I knew we would get a ton of follow-up stories about what went wrong in Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas’ now-over relationship, because we always get a ton of stories about Ben Affleck’s relationships. Remember the constant will they or won’t they when Ben and Jennifer Garner were breaking up and reconciling “for their kids?” It was the same with Ben and Lindsay Shookus, who got papped together in both LA and NY despite the fact that Ben swears he doesn’t do “pap walks.” Ben always wants to control the narrative but he doesn’t want to be famous, remember? These stories are absolutely coming from Ben’s PR people as they’re following the exactly playbook he always uses – leak similar-sounding sourced stories with slightly different wording, then add more detail in some outlets. It’s ridiculous and predictable. Here are most of the quotes I’ve found, although I’m sure there are more.
“Ben really wanted their relationship to work,” the source tells PEOPLE. “Ana has a great energy. Ben was always very happy when Ana was around. She likes to stay healthy and inspired Ben to keep staying healthy too.”
However, the pair’s relationship “was very complicated,” the source notes. “Ana is young and adventurous,” adds the source. “When she is not working, she wants to travel. She doesn’t want to settle down in Los Angeles. Ben needs to live in L.A. since his kids do.”
While Affleck “has been upset about the split,” the source says that [Ben] “is committed to focus on the happy things in his life.” – From People
Affleck, 48, and de Armas, 32, decided to go their separate ways and a source tells PEOPLE the split happened over the phone.
“They have had numerous discussions about their future and they decided together to break up,” another source tells PEOPLE. – From People
Page Six confirmed the split on Monday, with a source telling us the pair — who were together for almost a year — were in “different places” in their lives. Another source has further elaborated that the breakup came down to children. “He would not commit to having more kids,” said the insider. “She is in her 30s. It was a deal-breaker.”
Affleck, 48, has three children — Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and 8-year-old Samuel — with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. De Armas, 32, does not have children.
Another source close to the couple explains, “Ben is not in a place to start a new family. Both he and Ana have three jobs lined up. His family has, and will continue, to be his focus.”
While we’re told the decision to split was mutual, pals think that the pair may not be done for good. “They could get back together,” said a source. “They are in love. People who know them believe it’s temporary.” – From Page Six
A source tells ET, “Ben and Ana have split up and Ben is single. They had little arguments and bickered like any couple but ultimately the relationship just wasn’t working in the way they both wanted it to anymore. This was a mutual decision.”
“They both have a lot of love and respect for each other, but it was time for them to move on,” the source continued. “At the end of the day he chose to be the dad he continues to want to be. Unfortunately they are in different places in their lives.” – From ET Online
“Both of them have completely full lives in a good way,” a source told E! News on Jan. 18. “There will always be that love.” – From E!
[From two stories on People, Page Six, ET Online and E!]
So the first news we heard was that it was Ana’s idea, but now it’s mutual and they might get back together. I do believe that they might get back together, but I believe the first story that it was Ana’s idea, technically. As I said yesterday Ben doesn’t break up with women, he sabotages relationships until they break up with him. For someone who hates being famous Ben really makes sure the different celebrity outlets have sourced quotes. This could have been solved with one leak to People Magazine with his side of the story. That’s what most celebrities do and those celebrities don’t do that on one hand and then bitch, for years, that they’re being talked about.
I don’t care about either of these people but it will be fun to watch them promote Deep Water in August. For all you can say about Ben though he does try to remain friendly with his exes. Narcissists usually do.
Oh and Ana de Armas’ new pageboy haircut is really cute. It suits her.
Photos credit: Backgrid and via YouTube
Ahhh! I want that haircut! In fact I want some, ANY haircut, I know it’s #firstworldproblems, but thanks to the virus I couldn’t get my hair cut since August and I look like a mess.
That haircut takes me back to the early 90’s where I went from a bob with a fringe, to growing out the fringe, to getting a pixie cut, to growing that out and back into a bob. I must have done that 2 or 3 times over 5/6 years.
I understand the wanting a haircut. Just before we moved from Scotland to rural France in November, I had my hair cut & dyed but I didnt get enough cut off. So now im roaming around rural France with scraggly hair and roots about 1 1/2 inches long. Thing is the hairdressers here are open (for now!) but I cant speak enough French to convey exactly what I want done & am too scared to just go in and wing it … argh!
Download (or cut out some mag. pics) of cuts you like, and the color you want. Go into Google Translate and write out what you want, print it all out and take it with you. 😊
are you me? I am also stuck in rural France afraid of the locals hissing at me for being an outsider. I suggest you go to Paris where they arent nearly as hostile. seriously, went to get my hair cut and brought pictures and the entire time she was so freaked out by me being foreign lol. its been a mess, they are not a welcoming inclusive bunch down south.
I was starting to need a haircut when the lockdowns started. I held out for a long time, but about a month ago I finally just cut it myself (hair places may be open now, but I’m not going to one until this pandemic is much more under control). My self-cut is really bad, not close to being even or any type of style and I love it! I should have done it months earlier. I feel so much lighter since cutting it.
I got a hair cut in January of 2020. Was overdue when things went into lockdown. I begged my husband to cut my hair- he was so scared he would mess it up and I was like I just need it gone!- he cut off about 5 inches and it’s the best.
Oh I’ve been cutting my bangs for years now, but I have really weird whorls in the back of my head, loads of hairdressers have messed them up too, so I don’t dare touching them 😅
It’s very cute on her. I appreciated their pap walks etc. as a diversion from the hellscape of 2020.
The first comment about staying healthy reeks of codependency, and once again putting the burden of his issues on the woman in his life.
Nothing healthier than smoking!
Lol. I was thinking that he must smell like an ashtray. I like Ana, I think she deserves a relationship with less baggage.
I’m not shocked she ended things with him. I’m not shocked he doesn’t want any more kids. I’m not shocked she wasn’t ready to settle in LA and be a stepmom. Nothing shocking here at all. And honestly, both of them rub me the wrong way.
She is beautiful though, and that haircut looks fantastic on her.
” Both of them have completely full lives in a good way.” Barf.
So, is he kissing her with his mask on? If I were her, that would have been the nail in the coffin right there. You can’t fix stupid.
That haircut looks a bit too Lolita to me. I love it on little girls 4-7 years old though. Good thing they split because it was always jarring how much she looked like one of his kids when they were doing their strolls. And “For someone who hates being famous Ben really makes sure the different celebrity outlets have sourced quotes. “ This! He makes it go on and on. Just step away from the press Ben and people won’t be all up in your business.
I thought she just moved in? Maybe she discovered he leaves toenail clippings laying on the coffee table.
He strikes me as having severe codependency issues, particularly when it comes to his addiction state. You get the sense his partners have to carry the emotional load for him most of the time. I remember thinking de Armas was kind of an idiot for hooking up with him for exactly that reason because his pattern of behavior with women is pretty well documented in media, but I guess some people have to find out the hard way. Guess she enjoyed that PR boost, at least.
@Veronica S. … I may be off the mark, but I think that Ben may be a sex addict as well.
She’s so beautiful, but this relationship made her look so thirsty. She was on such a high before this too, I’m not sure where she’ll go from here.
1. I wholeheartedly agree on. personal level.
2. But on a professional level…this relationship made her exponentially more famous to the general public. And it’s not like she’s being marketed as the new Meryl Streep! It was a prettty good move from a strategic perspective. (Well, for her.)
Way to lose 200 pounds of dead weight, Ana!
She’ll be fine. You’re so dramatic. One bad relationship isn’t going to kill her career.
She looks thirsty because she is, but this is the kind of behavior that will make her a people mag darling, so I don’t think her career will hurt too badly. Plus thin, white* pretty women can get away with being messy in a way more talented actresses cannot, so there’s that.
*I say White because she’s of European descent, more accurately she would fit ‘Caucasian-Hispanic’.
I had a feeling the kids thing was going to be a dealbreaker from the get go. He is pushing 50 and has three kids already and she is in her early 30s and is thinking about a family. He doesn’t seem like he is in a place to commit to bringing more humans into this world. She is thirsty but seems like a nice person (and she seemed to genuinely care about his kids). I hope she finds a better match who wants a family with her.
Josh Duhamel reportedly only wants to date young women because he wants more kids (he had one boy with Fergie). There you go Ana!
I believe he has publicly said he still wants kids… I may be completely wrong.
My bet is he marries the next serious one and has kids with her. So, it’ll be like a smack in the face to Ana. ==>> Oh did I say I didn’t want kids? I just meant I don’t want kids with you.
I’ve heard that story time and time again. Sad really. Ana just needs to find someone who does want to have kids with her. I’m sure she won’t have a problem with that.
Well I hope he doesn’t. Maybe he did the smart thing and got snipped.
Actually, I don’t think it’s that. I feel like guys who are always on the fence, then quickly move on and have kids right away, are in for a rude awakening. It’s hard to raise kids. No matter how perfect you think someone is or how much you idealize your relationship… kids can put a strain on even the closest couple. I feel like guys his age just get caught up in a grass is greener feedback loop when it comes to marriage and kids. I rarely see men 35+ who are career bachelors with lots of issues or baggage, quietly settle down and stay happily married with kids… It seems it almost never works out that way :/ hate to say it. Not that it can’t happen, I just think if guys are perpetually single or have a lot of fast moving relationships in their 40s and 50s… there’s a reason why.
Like he takes care of the ones he has now…
Wait, is he kissing her THROUGH A MASK??? Gross.
How stupid right? Yes kiss his mask so you can catch whatever is on the outside of it.
Did anyone see the pics of Ben’s gardeners throwing away that cardboard cutout Ben’s kids put on the lawn of Ana months ago? It was hilarious !
It was Casey Affleck throwing out the cardboard cutout…not a gardener. That makes it even worse.
I don’t think it was Casey? The newspaper that reported that retracted it. Turns out it was a gardener.
Those photos are glorious. It is not Casey, that was a Twitter joke that took on a life of its own. Which makes it even funnier. We all knew that cardboard cutout was gonna backfire when they eventually flamed out, but didn’t know it was going to be this good. Petty and juvenile have peaked.
I really do not care but wanted to say her new haircut is super cute.
Humphrey Bogart: “We’ll always have Paris.”
Paparazzi: ” They’ll always have pap walks.”
Everyone was like, “Noooo Ana!!” when they first started dating so I’m glad she only wasted a year with him. Plus I know very few if any young women who are content being just a stepmother for life.
Feh…when I saw the pix of the cutout of Ana being dumped at the trash and then the quote/article directly from Ben (thats how it read) about how much he cared for her felt like damage control.
They are not going to get back together. I’m sure he misses the psychic crutch she provided him and he may feel restless and panicked right now, but that is the extent of it.
People says that they are still friends and talking regularly, sounds to me like they are leaving the door open to get back together and we’ll hear all about it.
Woo boy, would you get back with a guy that literally threw you in the trash when word got out that you broke up? I agree with Lilly that “we’re still friends that talk regularly” is Ben (or his people) doing damage control.
I find it hard to believe they had any friendship base to fall back on. And I find that even harder to believe after he threw a cutout of her in the trash and made sure to call the paps so they could document it. He’s done. I’ve read she apparently has a temper and I can’t think she’d react well to something that blatant. She’d look like an absolute fool to get back with someone who did that. It was damage control because people were calling him out for being beyond juvenile and petty.
@Lizzie, I did not know Ana had a temper, but we now have the 2 + 2 to make 4: Ben essentially forced a breakup which Ana probably didn’t want but he was giving her nothing to work with; then after a breakup in which she’s probably telling him she misses him or there’s that affectionate regret, she sees that cutout being dumped in the trash. She then curses him out and turns ice cold and the dynamic changes: Ben needed to be affectionately missed and pined for. So now he’s backpedaling to the tabloids to get her sweet on him again.
It won’t work.
But there you have it.
Would I get back together with a guy that does something like that? No.
But Ana might. She LOVED the pap walks, and so did Ben. She won’t be getting much attention on her own or another high profile boyfriend. She’ll consider getting back together. So will Ben. And if only to promote their movie and then they’ll break up again.
She should just move on. Find someone closer in age who wants to have kids with her if that’s what she wants. She should just enjoy her career while it’s hot and focus on the work for now.
E! News posted an article this afternoon. I found these parts interesting:
— A source told E! News on Wednesday, Jan. 20, that the two started having relationship problems last fall. “They took time apart, but found a way to get back together,” the source said. “After spending the [December] holidays apart they both agreed that moving on was for the best.”–
They’ve already been off and on and off who knows how many times. All while they were pumping out articles about how great things were with them, eye roll. And this:
— “The quarantine period was unique because they had down time and really got to know each other spending time at home. Once things started opening back up and work picked up, things started to change. Ana decided she doesn’t want to live in L.A. She didn’t want to be tied down. Their lifestyles are very different and they are in different places. “Ben has been seeing the kids and doing all of the same stuff they have always done,” the insider said, “That chapter has closed and now they are all moving ahead to the next one.” —
Sounds like they were only involved with each other because they had nothing else to do. This one seems to squash previous stories hinting there’s a even a slight chance of them getting back together.
Wow, someone needs a hobby.