As you’ve heard, Ben Affleck has been seeing a 22 year-old model who goes by the name Shauna Sexton. Ms. Sexton was in Playboy this May, when she described her personality and her requirements for a man. She is looking for a guy who makes her laugh, she claims to “eat like a linebacker,” she loves whiskey and considers modeling her plan B. Apparently her day job is as a veterinary technician, although it’s doubtful she still does that. People Mag points us to pictures of Ben, who has been focusing on his health and attending meetings according to multiple insider sources, getting a delivery of whiskey, Shauna’s favorite. As a sober person who still keeps beer at my house for guests (although not wine as that would would be too tempting) I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but no this dude is not sober. Notice how none of the sources ever use the word “sobriety,” just “health.”
As Ben is getting headlines for passively breaking up with his age-appropriate girlfriend by being seen with a college-aged woman, Jennifer Garner has been killing it. She just got a star on the Walk of Fame, her action movie Peppermint is out on September 7, her show on HBO, Camping, gets released on October 14, and she’s been promoting her organic baby food line. She’s very popular on Instagram and she’s basically taking the high road.
That brings us to the question in the title. I think Ben being seen with Shauna served two purposes – it helped him break up with Lindsay Shookus (remember he felt like “it was over,” sources didn’t say it was over) and it helped him pull attention away from his ex. He is that petty. Garner has a career profile in Variety following her star on the Walk of Fame earlier this week. She talked about the fact that she didn’t grow up in Hollywood and that her career was a happy accident. This is her image and it’s somewhat genuine. I’m just going to quote a small section:
“My family is not a Hollywood-y family. My little sister is an accountant. My older sister’s in marketing. They have always been unabashedly proud and happy for me, but my job is not the focal point of our family.”
But becoming a permanent part of Hollywood is so special that her own mother lit up — “the most excited I think I’ve ever heard her be about anything!” — and now the entire clan is trekking to California to drive rental cars to the Walk of Fame, just as she did two decades ago. Garner chokes up. Then she once more modestly makes herself the butt of the joke: “Luckily, they don’t know Los Angeles well because I’m sure I’ll be way out in the desert somewhere!”
Ben may have grown up outside Boston but he was a child star and had an agent after his first role, in the Voyage of The Mimi when he was 12. He won his first Oscar at 24. He’s been working for this his whole life. By most measures he’s wildly successful but I doubt he feels like it, especially compared to all the positive coverage his ex is getting. He has some projects coming up but he doesn’t have anything out this year. He tanked his Batman role and is very much floundering. We’ll still talk about him for landing a 22 year-old model though.
You know how E! always has Ben’s side and US always has Jen’s? Well according to US Jen is not surprised that Ben is seeing a coed aged model. This is covering US this week:
“Jen realized a long time ago that she cannot fix Ben and that his problems are not hers to solve,” a Garner confidant reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “She’s not his babysitter. She just wants to protect the kids. But she does wish Ben would keep his life more private.”
“Of course she’s not pleased he’s dating a 22-year-old Playboy model,” says the Garner confidant. “But she’s also not surprised. Jen has come to expect this from Ben. She’s not going to get involved. She can’t make decisions for him.”
I wish that Jen would just let Ben’s action speak for themselves. There’s no need to spell it out like this every time, but she’s got her media strategy and she’s sticking to it and adding in some goofy Instagram posts. The dude is a grade A a-hole, it’s very obvious. As for what is in it for the 22 year-old model she’s getting plenty of press and is even getting papped on her own.
photos credit: Backgrid and WENN
I’m glad Jen is doing so well. She and her children look great – no comment on Ben.
Their oldest daughter IS HER clone!
In the wise words of Jennifer Garner, “bless his heart”.
Wow, she really does look like her mom! The other daughter looks more like Ben. I haven’t seen photos of them in a while, they look so grown up.
seriously! her older daughter looks just like her, the younger like Ben. both are just adorable.
and she LOOKS FABULOUS. I saw a trailer for her movie last night and was thinking I’d actually see this one. it’s like she’s going back to her Alias roots. I think she should do more action movies.
I haven’t seen their kids in a while (I don’t care about family friendly photo ops) so I didn’t realize how their oldest daughter looks just like Jen.
Ha. Yes. I haven’t see photos of the kids in a while, either, they are getting so big. I’ve ways thought the younger daughter was Ben’s clone and I agree that Violet is a mini Jen. Can’t tell who their son resembles, lol. And Jen does look so, so good.
It’s probably less about her career, didn’t I read she was seeing someone new? She looks amazing. Affleck looks pathetic. This will not end well. She’s what? 9yrs older than his daughter Violet? Gross.
So she was nine when his oldest daughter was born? That is so creepy
Missy, yes, she was nine when the oldest was born.
she was literally a baby when he won his Oscar.
creepy doesn’t say the half of it.
I think that Lindsay broke up with Ben. After that article about how the judge is going to throw out Jen and Ben’s divorce due to inactivity, I think she got sick of waiting around. They had a fight about it, Ben found solace in the first Playmate who answered her phone. Either because she dumped him and he wanted to control the narrative or because he’s a dick and this is how he breaks up with people. Either one.
I don’t see it, her career hasn’t taken off yet. She’s just starting to make movies again, no one knows if they will be hits. She is hustling on instagram for more attention just like the insta models. Her Joann’s partnership did do so well. You only have to pay to get a star on the walk of fame, it’s done for publicity. But above all else, she’s still married to the jerk. All interviewers are interested in his her relationship with Affleck. Not trying to be mean just honest.
No, Ben’s recent acting out can be traced directly following the Friday news dump that his divorce petition is going to be voided due to lack of progress from him and Jen. She’s not going to give him the divorce he wants and Shookus grabbed her things and left right after the news, leaving his car in an unknown garage. The timeline is important.
+1
She’s experiencing a career resurgence, we’ll see if it works to make her a bankable actress again. I did enjoy her in Love, Simon, but Peppermint looks like a racist mess, and it’s coming out during the Toronto film festival which guarantees the major critics won’t be paying attention it. It’s a pump and dump release date.
Do those types of movies ever go for the critical appeal, though? Mostly those are more for general audience appeal.
What do you mean a racist mess? I quite like the look of it.
@ Yuma It’s an angry white person taking down predominately minority bad guys. It plays into the Fox News stereotypes of every Latinx person being MS13 and “bad hombres.” Look up the recent Death Wish remake for a similar controversy.
@ AnotherDay It’s not just looking for critical appeal, it’s also about box office. September is a relatively dead month because of back to school, and then you take out the critics voices who may champion a movie and encourage a few people to go out and see it. Releasing movies during the festivals is an intentional dump. They’re hoping Jen Garner’s name is enough to get people out to see it on opening weekend because odds are, it’s not good and they know they won’t get lasting appeal out of it.
Perhaps her career revival hasn’t translated to actually dollars yet, but she appears to be happy, stable, healthy, and very much having moved on. Not sure any of that applies to Ben these days. Sometimes success is more than just money and fame.
Exactly!!
exactly. Lindsay was pissed about the none divorce
Eh Ben Affleck is acting out because he is Ben Affleck and it’s no different than anything he has ever done. He is an addict, a narcissist, and manchild with 0 impulse control.
Bang on!
This woman has it ALL, except a good husband. That will come in time. If she wants.
My guess is that she’s not worried about having a husband…
She will if she looks outside of Hollywood actors. Maybe a producer, writer, or better yet a normal bloke. She seems like she is made to be a wife and mother.
This woman needs ALL the therapy to understand why she spent years having kids with a cheating addict who had little to no respect for her, and why even now she is incapable of disentangling herself. She’s got hella good PR game, no doubt. The act she puts on is impressive (are we all still pretending the stars on the walk of fame are an “honour”? Really? I get why actors do but…really?). But the cracks here are so apparent. Something is going to blow…not sure what yet…but trouble is clearly coming.
There is a tremendous amount of manipulation and emotional abuse that happens when you are with an addict/narcissist. You don’t even become aware of how bad it was until you are out of it long enough to recognize normal again. I’m sure she can’t believe she was in it as long as she was either, now that she’s been apart from it. Walked a good friend through this – four kids and almost 20 years married to an addict. She’s a very strong woman, too.
That is some grade A victim blaming. We all need to stop holding a woman responsible for a man’s heinous actions.
Ummm she had a good husband in Scott Foley. Then she had a good boyfriend in Michael Vartan.
I think people like Jen Garner need a difficult partner. She picked him. I remember he didn’t put much effort into getting her, she did the work from the beginning. And here we are.
the elusive “bad boy” who she can change to a better man. ugh. Scott Foley al day for me.
A friend of mine lives like this. She had a nice boyfriend who she dumped because she wanted more excitement or passion maybe? she then got herself a real bad boy who she complains continuously about, is grateful she miscarried a second baby because he is a lousy father and partner, but is still with him, he has an addiction, treats her badly because is only with her for her beauty, but diminishes her value as a woman and professional, and on top of that, practically ignores their young son. A prize. He’s had to use Ben Affleck shenanigans (and what Ashton Kutcher did to get her to dump him.
Her oldest daughter looks just like her twin. She’s such a gorgeous young lady!
Narcissists will narc…
EXACTLY.
My narc ex is making…interesting…life choices as well.
I don’t think he cares enough to factor her into anything.
And really, her career is just okay.
Yeah… I know the Minivan Majority likes to blow her up but…no. She is a solid B-list entertainer. Her endorsements have made her rich. No one is eager for the next J. Garner vehicle, product, news item. Definitely not Ben Affleck. The 20-something has more to do with getting rid of Shookus than anything to do with Jen.
Yep yep to all this.
The fact he skipped her star ceremony would make anyone hate him forever if she doesn’t already.
I cannot image a life where you find out “it’s over” by seeing pix of your bf on a date with a PB model.
Yeah, I think he might have decided he’s doesn’t gaf about his family and is going to be the new Jack Nicholson and smoke, drink and have professionals take care of his love life until the end. She needs to divorce him and let him prove his worthiness to a judge.
Are people that surprised that he chose a kid as his new beau,I always thought the Shookus things was all PR .The nanny messed up by not playing it cool and now his popularity with obviously plummet coz he appeals to “older” women 25 and over.Poor Ben never misses a chance to mess up.
I don’t think Shookus was just PR, he apparently was having an affair with her for a long time.
But I’m not at all surprised he’s now with a 22 y.o. Playboy model. He’s a total cliche.
Part of the US story (watch the video) is that prior to the Lindsey breakup, Ben was on dating apps looking for girls.
Interesting info because X17 had a blurb that Lindsay suspected Ben had been flirting with Shauna online. My guess is that Ben had a lot of “flirtations” while Lindsay was not available. He seems so incredibly needy. I actually felt sorry for Shauna being stalked in the parking lot by the photographers. She is a very young woman, regardless of her life choices.
yeah, I made this point (albeit a little differently) the other day. if Shookus thought that Sexton was his only side-piece, she’s sorely mistaken.
he was likely screwing around with her for a while, considering how quickly he went public, and I would be VERY surprised if he doesn’t have a few other 22 year-olds hanging on the line.
This is completely superficial, but Miss Sexton doesn’t look like someone who will age well. Guess she’s making hay while the sun shines.
She has that bland look that means she looks just like everyone else shilling in HW – in fact she looks a lot like Sookie Waterhouse, another bland model/actress.
I don’t know how she will age but she strikes me as nothing special. College campuses all over are teeming with young women like her. So gross to think of Affleck trolling for dates among such a young age bracket.
I noticed that, too. I guess Playboy doesn’t give a shit about your face so no problems there. But she should probably re-consider her “model” career. She doesn’t have the looks or the body for catwalk or print IMO. She’ll likely become a has-been before she ever was.
Maybe time has a way of playing tricks on memory, but it seems the bunnies have become far more generic looking.
An average looking 22 year old who likes to highlight her rear end and admits unhealthy habits had better enjoy her 15 minutes.
100% Absolutely! I thought the same thing last night when I saw she got a star on the walk of fame or whatever he looks like such a loser in every way right now Him Brad and Bannon look like backwoods brothers
He’s still married any chick that gets with him whether she’s 20 or 40 they’re mentally deficient
Any chick that gets with him whether she’s 20 or 40 they’re mentally deficient.
FIFY, because it doesn’t matter if he’s married or not, he’s still a huge man-boy jerk with no respect for women.
Dear god, he looks like her dad taking her out for a kids meal.
Wonder what time her curfew is?
He really does. A hungover dad, to be more specific. My friend’s ex, who is 45, is dating (actually now co-habitating with) someone in his early 20s and their photos have the same parent/child vibe. I feel like the only people they’re fooling are themselves.
So basically Ben’s new girlfriend is the ”Cool Girl” from Gone Girl? Ben, don’t you remember the Cool Girl doesn’t really exist? You were in the movie after all.
Jennifer Garner must have the patience of a saint.
It’s super weird how he’s just not as smart as he thinks he is if he doesn’t get this, or he just flat out doesn’t care because he’s a selfish pile of crap. This Affleck men have some really disturbing issues with women.
JG always speaks well of him, nice Instagram posts about him…the day she gets her star where is he? It speaks volumes…
Yeah, I would not have expected him to be there, but I did think he might post something complimentary on his IG, such as she did for him on Father’s Day. It would have been nice for the kids to see their dad doing something like that.
I get the impression she tries very hard to make things as amicable and normal as possible for their kids, which is commendable. He, on the other hand, seems far more concerned with himself and this perpetual mid-life crisis he’s been having.
Violet is the spitting image of her mom, it’s so funny. The other two kids look more like Ben.
As for Ben, this is so typical for him, I’m like Jen and not surprised.
Dudes acting out cause he wants that damn divorce or he just stopped pretending to be decent in public. Stupid batdad hahahaha
This! I completely agree. He is crossing all her redlines so she can pull the trigger and divorce him.
I wonder if the issue is the joint custody. I think Ben will actually fight for it – his ego would probably not tolerate less. I don’t think he would actually do half the work, but he would want the label nonetheless. It seems that getting sole custody is very difficult to achieve in California, even if one spouse is an alcoholic (read the standards online and they are pretty strong). So, Jen may know that the only way she has more say in how much unsupervised access he has with the kids is to NOT let it get finalized. Likely, her power to keep him away from them when he’s spiraling or make sure he is supervised when he is with them will be greatly hindered and her kids will be exposed to things likely no good parent would want.
If he wants this divorce so bad then why doesn’t he make it happen? He has done NOTHING to indicate that he is desperate to have the divorce finalized.
Don’t all caps type at me about Batdad. Am I supposed to get into some kind of point by point conversation online about what I think this fat head has done for his divorce? No.
Ain’t no one care. Lord lmao
Aretha Franklin, a bona fide national treasure, DIES, and this walking middle-age crisis with moobs of doom out for Happy Meals with a barely out of diapers Playmate is the big story of the issue? FFS. 🙄
I thought the same damn thing!!!
+1
MOOBS OF DOOM!!!! hahahahahahahah amazing
That’s the first thing that struck me, too!
Ugh! Does anyone care about Ben anymore? He has been self destructing for years now. Look at his history with women. This hot mess is who he is. He will not change.
Garner needs to divorce him ASAP.
Enjoy her beautiful kids with them, count yourself lucky to get away from him.
He is so gross.
Who cares? Team Jennifer.
Is this acting out though? I mean for Ben Affleck. This is more like business as usual.
Do I think that Ben PLANNED this BS excursion to take the shine away from Jennifer’s star ceremony? Yes I do…how DARE she get pub…and he not get pub too…ESPECIALLY positive pub…cause positive pub wise…the last couple of years have been AWFUL for Ben…professionally AND romantically…and as an entitled Whyte man (oh…he EARNED that Whyte moniker after that Henry L. Gates/Finding Your Roots debacle…) this has been HELL FOR HIM…HELL…I TELL YA!!!
Do I think that Lindsay left because she caught Ben trying to be sneaky AF online with babygirl? Yes, I do…the divorce news wouldn’t NOT have phased her…cause she KNOWS how that’s gonna go…but him treating her, his SIDE-PIECE, LIKE AN AFTER DINNER MINT?!? No…she was NOT going to stand/sit/lay FOR THAT!
IJS….
I agree, I don’t think Shookus splitting had anything to do with the (non)divorce news.
I think she discovered that he had this side-chick, and likely others. he “went public” with the youngling as an FU to Shookus.
He got a “two-fer”…Shookus and his current wife…
Douche….
Bahahaha I love this..going from SIDE-PIECE TO AFTER DINNER MINT LOL 😂
@LaLa
Excellent post and i agree with every point. 😂😂
I can’t believe I’m typing this, but in a way I feel bad for Ben. He’s a narcissist and an ass and a cheater, but his addictions are ruining his life and I feel now this isn’t going to end well at all.
You’re a better person than I am because I can hardly muster any kind of empathy for these kinds of people. Anyone can make mistakes but once you start making babies you need to grow the f up and deal with your life.
Ben needs help with his sobriety & until HE realizes that he needs help, all the sober coaches/ meditation in the world cannot help him! Not only is he a sloppy drunk ( look at his appearance) but now he is an extremely messy drunk! He obviously doesn’t care what he does anymore & he makes sure he is papped doing it! He is like a toddler who wants his way (,and probably got it) all his life!
Now it is not happening so he is rebelling big time & taking a 22 year old Playboy model for a ride!
He is supposed to be directing Matt Damon in that McDonald’s movie at some point.He is in no condition to be directing anything, right now! Hopefully, his buddy Matt has enough sense to see that!
Ben’s mom & dad, Casey, & Matt need to intervene from now on. Jennifer Garner has had more than enough!
Some day( when he is actually sober) Ben will look back on the pics of their beautiful children & thank god for having Jen raise their children!
Why does he always look like he’s prepping himself for a tour with the Hollywood Vampires?
I saw an old episode of Law & Order that Jennifer was in. Small role, and she had such a baby face!, but she made the most of it.
The kids are beautiful
Ben is pissed that Jennifer looks great, has moved on and he has stagnated into a vile, mean looking loser. I think he is very manipulative, petty as hell and he is showing everyone he dies not care about those kids. A video online showed him hugging Violet and she has very awkward with him. Jennifer needs to divorce him, get full custody and limited supervison for him if any. I think he will eventually self destruct. The real him is showing on his outside and he is not a nice person. I think he adapts to whatever relationship he is in. Then when done he becomes this cruel individual who passive agressives people till they quit him. Lindsay wanted marriage. Ben doesn’t want a divorce as it keeps him from committing to a relationship. Truth be known he is impotent with all this drinking. What 22 year old wants that? He takes nothing serious. Sobriety, children and his career. He will not rebound like he did before. Jen made him likeable and he hates her for that. He knows he screwed up. His spiral hasn’t even got really going yet. I feel sorry for his children. They love him.
I dont think ben cares about anyone but himself
he doesnt even care about his own children- so he mdefinitely doesnt care about about Jen or any woman
Maybe he’s trying to push her into signing the divorce papers …? The whole thing esp the liquor delivery photo seems so obviously staged. I can’t stand passive aggressive men.
If he wanted a divorce he’d have one. You can’t contest a divorce in California.
Ben does not give a crap anymore!
He gave up.
His sloppy appearance, playmate girlfriend and public alcohol delivery is his way of lettting the public know he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him.
This girl was born in the same year Affleck got his Oscar. I don’t know why that grosses me out more than just knowing he’s 24 years older than her but it does.
She is the epitome of “Living Well is the Best Revenge.” She’s like teflon, no matter what kind of poo he starts flinging with his sloppy grossness and cheating ways, she always looks like a saint! Lainey Gossip calls her “Amazing Amy” for a reason. She’s playing the long game here, and so far, I think she’s winning at every turn — PR wise. And, really, Good for her!
Suck it Ben!
I don’t understand what is holding up the divorce. Did she not sign the papers or did he not sign?
I’m wondering if he’ll get a publicist and a lawyer like Brad’s and start attacking Jen in the media. If he doesn’t want to take responsibility for himself, I think it may be only a matter of time before he goes this route.
Ben Affleck is the messiest of b*tches.
The video Shauna recorded of herself talking about the paparazzi following her is so embarrassing. She isnt funny or cute in the video though its clear she thinks is. She is a very immature 22 year old.
She talks so fast the first thing that came to mind was damn, shes on the booger sugar! I’m guessing she did most of the talking on her “dates” with Ben. Lol wow. I’m sure they are done after that video, would be shocked if he would be seen with her after such a little stunt.
I’m shocked he was seen with her at all.
Also want to add to my comment- what kind of a-hole do you have to be to record a video of yourself talking and looking into your iphone camera while you are DRIVING a vehicle? How stupid and how narcissistic.
I hope that bimbo gets a ticket for that, she could have caused a car accident
Jennifer Garner is a true cautionary tale: When someone show you who they are- believe them.
Wow. Garner just drove him to rehab.
Yes, just read that. I admire her strength and hope for the best for him. He is a mess and shit person, but addiction is a bitch.
Ben is a d-bag but I lost interest in her Amazing Amy schtick a while ago (except when she’s out-maneuvering Ben – I love that). And I do love those pants with the black trim.
Three years ago, I said they wouldn’t divorce, and here we still are …
I do realize he’s the kids’ father, but at some point, doesn’t she have to stop being the fixer? He has other people in his life and specifically family – a mom, a brother – who could fill this role. By all accounts, he had a similar downward spiral that winter before they filed and there were reports of this a few years before they split too, after a skiing accident. So, this isn’t new to her. How long will she play this role?
She’s a conventionally attractive 22 year old who was Miss May in Playboy. Couldn’t she get a rich young guy? Remember when Ben went through that phase of directing and wanting to present himself as a serious artist? Didn’t take long for that to make way for his base appetites.
Jenniifer does her best acting for the Paps. I saw Love Simon, and she was a wet noodle. She set her cap for Ben and is STILL obsessed with him.