiliation he put jlo through. I thought he was complete damaged goods at the end of that affair but thought he had a chance at redemption with garner –I figured if she (who had a much better reputation as a person & performer than he at the time -you youngish ones are at a disadvantage since you don’t have any gossip history knowledge cough cough k) could stand to be with him he might really not be THAT bad well I was wrong he’s toxic