While I loathe Alex Rodriguez, I bet he’s having a great week, and he’s probably chuckling to himself a lot. A-Rod had a good thing going with Jennifer Lopez, they were J-Rod, and she helped his image a lot, he cheated on her and she stuck with him and then… Mr. Steal-Your-Girl Ben Affleck started writing love letters to J.Lo. Suddenly J-Rod was no more and the Bennifer Revival was upon us. We were told that this time it was different, that J.Lo and Ben were older and more mature and everything was perfect. Then Ben had to sabotage himself in an interview with Howard Stern this week, talking about how he felt trapped in his marriage to Jen Garner and heavily implying that Garner (and his miserable marriage) was the reason why he drank. Apparently, J.Lo is very mad that months of careful PR just went down the drain:
Ben Affleck is getting online backlash for a recent freewheeling interview he did with Howard Stern — but a source tells Page Six that Jennifer Lopez is also upset. While discussing his divorce from Jennifer Garner during an interview on “The Howard Stern Show” on Tuesday, Affleck seemed to pin his struggles with sobriety on his ex.
“Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped,” the star said. “I was like, ‘I can’t leave because of my kids, but I’m not happy, what do I do?’ And what I did was drank a bottle of Scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.”
Sources also tell us that Lopez isn’t happy with the chat.
“[Lopez] is pissed,” said our source. “She is getting pulled into this because she is dating him. She doesn’t want to be dragged into this.”
The source added, “She has met Jennifer Garner. She is trying to get to know her and Ben’s kids.” The source said of Affleck, “It’s reckless and cavalier of him.”
But, another told us, “This is simply not true and the focus is on the children.”
Yeah, I can see it! Garner has every reason to be pissed, but so does J.Lo. J.Lo was just minding her business, back with “the one who got away,” and now she’s back in a typical Affleck mess. She didn’t have anything to do with his marriage or divorce! “It’s reckless and cavalier of him” – hello, have you met Ben Affleck? Reckless and cavalier is his entire brand.
So, yeah, I do wonder if Winter Bennifer will perhaps be the end of all of this. Perhaps this incident was kind of a wake-up call for J.Lo? We’ll see. So much of this is now wrapped up in the promotion for The Tender Bar, and Ben’s Oscar campaign. And J.Lo wants a date for the premieres of Marry Me early next year. Whew.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
JLo is nothing if not a self preservationalist. She’ll see if Ben can course correct and this blows over. Then she’ll decide.
I’m sure it’s not breaking news to Jennifer Lopez that Ben Affleck felt “trapped” in his marriage. Saying it out loud on Howard Stern was a mistake. But I didn’t hear him blaming wife Jennifer Garner for his feelings, so that’s something. His next step is to openly shoulder ALL the responsibility, i.e. “I felt trapped because I wasn’t ready for that level of commitment”, and so on. This will blow over if he continues to walk it back and people cut him a break.
I’m not sure if blaming his own children for the reason he was trapped and thus miserable and thus had to start being an alcoholic is a good idea though either. It’s an equal level of bad, maybe even worse.
Unlike you, @AmyToo, I’m 100% certain anyone blaming their own children for feeling trapped by marriage and full time parenthood is not a good idea. However, that’s not what Ben said or meant, as far as I can garner.
GREAT timing on the use of the word “garner”.
howard is extremely good at getting stuff like this out of people
Yeah I don’t do pile- ons. Not for most.
I like Ben. I do and that’s that. This is how Stern works. It was honest
I like a bunch of people celebitchy doesn’t lol. That’s just what it is.
I have my own problems so I’m not sitting here worrying much about it but I don’t get why this guy is slammed so often. I don’t.
If anything, his girl friend is a way worse person from what I hear told.
Oh well.
Yeah I don’t do pile- ons. Not for most.
I like Ben. I do abs that’s that. This is how Stern works.
I like a bunch of people celebitchy doesn’t lol. That’s just what it is.
I have my own problems so I’m not sitting here worrying much about it but I don’t get why this guy is slammed so often. I don’t.
If anything, his gorl friend is a way worse person from what I hear told.
Oh well.
Yeah I don’t do pile- ons. Not for most.
I like Ben. I do abs that’s that. This is how Stern works.
I like a bunch of people celebitchy doesn’t lol. That’s just what it is.
I have my own problems so I’m not sitting here worrying much about it but I don’t get why this guy is slammed so often. I don’t.
If anything, his gorl friend is a way worse person from what I hear told.
Oh well.
Yeah I don’t do pile- ons. Not for most.
I like Ben. I do abs that’s that. This is how Stern works.
I like a bunch of people celebitchy doesn’t lol. That’s just what it is.
I have my own problems so I’m not sitting here worrying much about it but I don’t get why this guy is slammed so often. I don’t.
If anything, his girl friend is a way worse person from what I hear told.
Oh well.
Is she though? I feel she sticks around too long in a relationship when she should have called quits on it much, much earlier. The only positive side to her “serial monogamist” behaviour is her ability to move on quickly from that person.
@thatsnotok, truer words have never been spoken. If memory serves correctly, she distanced herself – if not dropped, Puff Daddy when the gun incident at the nightclub went down. JLo is about her image. It makes her money. You do not sit back and watch idiots tarnish what makes you money.
She really does seem to love him and even he her but maybe chill with the photo ops and sh*t.
Agreed. They seem to still be very much in love. Unfortunately, they are both famous. Try being a family and stay out of the headlines for a while.
@Girl_ninja @miatagal
I agree. I think they should lay low for awhile and focus on their families during that mess. But it’s gonna be complicated with Ben being in the middle of promos right now. At least they need to chill on the paps strolls and constant sources leaks
Overexposure helped make them a punchline last go around. You’d think they’d have learned something.
@Ambrosial, I really don’t think Ben can get away from Paps ever at this point in his life. Unlike most people who seem to think he needs to call pap all the time, it is quite obvious and confirmed by multiple sources (Matt, David Fincher, even two paparazzi themselves, and I am excluding Jennifer Garner cause she was in that marriage) that paparazzi practically live outside of his house 24/7. He got too many narratives around him: he and Gwyneth Paltrow, he and JLo, he and Garner, his coma back narratives, his alcoholic addiction, his batman debacle, his nannygate, he and Lindsay Shookus, his public humiliation when his ass was hauled by his then estranged wife to the rehab, he and Ana, he and Dunkin, he and his phoenix back tattoo, he and his sad meme, etc. At this point, the narratives are just self-fulfilling.
Of all the paparazzi baiting narratives, I only suspect that he may have encouraged it very early in his professional life when he was dating Gwyneth Paltrow. She had been dating Brad Pitt, already a huge star by that time. Then their engagement broke off. Two months later she began to date Ben in October 1997, who by that time, truly was an unknown actor (he just got somewhat noticed by movie reviewer when he appeared in that indie film Chasing Amy; and his breakout story of Good Will Hunting hadn’t screened yet). I am sure such narrative as a known actress-breaking-up-with-Brad-Pitt-to-date-unknown-actor-Ben-Affleck really thrilled the tabloids, which sent off the paparazzi. He didn’t avoid them even then. I am sure he felt macho and alpha, glowing in the fact that Gwyneth Palrow chose over the Brad Pitt to be with him! And then Bennifer happened and tabloids got exploded in 2002/2003, and it was too late.
I think Jlo has been pretty good at jumping ship with previous relationships when they threatened her bottom line. However Ben is the so called love of her life so lets grab our popcorn.
is she though? i feel like she generally stays and pretends all is good until her hand is forced and there is no other way other than out.
that said, nobody deserves the plague that is Ben Affleck and i really hopes she jumps ship sooner than later.
His comments abt J.Garner are despicable and is it just so richly deserved that this backlash would happen, by his own hand no less, just at the start of his oscar campaign. He does not deserve public redemption and he has shown it once more.
This: “I feel like she generally stays and pretends all is good until her hand is forced and there is no other way other than out.”
Spot on.
I just commented the same on a similar comment above. I think she stays in a failing relationship for too long. And you’re right, she leaves when her hand is forced.
Imo JLo doesn’t leave until there’s another man. My guess is she’s already disinterested and unknowingly looking elsewhere.
Maybe this has reminded Jlo of what Affleck said about her after they broke up. He is not a catch, Jlo. Release him back into the wild where he can wallow in self-pity and alcohol.
She’s too good for him. As was Garner. People were flipping out on Twitter and pulled up Garner’s interview when they asked her about his hideous phoenix back tattoo he got after they broke up. “I refuse to be ashes” is the line that got me.
He may refuse to be ashes, but he sure is an ass.
JLo will kick him to the curb whenever his shit starts to complicate her life.
I would admire her for not allowing a messy man to screw her over (again) but I also don’t think she’s mature enough to handle a partner with addiction issues.
I don’t think she loves him unconditionally.
No one can “handle” a partner with addiction issues. It’s not a sign of maturity or unconditional love. The addiction will remain the addict’s primary partner. It’s not a failure of unconditional love to separate from a partner with addiction. You can love the person, hate the addiction, protect the vulnerable in the addict’s life, try to get the addict connected with help if they are ready, and … get on with your life, as Jennifer Garner has clearly done.
As for J Lo, what did she expect?
Well said!
Maybe I’m missing something here, but he hasn’t relapsed, has he? He’s simply talking about his previous drinking? While I don’t disagree with what you’re saying (believe me, lived experience), she knew his history when they got together. If she has a problem with him even *talking* about it, I tend to agree with Veronika. That’s not terribly mature or loving.
If the issue truly is that she does not want to date someone with addiction issues, then she should simply not date someone with addiction issues.
Celebitchy commenter Oria predicted that they would be ending in December from the astrology article that Oya did on them a while back, I think in October…
“Fated yes, but not made to last.
When the eclipses and conjunction period we are in now ends, they will have trouble staying together. Started July/august and ends December.”
I would say they may make it to whenever the GG’s are and then they’ll split. He’s basically thrown away any chance at any Oscar nod so…
Their moons are both in Scorpio. In astrology, a Scorpio moon is intense and can be a tough emotional placement. The next series of eclipses is on the Scorpio/Taurus axis messing with Scorpio moons. But man, they really get each other astrological speaking.
Astrology is about, in many ways, timing and cycles. The last time they got together and broke up was during the same Scorpio/Taurus eclipse season. In astro terms, they will only make it if they’ve done some real emotional work. . . .
I don’t see Ben going to the “Marry me” premiere. He probably thinks he’s too good for such a movie and does not want to be associated with it.
They both need to go away.
The fact is Jennifer Lopez has the same man who left her high and dry in 2000. It’s this same man who is willingly sabotaging this relationship and the one with this ex and kids. While Jennifer Lopez is all about self preservation her heart won’t allow her to bow out gracefully.
She loves Ben far more than he loves her and we’ve all seen what Ben does to women who demand love and commitment from him.
Ben strikes me as the sort of man that thinks he’s complementing a woman by putting another woman down. “You’re not like other girls”
I think you are spot on. He knows how to make someone feel so special by telling them all the things he thinks they want to hear. Then as soon as he feels “suffocated” or “trapped” he disconnects, and they are left trying to figure out what happened.
Precisely this. Ben shared publicly what he and Lopez talk about privately. That’s why he said it. He’s in a love haze. But we are not in their delusional (which can feel awesome) bubble.
I guarantee he love bombs them.
This isn’t true.
If this is true-I don’t know what else she expected? Ben hasn’t grown up since their first time together. He got married, continued to gamble and drink and cheat. He finally divorced Jennifer Garner after cheating on her with the nanny and continued to drink and cheat, went to rehab and has never NOT been a hot mess since then. Jennifer Lopez is how old? Doesn’t she know by now she can’t make a man change, he has to do it himself?
He looks like Butthead with a beard in that B-ball photo. Quelle suprise.
Woman shocked to discover 50 year old man hasn’t changed.
Lol poor Jlo
50 – year old woman is shocked that she keeps making the same mistakes…no wait, she’s not.
This would piss me off, as well. We don’t see Marc Anthony dragging her over the coals in public. Ben’s comments are both gross and hurtful. J-Lo wouldn’t be human if this didn’t bother her.
Ben and JG’s older girls are, undoubtedly, on social media. Was he stupid enough to think that this wouldn’t get back to them? That their dad felt trapped with their mom and with them? That their dad blames them for his drinking? That’s just disgusting.
J-Lo is a mother to children around the same age as the Affleck kids; she must see how awful this interview was. I believe that she’s mad.
Tick tock. I hate to add to his self-awarded Most Put Upon Male status that ge clearly prizes above all else, but maybe he really doesn’t want help or to be happy? Jesus, David Fincher had him dead to rights.
Is she upset? I don’t think so
I like J-Lo, that girl always gets right back into the saddle after she breaks up with someone.
you mean, back on another horse’s saddle?
So true!
Yeah, saying out loud that your children trapped you in an unhappy marriage was the worst thing he’s ever said, by far. He also implied that he started drinking during his marriage even though he’d already been to rehab long before. It’s too late to back track, he said exactly how he felt, we knew how shitty he was before but this really took it to a whole new level.
No one needed this.. it would have been so simple if he just said, “He was in a bad place mentally and drinking was his escape”.. leave out the kids and ex I know what living with spouse/father who suffers from alcoholism is like, it does enough damage to families and they did not deserve that at all. It is very common for an alcoholic to blame others.. I lived a lifetime of sentences directed at me beginning with, “but you,………………….” No matter what he did or how much he drank I was the cause. It is a horrible way to live.
I saw he apologized (have not looked to closely beyond the headlines) I hope it is sincere.
You know what, JLo? He is what he is and he’s not going to change. You either want what he is or you don’t. All the rest is just PR noise.
I don’t think there ever was a way for this relationship to truly work.
JL does not like people who make her look bad & Ben just involved her in his mess, which she was never not a part of…this may end Bennifer.
The tender bar is middling with meh reviews
I feel like this was preemptive ass covering by JLo until she sees which way the wind blows. If she thinks he can come back from this we’ll get some lovely comments from her on what a great mom JGarner is and how lovely to be around this family. If not, she will have the cover that she tried but Ben’s gonna Ben.
Exactly. She’s gonna be next and realises it, but doesn’t she want to look like she’s leaving because of it. This is the part where the collective “duh” smacks her in her face.
WTF, the Howard Stern show is not the place to reveal his feelings.
Ben had addiction issues way before JLo and Jen. He’s a gambling addict too. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be happy and recover, but he’s clearly in denial.
JLo can’t be alone for more that a minute.
She needs a nice wealthy secure non-entertainment business guy to adore her while she settles into a Las Vegas residency.
Ben felt trapped? How the frig does he think Jen felt?
Exactly. His choice of words felt very much like a narrative he’s spinning to himself, but should not have been said out loud. Certainly not on a radio show where his kids could hear.
Ben is as self-destructive as always. He’s going to do to this relationship what he’s done to all the others.
I don’t think JLo has ever trashed an ex or the exes-ex or current love. For all the look at me, public life she does keep her privacy.
I’ve never heard of her saying an unkind thing about anyone and never heard a negative thing said about her.
Their have been many thing said about JLO. She has the reputation of not being a nice person and treating staff like crap.
I do agree that I’ve never heard her trash her ex’s .
Never heard of an unkind word? Google JLo trashes everybody from I believe Movieline magazine ? She came across as conceited, and jealous of just every actress that was hot at the time The interview caused uproar bigger than this one and JLo to her credit is probably learned from that snd now keeps her views of other actresses to herself publicly anyway.
one of the blind items i read recently said he was cheating on JLO. HE went to Jennifer Garner to take him to rehab again in 2017-remember picture? JLO will have to deal with that. He will relapse and do the same thing-now he is JLO’s problem. She isnt going to stick around for that.
Uh Oh. Seems like the bloom is starting to fade. What a first class a hole.
This relationship didn’t work before and most likely won’t last. They both seem so over-the-top vain.
This jackass doesn’t even know what or who he wants. Exhibits A-E: https://www.econotimes.com/Ben-Affleck-reportedly-wants-Jennifer-Garner-back-Peppermint-actress-considering-a-reunion-with-ex-husband-1586074
I mean this is the guy who, among another myriad of messes, f ked his children’s nanny, groped a woman on tv, stumbled drunk as a skunk in front of the paps so many times I don’t even remember. And that just to name a few. We as a society will give countless, endless opportunities to a white straight guy, tall dark and handsome, charming, wealthy. Go on, Ben don’t worry, f ked it up again and again, you have nothing to worry about. In the meantime Winona was blacklisted for decades for stealing a bra and Britney lost her rights and freedom for a simple meltdown.
“J. Lo wants a date” lol I’m sure she can find a date. He said stupid stuff, he needs to apologize to his ex-wife (assuming she even cares at this point about anything he says) and shut up for a minute while it blows over. Howard Stern is known for this kind of interview vibe where celebrities speak off the cuff, and that’s why he’s popular. People say stupid stuff sometimes, it’s really not the end of the world.
All this benifer is because he was so rejected by ana and who could possibly outdo her and make him feel like a winner again, uh-huh. jlo is more controlling than jen could ever be and just because he’s allowed to gamble with gramma doesn’t mean he won’t feel trapped in his new wardrobe in a blink