Here are some photos of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner doing the school run together yesterday, on Halloween morning. Notice how they’re wearing similar colors, which could be a coincidence. On Sunday, the morning after Ben was videoed out drunk, Ben, Jen, and all their kids were wearing gray as they decorated their house for Halloween together. There are also photos of them picking up their kids for school. This is their pattern – they use the paparazzi when they need them for something and this time it’s rehabbing Ben’s image and making it look like everything is fine. US Magazine is Jennifer Garner’s outlet of choice and they had the story about Ben’s new girlfriend, whom he’s known for a few months supposedly. They also had this story about how Ben’s friends are worried about him after his relapse following about 14 months of sobriety. People has some more insider quotes I’m including too.
Another insider adds, “The people who care about Ben know where this is headed. If he doesn’t get help, he won’t be able to stop.”
Jen is “upset but always supportive.” – From US Magazine video and article
“Ben is very honest that he isn’t perfect. He didn’t try to make any excuses.”
“He was just very clear that he doesn’t want to keep drinking. He wants to be sober. Staying sober is constant work for Ben. Sometimes he makes terrible decisions. But he wants to be the best dad to his kids.”
“She will continue to support and be hopeful about his sobriety,” the source says of Garner. “This is the father of her children and she will always help Ben as much as she can.” – From People
This is the Garner-Affleck strategy when dealing with a PR crisis, give candid quotes to different outlets, be honest and open and hope it blows over. They also use the paparazzi to enhance their image as a family unit. It’s smart and it works somewhat. Ben owes so much to Jen. People call her codependent and a doormat. I do think she gave him way too many chances, but I also see how controlled she is in handling this. Look at her face in the photo below. She is going to make this right! Ben is the father of her kids, she wants him to be present, sober and a good dad. She knows he’s a f’k up and she’s trying to both fix that and convince him to be a better man. It never worked when he was her partner but she has three kids with him and she’s not going to give up on him as a father.
Meanwhile In Touch has an exclusive from someone at the casino on Saturday night where Ben was gambling after his slip. We previously heard that he won $1,500, but In Touch’s source say he lost $60,000 in just 40 minutes. That’s the side I believe.
photos credit: Backgrid
Jen looks pretty good here. She’s someone who doesn’t seem to really enjoy the whole makeup thing a lot, which works because she always looks pretty fresh faced. Very on-brand, minimal effort to look like a cute but busy mom kind of thing.
I’m also incredibly ashamed that I still find him attractive. I knoooowwww he’s a douchebag. But sometimes douchebags are still nice to look at.
Those kids are lucky. I know the dad is a fu*k-up (I don’t love Garner’s schtick either), but she does an excellent of job of holding everything together. Those kids probably only know him as a great dad, and that’s largely due to her.
I agree. The kids deserve a good father, and she’s doing her best to ensure that they have one. I have no problem with her jumping through hurdles to keep things together. It benefits her kids and Ben benefits, also. I assume when those kids are grown she will step back and let the pieces fall where they may.
Matchup-matchy! Nothing to see here! We are healthy and ‘adorable’ ! See my dimples?
I truly pity Jen. She does all of the heavy lifting for her basically failure of an ex. He couldn’t get it together for her, and he can’t get it together for their children who need him. It’s just sad.
I believe the only reason Jen participates in any of this is for her children and I’m not going to dog on any person that puts their children first or swallows what they may want to say in an effort to help the other parent. Those kids will grow up and they can make their own decisions then but I find It admirable Jen isn’t going to make their decisions for them.
Same here.
I agree her strategy is the right one. Yes they will find out how difficult he was as a father, but they may also gain strength from the fact that their mother protected them until their brains were able to handle it all.
The alternative is to watch the media rip her family apart which undoubtedly would damage the kids.
Same. I won’t bash her for this. Affleck is a mess and should be grateful for the day he married her, because she’s pulled his a** out of the fire so many times for their kids. I can’t fault her for doing what she thinks is best for them, even if he doesn’t deserve to have her constantly salvaging his image.
Agreed. I’ve always held the belief she’s just a good mom and good person tbh. She’s not doing this because she’s in love with him or something – she wants him to be around – be alive, period – for their young kids.
Exactly. Jen is trying to do what’s best for her kids and I won’t bash any mother who puts her kids first. I’m sure Jen is emotionally exhausted by all of this. But she wants her children to have a father and is doing whatever she can to ensure that Ben can be present in their lives.
i agree. she’s doing her best and like it or not, when you’re famous and famously a screw up who always gets caught on camera, there are paparazzi and you either need to learn how to deal with it, like jen or be a recluse. i can’t imagine it is easy to do that when you have older children like they do.
i also am sure that even if she wanted to let him hang out to dry – she gets a ton of pressure from his various teams. i wouldn’t doubt it if she’s been softly threatened her with “jen, we need you. you know this is what will work. do this for the father of your kids. you can’t let him spiral out. he needs you. we all need you.” kind of thing. even though he’s a colossal screw up and hasn’t produced anything good in a decade, he is still extremely influential in hollywood with some of the best management and PR in the business.
I’m beginning to wonder if Jen isn’t some sort of official sober-living-support person. I really don’t know how rehabs work, especially not celebrity-level rehabs. But it does seem to me that Jen is Ben’s go-to whenever things go to he!! with his sobriety.
Misogyny is a hell of a drug.
Honestly, Garner always struck me as the type to poke holes in a condom cause she wants a baby.
She talks about normalcy & privacy but has the paps do church pics & school pics. What is she going to do when her kids see thru this & are old enough to say “hell no” to participating? She does know they don’t stay 10yrs old forever, right? Tho she’d probably love that.
her children as they get older are going to be driven crazy by her, particularly her daughters.
I always saw the pap strolls as a trade off. It seems to me like she willingly cooperates when SHE wants to, and then is left alone more or less when she doesn’t want to be photographed.
You seriously read this story and came away from it criticizing Jen? Of the two parents being discussed here … you think she is the problem?
Right?! Like how did she manage to create an ENTIRE narrative around Jen being the problem and NOT Ben??
Well, I’d say- see any post about Kanye’s dumb@ssery, and at least 50% of the comments are exclusively criticizing Kim for still being with him.
i haven’t seen a pap stroll out of her and her kids since the last time her drunk ex screwed around and blew up their family so…i don’t think you are interpreting this correctly
THIS. I agree 1000000000%!!!!!!
THIS is your take away from this story?? Mother of three is CRAZY for trying to ensure her kids have a father in their life. NOT the daddy with a drinking – and gambling – problem??
And btw – Jen was done at two kids. It was Ben who wanted the third.
And you’re right. They DON’T stay 10 years old forever. That’s the whole point. 🙄
Interesting that people assume she called the paps, and not her husband, when he is the person whose image needs help at the moment. It’s more likely his PR person called paps, but at the same time, the paps already know the habits of this family.
Still no photos of Jen with her boyfriend. She knows how to hide him. But she is more than happy to do the pap stroll with Ben
indeed, what a fake she is – and not that clever, total turnoff
US Weekly is saying that John Miller has been staying with Jen since he was evacuated in the aftermath of the Getty Fire in LA
Ben is very lucky to have Jennifer.
She’s a beautiful lady. I think she was co defendant but I think she is smart enough to get therapy. Maybe she just loves him as a person, he has been in her life for so long. I love my kids Dad as a person and help him when I can, when you no longer live with someone you have a lot of time to step back and regroup so that in the future you need to help you can as you are not as tired, upset, wore out over an addicts issues.
Her public support helps keep him employable, no doubt.
I have shade for Jen with any of this. She is doing what she thinks is best for her kids.
Ben on the other hand is a douche canoe. He is a grown ass middle aged man with all the resources to get himself together but keeps running back to Jen to fix his image instead of fixing himself.
How do you know he’s not working to fix himself? We know he’s been to rehab, attends therapy and support meetings, has a sober coach. That’s just what’s in the public domain. Looks to me like Jennifer is a willing part of his support network.
He’s supposed to start filming his new movie next week out of state so he is probably getting in as much face time (and PR time) with those kids as possible. Jen plays along with his games because (1) she’ll never really move on from him romantically and (2) she’s only relevant in 2019 because of her connection to him. Every time he screws up, she gets to “save” him and that benefits her (and boosts her ego) big time. I think it’s pretty sad and sick.
Or she goes along with his “games” because 3) they have children together & she wants her kids to have the best relationship with their father as possible. It’s actually the healthiest option here.
I must be the only one who doesn’t see that they are dressed alike… both wear a lot of drab, sloppy clothing and yesterday was no different. Whatev. I do think he needs an intervention with his hairpiece. Why is it consistently the worst in the game? It is falling off of his head.
I dont see it either. They are both wearing dark toned neutrals. That’s about it. 🤷🏽♀️
I agree. Wearing gray in the fall is a common thing, I don’t think they’re dressed “alike”.
Yes! And I don’t think they dressed alike as a family last Sunday either as a matching / solidarity thing
I know its wrong but I loathe this strategy & narrative: charming ladies man needs love of wholesome good girl to keep him on track and she’ll glow in the light of his undying gratitude. It’s what I grew up around and still see with so many girlfriends and it’s another form of sexism and emotional abuse. This idea that the woman is morally better so is fulfilling her role in always looking out for a f’ck up dude. And do men ever stand by effed up women?
Rant over. She looks good as does he.
When Samuel is about 12 or 13 and Ben is drunk dialing Jen when Samuel doesn’t pick up his calls anymore, Jen can just say, ‘Bless Your Phoenix’, and hang up.
Lol! Jen REFUSES to be the ashes.
I think she gave him too many chances because she wanted a perfect little family of her own, and didn’t want to accept the divorce. However, after they did divorce, I think she is handling all this just fone. She comes of as an angel, which good for her brand. So, good for her.
I’ve come to accept when we’re talking about a man being a complete mess up on here there are some posters who will twist it around to discuss only how it’s somehow all about the woman and everything is her fault. I know it’s in touch magazine but I believe the whole losing thousands not winning on his drunk gambling night. He couldn’t keep his eyes open and according to those there he kept falling off his chair. Looking at that TMZ video as well as the one last year on his way to rehab he looks and sounds like someone doing pills WITH alcohol, that’s why he seems so out of control.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it is more than just booze he has a problem with.
Ben I believe is filming out of state starting next week. So we won’t be seeing him on the school run. Hope he will have a sober coach with him.
Weren’t they always bitching about the paps taking pics of their kids at school? Now they do pap strolls at school? That’s effed up. Way to use your kids.
Ben needs tough love right now. I don’t think Jen is helping him by always cleaning up his messes. He needs to fix his life on his own.
The fact that he lost essentially my yearly salary in FORTY MINUTES makes me want to cry.
Some of these comments regarding a woman who has to deal with someone who has a gambling/drinking problem while trying to raise a bunch of young kids…is crossing the line of from being “celebitchy” to being just plain…inhumane…
Ben can’t be around gambling or alcohol …PERIOD….not now…and maybe not ever…and I’m not gonna throw ANY shade at a woman who have to deal with a big, grown ass damaged man while trying to raise a bunch of kids….money can’t solve the emotional and psychological weight of that crap….
I would imagine that it was always so exhausting constantly having to worry about your husband relapsing in front of your children ( let alone in public)
Now she just has to worry about protecting their children & ensuring they have the best dad possible! I am sure at times she feels just like kicking him in the a$$, (and she could probably do it too, lol!) but she knows their children love him unconditionally!
Sadly, all these “sources” and “witnesses” also saw him in a bad state & did absolutely nothing!
He is very fortunate to have Jen in his life not only for his PR but also his well- being!
I hope he realizes that….
Jennifer deserves nothing but respect for the way she handles his addiction. My guess is she used to enable Ben years ago – out of love – by hushing up and smoothing over his drunken escapades. She and his team have now learned to let him stumble in public. Supporting him when he makes positive steps towards sobriety is not the same as clearing up his mess.
The way people are talking about addiction here is really upsetting. It’s a disease and Ben’s not a failure or a bad person because he lapsed. Of course he would want to be around his family at a vulnerable time (he apparently stayed at Jennifer’s house for the last few days). He was photographed with his children almost every day in the past year, it’s not like he’s just showing up as a father because he slipped in his sobriety.
Sidenote: I believe TMZ over InTouch any day.
Jennifer strategized big time to land Ben and now she can’t get rid of him. Google “
Watch a Married Jennifer Garner Flirt with an Engaged Ben Affleck in 2003” and you can see for yourself.
I’ll agree with you on this one. I have seen the video!
I think he’s incredibly charming and he’s the very image of the guy she always wanted to be with. Or at least he was, until he forced her hand in to a divorce after years of putting up with his every failure or burn.
I applaud people who integrate sobriety into their life after issues with addiction but I don’t respect people who use addiction as an excuse or recovery as a weapon of manipulation as they go through the world hurting people. There is no “reset” button in life. When you go around hurting people while in active addiction, the only “reset” button is to take real responsibility for it and repent, get sober and stay sober- not to pretend you are “finding your spiritual core” or “on the recovery journey” for admiration & attention. I don’t care what carefully crafted story of recovery Ben Affleck puts out to the world to rationalize his wrong doings towards his family and Jen, his behavior will always speak for itself.
Yes, you’re right, his behaviour does speak for itself. He has been taking active steps towards recovery since leaving rehab over a year ago – using a sober coach, attending support meetings and therapy, volunteering to help others in recovery, cutting down his workload – and has been present in his children’s daily lives.
He publicly (and presumably privately) took responsibility for his relapse, and got back on track the next day. The idea that he is pretending to be in recovery for admiration or attention is nonsensical. Our culture still shames and ridicules people struggling with addiction.
US Magazine — Jen’s PR outlet of choice, right? — has a new post up saying that John Miller is staying with Jen after being evacuated from his house.
“John is just the complete opposite of Ben though”..,well that should be a relief for everyone, right?
Jen still looks at Ben in a very loving way. I think Ben is literally her drug.
The happy family time stuff always seems staged, and Jen likes when Ben needs her to be his wholesome PR fix.
Don’t think US Weekly is very reliable anymore. They’ve also said the two families were blended and spending weekends together. All other outlets say she’s yet to introduce him to the kids, which sounds like a more Garner-style approach.
All other outlets -Which ones? I haven’t heard that. It seems to be US is the one that’s leaked to by her. You can tell Ben just goes to People and E News, sometimes DM.
Both People and E News say she hasn’t introduced him to the children. She doesn’t strike me as the type to introduce a boyfriend so soon – if only because the same rule about new partners would have to apply to both her and Ben. The DM have never had an exclusive – they just get the same blanket statement as the rest.