Jennifer Garner visits Ben Affleck in Hawaii: ‘The kids love when they spend time together’

A perfect morning hike with my buddy @bodybysimone. #Aloha and #mahalo!

A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner) on


Jennifer Garner and her trainer, Simone De La Rue, were in Hawaii for Easter along with Garner’s three kids and I would presume a nanny We know this because Garner instagrammed a photo of a hike she took in Hawaii with Simone, that’s above. (Sidenote: I do Simone’s workouts on Youtube, they’re challenging and fun. It must cost a fortune to have her go on location like this, but maybe the studio is paying. Garner is training for an action film.)

Ben Affleck is in Hawaii shooting that movie, Triple Frontier, where the press discovered that his giant back tattoo is real and that he lied. It’s ok though, because he has thick skin and can handle the press without censoring them like he’s done in the past. That scenario sounds so familiar.

Anyway instead of having the paparazzi capture photos of her on a walk and then having a source tell People that she’s in great spirits, Garner is posting to Instagram and telling us in a roundabout way herself. A “source” did tell People that “Garner is staying at a resort while Affleck is staying at a nearby house” and that the children are “spending time with their father.”

I was just about to give Garner props for using social media to control the narrative instead of the usual happy family “sourced” stories on People. Then People published this story all about their trip to a marine park called Sea Life. (Sea Life is not without controversy as they have wild marine mammals in captivity and follow some of the practices shown in the documentary Blackfish.) Here’s what a “source” told People.

“They made a family trip to interact with dolphins, sea lions and stingrays,” a source tells PEOPLE. “They spent several hours at the park and looked like they had the best time. The kids were all very interested in learning about the animals. They all seem like huge dolphin fans…

“Jen seemed excited about the trip. She hasn’t been to Hawaii for a while and always loved it,” adds the source.

“The kids love when they all spend time together,” says the second source. “As long as Ben keeps working on himself, Jen is happy. She will continue to support him because it benefits the kids.”

[From People]

Rinse and repeat. E! also ran a story titled Why Fans Just Can’t Give Up on Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Romance. Yes it’s the “fans,” it’s not the years of back and forth and sourced stories in the media. There are, of course, new sourced quotes in that E! article but you can read them at the source. They’re not much different from the quotes in People so I’ll spare you. So who is behind this? Garner has criticized People for running a fake cover story about her, but these quotes are phrased like they’re from her perspective.

Also, of course there are pap pics of Garner and Affleck in Hawaii. They’re exclusives and I haven’t seen them published anywhere yet, but when they’re up I’ll post a link.

Also, Garner posted this tribute to a chicken that died. I get it, my aunts have chickens and they’ve taken them to the vet. They would never eat them.

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These are photos you’ve already seen from March. Credit: Backgrid, WENN, Pacific Coast News

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46 Responses to “Jennifer Garner visits Ben Affleck in Hawaii: ‘The kids love when they spend time together’”

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  1. Rapunzel says:

    I still say she wants him back.

    • Krill says:

      Who knows what she wants. Addicts create dysfunction in everyone around them.

      That said, Iit seems clear that she has full custody of the children. This would explain why she goes where they go, even to Hawaii. She monitors the visits, probably ensuring sobriety before any handover. He worries about the zero custody story getting out, which is why his time with them must be documented by paps, even in Hawaii. This would also explain why he debuts a girlfriend a year ago but never finalises the divorce. Too risky that the custody issues will leak in the scramble for divorce settlement news. It also explains his living near or in the same compound as the kids. God knows Jen would never allow them in his bachelor pad unsupervised – rightly so.

      Of course all of this is heightened any time he has negative press. He is now in overdrive to prove how he is not sadfleck.

      • Lela says:

        I give her more leeway because I can only imagine the amount of lying, skeaming, emotional manipulation and mental trauma an addict like Ben inflicted on her over a decade. I wholeheartedly think it’s a form of emotional abuse and it probably takes years of therapy to get over and detach from something like this. The fact that they have kids makes it harder to make a full clean break, so I feel sad for her really, she doesn’t seem like a bad person but maybe he broke her self esteem down so much that she’s having a tough time getting back up.

      • BostonStrong says:

        @Krill…this is exactly what I have been saying! She has full custody of the kids, and he has supervised visits. Personally, I think this is a great idea. I wouldn’t to just drop my children off with my ex, who has been known to have been in and out of rehab. I agree with everything you said!

      • a says:

        They filed for joint physical custody right after he got out of rehab. In practice, she does more of the child-rearing, as she always did even when they were still a couple. The children have been photographed being collected or dropped off at Ben’s rental house on multiple occasions so he does get time alone with them.

      • yara says:

        It is actually possible to finalize a divorce before the financials and custody have been figured out. I think Jen is still clinging to him and hanging time with the kids over him. I think that she is the one holding up the divorce. His living at the family home is just more proof. There is literally no good reason for that no matter how her fans desperately try to spin it. I think Jen is playing Simon Says and that there are young kids involved and being used as pawns is really sick. Move on, lady.

    • whatWHAT? says:

      I don’t think she really does, but I DO think that she wants HIM to want HER back.

      or at least I think that’s the narrative she wants out there, that HE WANTS HER BACK but she’s moved on.

  2. KBB says:

    I wonder what happened to the chicken. They usually live like 10 years, right? Or a little under?

    • JoJo says:

      She wrote an IG reply to someone that they had an autopsy done (!) and it had liver cancer …

    • jwoolman says:

      What a beautiful chicken. So sad that her time on this planet was so short. Being a city child, I didn’t realize they grew so quickly.

      For some reason unknown to me (who has never actually met one in person), chickens do make good pets. It’s especially not uncommon for them to be pets in places where people don’t really have the options or money for other types of pets but have chickens around anyway.

  3. lucy2 says:

    Best chicken name ever.

    As long as the kids understand that their parents aren’t getting back together, I think it’s good if they can all spend time together, bring them to visit, etc. The kids are young, they’re going to be involved in each others lives for a long time still, best to get along.

    • Tulip Garden says:

      Agree about Regina George and the co-parenting these two are doing. I give Garner credit for dealing with everything that she has with Ben and resisting the urge to drag him through the mud publically. That takes a lot and I’d like to think I would be that rational for the kids but, woah, that is a really tall order.
      I think she must be In a much healthier headspace since they separated. I imagine even she didn’t realize the Anxiety levels that had become the norm for her because of Ben. It must be easier to Like someone or even feel Pitt for them when you can go to your home, life, job, friends, family and interact as much poor as little as you’re current mood dictates. I’m happy for her.

  4. lisa says:

    if i already didnt like her, the trip to the dolphin prison would seal the deal

  5. JoJo says:

    THANK YOU, CB for mentioning the Sea Life marine park. I will never support these types of parks again, and honestly, it’s kind of disappointing to see both Garner and Affleck supporting it for “entertainment.” Massive, intelligent mammals living in bathtubs. Sickening.

    My guess is that she made sure to capture an IG photo of her and Simone to avoid the perception that she’s now in Hawaii “with Ben” taking the leftovers on the heels of Lindsay’s visit. And at this point, after 3+ years, I hope that’s actually true.

    I do think she’s already done filming Peppermint though? (But I think she still trains with Simone.)

  6. Kristen says:

    Ugh. These two. I’m 35 and I still wish my divorced parents would get back together. My dad put my mom through hell, and I still hold out hope she’ll reconcile. Divorce is so tough on kids.

    • LT says:

      Exactly. My ex is engaged and although my kids seem to have adjusted well to the divorce, his engagement blew their fantasy that we would reconcile. While I agree that co-parenting is best for the kids, fueling their fantasies that their parents will reunite is NOT good for them. Better for all of the parents move on and demonstrate that to the children.

  7. Iknowwhatboyslike says:

    At times, I think she is a doormat and is just placating to Ben’s needs so that in time he will want her back. But then sometimes I look at her and see a woman who is happy to be free, yet still just trying to make her kids okay. They have a mess of a father and she probably cannot deal with the kids spending a lot of alone time with him, so she went on the trip to make sure things go seamlessly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jen is at a place where she looks at Ben as a brother or a good friend. Someone she cares deeply about and want to help get him better for the sake of their kids. She doesn’t have the anxious look of someone who is trying to make a better husband out of Ben Affleck. I think once their romantic relationship ended, she was able to just be there for him in a way that doesn’t give her the anxiety of being his wife.

  8. Jenfan says:

    There are a couple of pics up on Instagram from their trip to sea life. 1 from behind the bushes where they just look like a family having a great time with a sea lion. Another posted by sea life,of Ben and Jen and what I assume is a Sea Life employee. Interesting, just because I don’t think I have seen them pose for any pic in the same frame since the 2015 split. (Not including pics with their kids, or shots taken by paparazzi).

  9. Natalie S says:

    This is a palatable way to criticize Ben -as an immature douche surrounded by people who believe in him and three cute children. Not the guy associated with Harvey Weinstein or the guy who gropes women.

    My theory is all this is pr to direct how Ben’s being covered in the press.

  10. Jayna says:

    It sounds like she’s off doing her thing while there. He had his girlfriend up there last week. To me, it seems like she is finally over him. While they might do some things as a family, it doesn’t sound like her trip there will be total togetherness like two years ago.

    I’m happy for the kids, actually. It’s the same way I feel about Liev and Naomi, who do things together with the kids, but aren’t together anymore as a couple.

    • mela says:

      I think she may be finally moving on whether she is being forced to or not. Bringing her friend was a good first baby step. In the instagram pics of her at Sea Life center with Ben, her body language says a lot – very closed off, she is clasping her hands in the front of her body and seems stiff around him especially in her shoulders. She doesn’t lean in towards him at all.

      I’d imagine after everything, and even him bringing Lindsay out to hawaii right before she flew out…I would just think there would have to be some real resentment on her part after everything he has done to her. I think it’s starting to show. And she should be mad, might be the first step in moving on.

      But then all of this is negated by the fact he sleeps at her house? If she truly couldn’t stand him (which who could stand their ex if they did what Ben did and continues to do), why does she allow him to live with her? If she is truly moving on and over him, this is not going to last much longer.

  11. Monica says:

    Nice to see they are amicable for their childrens sake.

    • mannori says:

      I’ve read that quickly as ” amicable for the chicken’s sake” and I almost, *almost* thought that it actually makes a lot of sense in the context of the mess these two f*cks live and have created around them…

  12. Mela says:

    I dont think Ben is as much of a mess anymore as he use to be.

    I still think she uses the kids as a way to stay close to and spend time with Ben. Maybe she is backing off a little by bringing a friend to hawaii or maybe that instagram post was meant to let LindsAy know she has arrived in hawaii and to rub it in lindsays face..

    How confusing for the children? Daddy has a girlfriend but still sleeps over a few nights a month..I would think it would give them false hope.

    In a way, nothing has changed for Ben and Jen besides he is public with shookus and they filed some divorce papers. He still Lives with Jen, she still does every holiday with him and follows him around. This seems to be the way they were when they were married too. Divorce didnt seem to change their relationship functionally at all..so weird..

  13. OriginalLala says:

    ugh, i really wish people would stop attending these animal prisons (zoos, sea world, sea life, rodeos etc) with their children! – way to teach your kids that animals should be used for our entertainment and that their lives are only worthy if we can make a buck off of their misery.

    There are so many animal sanctuaries you can bring your kids to so they can interact with animals in a respectful way and learn about animal welfare.

  14. ScotiaGirl says:

    100% agree with everything Krill said. Jen took the kids to visit Ben – she did not go there to visit Ben. She will do outings as a family – for the kids sake, not for any hopes of hanging on to Ben. She is past him but she will ALWAYS be tied to him for three reasons named Violet, Sera and Sam. She will sacrifice alot for her kids to make them happy and well adjusted and also to PROTECT them.

  15. Jenfan says:

    US mag is claiming Jen is actually dating someone in LA. Hope it’s true.

    • Z says:

      Not a chance of that.

    • JoJo says:

      US Mag. The now-sister outlet of Radar and National Enquirer. The same outlet that claimed a week ago in a cover story that they were on the verge of reuniting is now claiming Jen is dating someone. LOL.

      Meanwhile, good ol’ Stefan over at the DM is claiming that 1) Jen is wearing Ben’s hat on her hike in Hawaii, and 2) Lindsay didn’t actually stay with Ben in Hawaii. And that Jen is actually staying with Ben in the same rental, even though the media is claiming she’s staying separately. He also claims that Ben was just so naturally happy and smiling with Jen and the kids in Hawaii, unlike the “staged and fake smiles” with Lindsay.

      • mela says:

        WHAT THE?!

        I knew she posted that selfie for a reason and to send a message to Shookus that SHE is there with Ben now…Now we find out that she was wearing Bens hat (according to Stefan)…what a messy love triangle.

        None of this makes sense.

        I do find it super hard to believe that Lindsay flew out there to Hawaii from NYC and didn’t stay with her long term boyfriend?! Would they really stay in a resort when he already has a condo?

        Also, there is also intel that Jen rented a home according to a travel agent. Maybe Ben is staying at the rental home that Jen paid for. Do you think they still sleep in the same bed when they stay over night with each other?

        The mess isn’t over yet.

      • AAA says:

        I’ve suspected that Stefan is a troll looking for attention for awhile now and I think he/she has outed themselves. Those claims are ludicrous. This person sounds like one of those Garner loonies/stalkers who thinks that the relationship with Shookus is fake and that Ben/Jen are secretly together. Next.

      • mela says:

        Honestly, I don’t know what to believe. Jennifer Garner has been such an epic doormat historically and Ben has gotten away with such epic bad behavior that I actually might believe what Stefan says!

        I think Stefan is a pap and can piece things together based on his pap network.

        And shookus is not hot enough to be the girlfriend in a staged-fake Hollywood romance. She is a bit homely in my opinion so I believe its a real relationship. If it was fake, they would have picked some stereotypical pretty actress to play the part.

      • Jenfan says:

        I still think Stefan is a paparazzo or deeply connected to one. The stuff he claims to know would be from someone who watches them from afar, but also has a network. Most of the stuff he has said in the past has come out as true. Or he posted Jen was in HI before it became public. As far as the hat, that would be something he would know based on past pics or watching him come and go. I don’t think the hat is a big deal. I think he is with Lindsey 100%, I think there are just sobriety issues.

      • mela says:

        Yeah I agree with Jenfan, i think the relationship with SHookus is long term and real.

        I don’t understand why Jen is wearing his hat, subtle things like that are a give away that Jen and him are still very close. I would be furious if I was ben’s girlfriend and the estranged/soon to be ex wife was wearing his clothes. What gives?

      • Z says:

        @mela You sound weirdly furious and unhinged anyway. Breathe. It’s not life or death. Your posts are actually NUTS. What’s wrong with you?

        Paps can’t lie? The more he/she embellishes, the higher the demand for pics, the more he/she will get paid. I think someone is trying to get all the old Bennifer 2.0 fans riled up with nonsense. Based on “mela’s” posts, looks like it worked.

      • mela says:

        LOL at Z i love this saga and chatting with the other commenters that are interested in it so leave me alone

        also loved the Brange love triangle, and the Leann Rimes/Brandi Glanville triangle. Every few years a good love triangle comes around and i think this is one of them!

        i am very sarcastic loud and sassy in tone in real life so i don’t know why you interpret it as anger and i don’t take any of this seriously. i love the gossip

        and you sound weird for commenting that someone is weird for commenting on a gossip website LOL

        bennifer 2.0 fans? what is that? i guess you are involved deeper into this saga than ME LOL

        now lets play nice and back to the saga!

  16. Dissa says:

    Having been involved with an addict for 13yrs, nine years ago … one may find that Jen wants ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with men for a very long time, if ever again.

    She has her children and a good career. That can be fulfilling in itself. No one says that women NEED a partner. Maybe when the children are older, she may find that she wants to seek companionship .. but for now, her kids are the focus and rightly so.

    Hoping the dolphin excursion was a teachable moment about animals in captivity.

  17. Jenfan says:

    CB said there were pics of Ben and Jen but they were exclusive and she would link to them when she saw they were published. Yet those pics have not been widely published. I think ET and US mag has 1 pic ( and it is a horrible pic). Also one pic on Instagram. So here is a question to all you or experts : what does it mean when photos are on exclusive but not published?

  18. amelia says:

    The Stefan thing is dumb. Tabloids and pap agencies don’t protect celebs like this. They have made mega bucks on the will-they-won’t-they story. Ben actually moving back in. Ben actually staying with Jen at her Hawaii rental. It all sounds like a reconciliation to the casual person which means big $$ and clicks for tabloid sites and many stories to come. There is no reason to bury any of these things, let alone any incriminating pics (like Ben coming/going from the family home every day, or moving van stuff, or Lindsay leaving her own hotel instead of Ben’s place, etc). Stefan also insinuates that the Shookus thing isn’t real. Uh, it has to be because no one benefits. Ben looks like a jerk, Shookus looks like a jerk, and Garner looks pathetic for continuing to bend over backwards for him. There is literally no reason to fake it. Maybe Stefan is a pap who is trying to, as another poster mentioned, rile up the old fans with some fake news. Maybe it’s a total troll who has access to pap pics and tries to portray himself as a person who has inside info. The last post I read of his (maybe last week) he was claiming that he had lived near the Affleck-Garner home for years (that’s TOTAL bs, lol). It’s just lies.

  19. Carolnr says:

    I think that Ben & Jen did stay together with their children. We have seen pics where Samuel has been upset & both Ben & Jen have had to console him. I can’t imagine IMO that Samuel or maybe even Serapina wanted them to be separated as a family. I think that it was probably like a slumber party with mom& dad.
    As far as Stefan , it is kind of interesting that he stated that Ben & Jen stayed together not in separate living arrangements and that Jen was wearing Ben’s hat. Then a 2nd article came out stating that Jen went to Hawaii just for the kids and DM published a seperate article just on Jen’s hike, which was already mentioned in a DM article.
    This is not the 1st time, either that Jen has worn Ben’s clothing. TMZ had video of Ben literally taking off his sweater and throwing it to Jen.
    I am wondering if Stefan really does know Jen & Ben I some capacity. He reported that Ben was in Hawaii filming Triple Frontier & also that Jen flew there with their children. He reported Ben was in rehab both times & it came out. Who knows but it sure is entertaining!

  20. Samantha says:

    Oh, she is so boring. And even more boring, she coutinues to walk behind Ben Affek.
    Does she have any pride ?
    No, I do not think so…..

    • JoJo says:

      Now this guy Stefan is saying they also had a great/fun party on the beach together but that these pictures won’t be published because they don’t tell the story they (Ben/Jen) want people to see. He says he has gotten surprising lessons about how the media really works. I don’t get what he’s saying. Blah.

      • Jenfan says:

        I don’t really understand what he is saying either. But, I think the gist of it is, that things aren’t always the way they appear. My better question is – why would they take their family to a public beach – knowing there will be photographs- – only to have to pay not to get them published. Go to a private beach.

  21. Jenfan says:

    As far as the hat (and I don’t think this is a big deal), there are pics online of Ben wearing that same “Big Sky” hat at LAX, I just found them – but I would have to say that was the winter of 2016 or 17. So maybe it’s his hat or maybe she recently bought one just like it – it really does not matter.

    • a says:

      They have property there so both coould have bought the hay. I agree there’s no significance. He’s serious about Shookus and Jen’s body language and facial expessions have completely changed around him.