Ben Affleck regrows scruff, gets back in shape: hot or better with a beard?

Ben Affleck Takes Daughter To Church
Last week we saw a freshly-shaven Ben Affleck looking baby-faced and a little carb-faced without his beard. Pics are here. Yesterday Affleck was spotted going to church with his older daughter, Violet, with a little scruff and looking in Batman shape. Two weeks ago Ben went to church with Jennifer Garner and all of their kids but this week she either begged off or is out of town.

How does Ben lose weight so quickly? He must stick to his diet and bust his butt at the gym. Seeing Ben go up and down in weight seemingly on a weekly basis makes me think he’s boozing and then cutting it out. I’m convinced that’s what’s going on with him.He looks great now and the difference is notable. To me he still looks better with a beard but he’s improving. I like a guy with some facial hair.

There are some new insider quotes about Ben which seem to have originated in Grazia magazine. They claim Ben was eating a lot of junk food and relying on his mom to help him through the emotional pain of his split. Here’s the quote:

“Ben’s mum Christine is in full control of everything right now as he picks up the pieces from his broken marriage. Chris’ boys, Casey and Ben, have always been the apple of her eye, ever since her husband left her. Ben’s always been close to his mum, but he seems to have taken it to a whole new level since the split.”

“Ben’s in a pretty bad way. He’s not really taking care of himself, he’s not shaving, hardly washing and eating a lot of junk food and his mum can’t bear to see him like this. She convinced him to stay in their family home so she could nurse him back to health. Now she’s really pushing for him to move in full-time once he starts filming.”

[From Grazia via International Times]

Those quotes seem to be based on the paparazzi photos of Ben and unlike a lot of other quotes we’ve heard lately they seem fake. I doubt Ben was hurting that badly. However, this does ring true for how he was looking at the time. Plus legitimate quotes a few weeks ago mentioned that Ben was “leaning” on his mom. It seems like Ben took control of whatever was going on with him and is back in fighting shape. He’s a Homer Simpson-esque superhero in that his weight seems to go up and down overnight.

Ben Affleck Takes Daughter To Church

On 10-11-15:
Ben Affleck Visits The Farmer's Market With His Kids

Ben Affleck Takes Daughter To Church

Photo credit: FameFlynet

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106 Responses to “Ben Affleck regrows scruff, gets back in shape: hot or better with a beard?”

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  1. Nev says:

    Not hot.

    • MoxyLady007 says:

      I think he looks super awful. And dear god, please don’t let that be batman shape. He’s in like Leonardo Dicaprio shape. Not good.

      • Rachel says:

        His trainer needs to work on his pecs. Even when he’s “in shape” he has moobs.

      • Viv says:

        Leo does not have boobs like Ben, neither does he deserve criticism for his normal body because he doesn’t try to flaunt himself as ‘hot’. Nor does he wear ill fitting clothes.

      • CooCoo Catchoo says:

        I am taking a wee bit of pleasure seeing Ben look so… tired and… middle-aged. He looks like he needs an island vacation and a 12-hour nap. And when did he get so grey and jowly?

        I think that Ben should have stayed single and childless. Even if he gambled his fortune away and ended up fat and alone,I think that he would have been happier than he ever was being a married dad. I have no doubt that he loves his kids (in a passive-aggressive I never really wanted you way) and absolutely, his career and health wouldn’t be as good without Jennifer. However, not everyone is built to be a parent – and he’s one of those people.

    • Lori says:

      He doesn’t look any better too me, maybe he took some diuretics to get rid of some of the bloat.

    • Cindy says:

      They must of had to make boob space in the batman costume…..He doesn’t look that fit to me. He just looks like the same tiresome jerk as usual. Beard jerk. No beard jerk. Boob jerk, no boobs jerk. Paunch jerk, no paunch jerk, etc. I’m burnt out on him. Just….go away and avoid paps, I beg you. Yeah, I know, I clicked. *sighs*

      • justagirl says:

        ^^^ yes. And he almost always looks irritated, even at formal photo ops, has for years. An irritable angry jerk.

      • prissa says:

        LOL @ all the different jerk looks.
        His face is begging for a punch. It’s just a douchey punch face.

    • me says:

      Very puffy + very roidy + very moon-faced = not attractive.

  2. Bishg says:

    He just shaved for two days in a row, then gave up.
    I don’t see any grooming nor working out here. He looks like the usual mess.

  3. escondista says:

    Just put a bag over his head. Problem solved.

  4. Nikki says:

    No amount or absence of facial hair can ever make him hot in my book. Ick.

  5. Jane's Wasted Talent says:

    He looks better with eyebrows- where have they gone?

    • shannon says:

      Is that what I’m (not) seeing are his eyebrows?? He looks noticeably different and it’s not good. His face is jacked. I can’t even comment on his body. Moobs look the same to me.

  6. Spikey says:

    Nah, for a man at his age it’s impossible to lose the muffin top that quickly. I’m pretty sure we are looking at a mixture of good posture, spanx (is there such a thing as man spanx?!) and sucking it in for dear life.

  7. Chloe says:

    Didn’t lainey describe this as a karma face? Sums it up for me.

  8. Sushiroll says:

    About as hot as a puddle of fresh vomit….which he looks like he just produced due to that man girdle.

  9. Tina says:

    He definitely looks better than he did a couple of weeks ago. I wonder what happened that they have not been photographed together in a couple of weeks – actually since it was “leaked” that their house is up for sale and that he was seen with a blonde at the hotel. More drama on the way???

    • ScotiaGirl says:

      I was thinking the same thing Tina she has not been with him for the past two weeks at the Farmers’ Market or church yet she has been photo’d around LA so she is not out of town. No school runs together or anything. Maybe they were worried it was sending messages that they were getting back together?

      • Ana says:

        She was seen at airport yesterday.

      • Diane says:

        Interesting thing crossed my mind. If you search Jennifer Garner LAX on twitter, you find quite a few hits over the years where she is seeing flying regular airlines. Ben always seems to fly in the private jet. Not making a point, just an observation.

  10. kath says:

    Grazia Magazine? Must be new. Never heard of it

  11. Eleonor says:

    I think Ben and Jennifer Garner should disappear for a while, and I’d love if they stopped parading their children for pr purpose.
    This has nothing to do with Goop conscious uncoupling.

  12. Joss RED says:

    Time to get a bra!

    • SusanneToo says:

      44B, I’m guessing?

      • Joss RED says:

        @SusanneToo

        Hahaha, you have a great eye!

        But really, someone should tell him about this, or at least ask him to stop wearing those tight shirts. The “girls” are getting squeezed, he’s going to pour some milk!

      • JenniferJustice says:

        You think he has bigger boobs than me? That’s frickin’ depressing!

    • Chloe says:

      It’s BPA’s fault, not necessarily Ben’s fault. Manymen will have this issue thanks to BPA and co.

    • Trashaddict says:

      Moobs. My least favorite part of the anatomy.

  13. littlemissnaughty says:

    The worst thing is that pasty, tired face. I’m not talking about weight but he looks so very unhealthy, like he’s double fisting beer, cigarettes and pizza.

    • funcakes says:

      Definitely salt bloat from a lot of fast food. The sodium from that alone can put on pounds of water.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I think he’s been boozing again – sugar bloat and that face! eye yi yi. People are pegging him as the blind item holding up filming due to his boozing. Could be him or could be Jon Hamm.

      • Diane says:

        That BI describes a movie currently filming where he is not the director, though, AND it’s a cast of new people. He isn’t filming, and the next film has him as the director, so I don’t believe that’s him. I do think he’s drinking though, just from the puffy and blurred eyes.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        I dont’ think the blind is him either. I think it’s Hamm.

        I do think he’s boozing again or has been and that’s why his Mom is trying to take him in full-time – to helicopter mom him. It won’t work, but she wouldn’t be the first mom to try to fix her grown kid.

  14. funcakes says:

    He looks like a five year old that just received his first haircut. I think he looks pretty good compared to how he looked during “the incident” .
    He looks less angry.
    As for the body….the man boobs are hiked way up there. The rest of him looks like he’s making an effort to look not so gross.

  15. JoJo says:

    Yesh, they haven’t been photographed together for over two weeks now. He took the kids on his own to the Farmer’s Market the weekend before last, and now this past weekend, he took Violet on his own to church. This coincides with the house being put on the market and the story about him being seen out with the blonde (as well as the comment from a “source” that Matt D. thinks their marriage was in trouble way before the nanny, which blew up across the Internet.) Also, Gossip Cop just ran a story on Friday refuting reconciliation rumors and citing a source close to them as saying, “They are not getting back together.” So, this must be what they want to put out there now. It does now seem like they’re making an effort to publicly convey that they’re not reconciling. I also noticed that Jen hasn’t been wearing the gold horseshoe ring for a few weeks now – not on any finger. Not sure what that means, if anything at all. It’s also interesting that Jen’s parents were in town two weekends ago, coinciding with the time when they stopped being papped together – again, who know what it means, but I kind of get the impression they’ve turned some kind of corner in the split proceedings. Maybe one of them finally stepped back and said, “we need to get real about what we’re doing here.”

    Also, think he looked better with the beard, but I like scruffy! 🙂 The clean look is for his new movie I think. His face just looks a little puffy right now.

  16. Jayna says:

    He’s going to begin filming next month, and he’s in the film, not just directing. He sure hasn’t taken much weight off from his pudgy summer to get ready for the role. I think he put the scruff back on because he showed a bit of a double chin.

    • Chinoiserie says:

      How people always know when stars are about to start filming? I just hear when they are already filming.

      • Jayna says:

        Because they’ve been building the set (a mini town) in downtown Brunswick, Georgia, for the movie, and have talked about filming beginning in November. He was recently there I guess checking on everything.

      • Green Girl says:

        It’s not unusual for gossip sites and trade publications to discuss (potential) starting dates for movies and TV shows, as well as who is currently attached to the project (actors, directors, and so on). If filming will take place in a small, random location outside of Hollywood, then you’ll probably hear about it in the local newspapers for WEEKS in advance, too.

    • Esmom says:

      Yeah, the scruff does a good job of hiding the double chin. No hiding the moobs, though. He needs some looser t-shirts.

  17. Barrett says:

    He looks a bit confused between chubby, hot, bloated. It’s like batman and dad bod fighting it out in one person.

    On a good note, he’s human and I cut him a break that he is not in 100% Hollywood shape all the time. He’s not perfect like the rest of us.

  18. Hannah says:

    i kinda like Ben but he looks so bloated.
    in other news those photos in the link feature the delicious Cary Fukunaga. He’s so hot and so so talented! Anyone seen beast of no nation yet?

    • korra says:

      Beard for ben.

      Now to Hannah’s comment. Yes I did. I enjoyed it. I did a bad thing and watched The Martian and Beasts of No Nation right after. Sorry the Martian was an even bigger disappointment when compared with Beasts. I liked the movie, especially Fukunaga’s direction. I have to sit through it again, but I need a week after it. I texted my family and told them I loved them in the first 30 minutes though.

      Also….paws off Fukunaga’s mine!

  19. Diane says:

    There was a tweet this weekend someone saw Jennifer at LAX, so she may be out of town.

    • JoJo says:

      She was papped on Saturday getting her nails done with a friend and doing errands after that. So, even if she left after that or on Sunday, and even if Ben has been traveling during the week lately, he was home he weekend before that too, and they clearly haven’t made any effort to be papped out together with the kids in over two weeks.

      • Diane says:

        Ya, and he didn’t have all 3 kids with him either time he was seen last 2 weekends. That’s the way family life works sometimes – different kids, different needs. It could be a result of recent press stuff, too, or being seen less together to put off the constant reconciliation rumors. We’ll probably never know – and probably shouldn’t, though our inquiring minds long for the tidbits. I do believe there is a great deal going on behind the scenes and hope for the best for the kids.

      • JoJo says:

        Yeah, and the stories about him staying with his mom as he shoots in Boston to help him deal with the emotional fallout of the divorce … Something does seem to have shifted. Which isn’t surprising. If you’re truly divorcing, at some point you do need to begin to live separate lives, while of course co-parenting. I have no doubt they’ll both be there for the kids as the top priority.

      • Diane says:

        JoJo, if he got what he wanted – why is he struggling emotionally? I think it’s more than the divorce that’s causing the problems he’s going through. Just IMO.

      • JoJo says:

        Dane – That’s what the articles are saying, but who knows if they’re true. That said, I think a divorce or any life event of that magnitude takes a severe emotional toll. Even if you want it, it can still be extremely hard when you actually start going through it and start to separate your lives. It’s like a death even for people who might want to get divorced. My father loved my mother, but they weren’t right for each other in the long run, and he lived through the entire marriage partially in it, but also always with one foot emotionally out the door. When they finally divorced, after many years of back and forth, he was devastated and went through a really hard time for a year or so. But that didn’t mean divorce wasn’t he right thing. It was. They’re both much happier now, years later, and can clearly see that even with two kids, and they deeply cared about one another; they weren’t a good fit. It’s devastating for everyone -even if you know divorce is the right thing.

  20. Viv says:

    Does he have no real friends who will tell him about the boobs????? He’s been publicly flaunting his B cup in too tight tshirts for way too long now. I feel sorry for him.

  21. Josefa says:

    Much better with the beard. And he should start wearing looser shirts, guys look weird when they look well-built but still have moobs.

  22. MimiW says:

    I have a weird feeling that the Batman v. Superman movie is not going to perform as well as everyone expects. Cavill has the personality of a sponge and Ben is having so many issues. DC movie universe is depending on Ben and this movie. Ben has to be their Robert Downey Jr.

    • Diane says:

      The living with his mom post-divorce stories aren’t going to help him build up the image of Batman that’s gonna help sell a movie like that, either. That just does not paint a pretty picture of a sophisticated superhero – more of a Ted Bundy image.

      • JoJo says:

        Ha! 🙂 He’s just staying with her while he shoots since she’s right in Boston. I think it’s nice, but there is also no confirmation that he is actually doing that. I don’t think he’s going to have any issues with people seeing his movies – not because of his marriage issues anyway. I think he’ll be judged on the movie and how good he is in it.

      • Diane says:

        JoJo, I was referring to the tabloid press about it. It just looks really bad for the image of a superhero, and it’s all over twitter. Doesn’t really do much for his image as a playboy either, I gotta say.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      I’m sure, whereever RDJ is, he’s super offended. In no world is A$$fleck anything near the actor or super hero that RDJ is as Iron Man. RDJ IS Iron Man. Ben cannot do that for Batman – no way no how.

      I don’t think anybody expects Ben to perform well as Batman. DC might as well throw in the towel with these movies and accept them already as really bad casting.

  23. Size Does Matter says:

    I prefer the beard. I also prefer him about 15 years ago, but I digress.

  24. kimbers says:

    Ya he’s past his prime and was never hot.just known. Leave him to the hanger those bitches are desperate!

  25. MrsBPitt says:

    My guess is that one day, we will read in the papers they are divorced. I think they are doing everything behind the scenes. And, they will just announce that they are divorced. Keeping everything on the down low….

  26. sara says:

    Ben is the type of guy that looks worse as he gets older. Was hot once and now, not so much. I had an ex like that. Was a hottie when he was young and then once he hit 33, he became bloated and unattractive. It got worse when he became a dad and gained 50 pounds on top of his already bloated body. Which is music to my ears because he treated women so badly. I think that’s why he picked a wife 10 years younger. Women his age would not put up with his issues.

  27. Ana says:

    In answer to the comment above how JG takes commercial flights: yes she does. A lot of times. People tweet, co passengers, people at airport and pictures being posted on instagram. There was a rumor before when Sam was a baby that she took a commercial flight with him and the nanny to New York while Ben was on his private jet with the side piece. Also last year, after the gala of Save The Children, Ben left on a private jet, leaving her to take a commercial flight to go back home.

    • Joni says:

      But why? That’s so bizarre.

    • mel2 says:

      lol at “commerical flights” as it implies she’s “slumming it”. rest assured, she’s not flying cattle class (i.e. economy)

      • Ana says:

        I didn’t say economy class, just commercial flights as oppose to private jets or chartered planes. For sure, she flies first class.

      • justagirl says:

        @mel2 compared to taking a private jet, flying commercial IS kind of “slumming it”, even if she’s in first class. And clearly she’s ok with that….whereas Ben likes to be special.

        Also, she takes a lot of heat for a carefully constructed “regular person” image, but she must honestly be ok with flying commercial….no one who prefers to take a private jet would put up with the inconveniences of commercial just for image sake.

  28. Christin says:

    He looks facially bloated. I’m with those who think a man-girdle or some type of back brace is involved to keep his midsection in place, given how chunky his face, chin and upper chest appear.

    • laura in LA says:

      You know, I can actually relate to the bloat and weight gain. I *somehow* let the scale go up 15 lbs since spring! It was a combo of drinking and eating more than my sedentary lifestyle (due to circumstances and a back problem) can handle…

      So I did a water fast this past week which sounds crazy, but it’s a good way to eliminate the junk. And though I highly doubt Ben did anything of the sort, it’s amazing how much better one looks when just cutting out the drinking to start – no more bloat.

      Oh, and I’m also wearing a back brace because I have to lift my 45-lb geriatric dog several times per day. I think that if Ben were wearing anything, though, wouldn’t we see it through his t-shirts?

  29. Joni says:

    His hair was pitch black the other day and now its greyish again? Whut.

  30. Becki says:

    Blech, he looks gross & flabby in these pics. I much prefer him with a beard to cover up his butt chin, but he needs to eat better & exercise to help with his body. Yikes.

  31. Jayna says:

    He seems to be comfort eating his way through the divorce and probably drinking. I don’t think he’s got some great affair going on the side. Otherwise, he would be in better shape.

    • laura in LA says:

      I don’t think so either. Interesting how rumors of his interest in Margot Robbie and comments about Sienna Miller are now being refuted.

      I wonder now if that gossip about him at the BH Hotel on Sept. 18 was yet another attempt by some woman for 15 mins of fame? That didn’t get much play. So it doesn’t seem to have worked.

  32. iheartgossip says:

    Geez he sure has had a lot of work done on his face. Perhaps he & Jennifer got a 2fer.

  33. HoustonGrl says:

    I have never found him attractive.

  34. khaveman says:

    Do I see some ‘moobs’?

  35. Saywhatwhen says:

    He looks “old Uncle Wyatt in the basement” and menopausal at once. What’s with the moobs?

  36. Bebe says:

    He looks very stiff, like his upper body is immobile. He needs to go to a yoga class or something.

  37. Harrison says:

    Not sure I’m buying the mommy thing. It only makes sense to me if his mom always gave in to him and let him get his way regardless of any bad behavior. If that’s the case, I can see him running back to mom for comfort and in surprise that Jen ‘really meant it this time’ and took away something he wanted when he was misbehaving.

    • Diane says:

      +1 absolutely

      • JoJo says:

        I’m confused. He’s shooting a movie in Boston. He grew up in Boston. His mom still lives in Boston. But the man should in no way stay in his family home when he’s in Boston. He should stay in a hotel just so people won’t start concocting their own, made up stories about what he’s doing. If the stories are even to be believed, not one ever said he’s “running home to mommy.” They said his mom has been pushing him to stay at her home while he films. And? Seems pretty normal to me. So, he shouldn’t stay with his mom when he’s living in the same town to shoot a movie? And as far as the marriage, Jen herself clearly still loves the man and always will. None of us have any clue what ever went down or is happening behind the scenes, so the vitriol and desire to make up entire stories about Ben, what he’s doing and why he does it is amazing to me. Meanwhile, Jen is probably sitting at home having a Starbucks coffee with the man while gossip readers (not excluding myself, of course) sit around and cry for her. I find it amazing how people transfer their own life experiences and disappointments onto Ben. It really is interesting to me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen such incredible hatred for a celeb in this position, and there are so many other examples, but they just don’t get the same attention and level of vitriol. By all accounts, he is a good, fair, decent person – look at the recent Project Greenlight stuff or what Ken Taylor of Canada, who just died, said about him. Clearly, he does have some issues in his personal life, yes, But people truly just seem to want to destroy him. Sad.

      • Diane says:

        Jojo, as we’ve “discussed,” I do believe he is an addict (gambling, alcohol, etc.). When you’ve been around addicts and in support groups, you get to know that there is a common thread and way of acting in them. For me, I see enough of it here to have some idea of the dynamics (I realize I may be wrong, but I don’t think so). I do wish him recovery. He has a family who needs a healthy dad. I have an opinion about living with his mom, even temporarily, in light of my thoughts on the addiction issue.
        For those of us who believe he was inappropriate with the Nanny (and many other areas that are being exposed), that was a reprehensible behavior. As a public, we are pretty vocal (sometimes too much so) about hypocritical behavior. He held himself out as a loving husband/father and that was a large part of his image and HE talks about that as being significant to his career turnaround and success. He’s blown it spectacularly and that is in large part the reason for the veracity of the reaction. When you sell strong, the kickback is strong as well. IMO.

      • JoJo says:

        Hypocrisy? Interesting then that Jen isn’t held to the same standard, because it was she who was actually selling the “perfect family” image hard, when in fact their marriage was allegedly “anything but” for years. Ben only seemed to go along with it begrudgingly most of the time, except during big movie campaigns where I’ll admit that, yes, he clearly seemed to push that image himself then (along with her.) Re: addiction, I’m not going to force an entire addict narrative on him just because other people in the world have addiction problems. We all have known or lived with addicts at some point. It’s not a unique situation, and I’m aware of the “patterns”, but we certainly don’t know enough to be labeling him an addict. We know he allegedly drinks and gambles, but there is absolutely no evidence he’s a gambling addict or full-blown alcoholic. Living with his mother while he shoots a movie in the same town?, if in fact he’s even agreed to do that? Omg. Absolutely nothing at all wrong with that. If he were still happily married, everyone would be saying how sweet it is.

      • Diane says:

        Sincerely wish the best for all concerned. That’s enough said.

      • JoJo says:

        I agree – enough said!

  38. Liz says:

    He’s not bloated, he’s chunky. The way he puffs out his chest looks so awkward.