Jennifer Garner was Hasty Pudding’s woman of the year and she accepted the award in person on Saturday. She was asked about her first kiss and she said it was at 18 with a guy named Matt Crittenden who “tried to go further than a kiss” so she “swatted it away.” Matt broke up with her the next day and called Garner a prude, which she called “a badge I’ve worn proudly ever since.” I really wonder why she used the guy’s full name, but it sounds like she dodged a bullet with that one.
I wanted to talk about the US Magazine cover story featuring Garner and her supposed imminent engagement to her on-again boyfriend, fast food technology entrepreneur John Miller. It’s bizarre to me that, with all the paparazzi photos we have of Garner, Ben Affleck and their kids, that we’ve only rarely seen photos of John. I don’t think the inset photo on the cover is real and it looks like they photoshopped the two of them together. I’ve talked about this before, and I’ve also mentioned that US seems to be Garner’s outlet of choice. They had the inside story of Ben’s fling with the nanny and they broke the news of Garner’s relationship with Miller. When there’s a cover story like this, I assume it comes straight from her PR people but I could be wrong. It’s very sugary and has some details about their relationship and their plans for the future. Here’s more:
“They love to cook and just chill out on weekends,” says an insider. “Sometimes, John will surprise Jen with thoughtful little gifts or something splashier, like a romantic trip. They have a great dynamic and he treats her like a princess…
“John openly admits to friends that he sees Jen as marriage material, so it’s really just a matter of time before they make things official,” the insider spills, adding that Miller is planning to propose ahead of Garner’s upcoming 50th birthday on April 17. “That’s when they’ll likely formally move in together,” says the insider, “and then start planning the wedding for later this year…”
[Jen is] happy to have someone who isn’t like her ex. “Jen doesn’t miss the drama and intensity Ben brought to the table at all,” the insider explains. “John’s reliable and mature and she never has to worry about what mood he’s in or how he’ll react if something doesn’t go his way.”
“Aging doesn’t faze Jen at all,” shares the insider. “She looks at [turning 50] as an achievement and is extremely excited about what the future holds. She has this rock-solid guy, a wonderful family, a great career and a support system that’s there for her no matter what…”
Word is Garner — who’s currently waiting for construction to finish on a new home she bought in L.A. — doesn’t want a prenup. (Miller is said to be worth $20 million, while she has an estimated net worth of $80 million.) She clearly feels Miller is worth the risk. “Jen’s had tough times,” says the insider. “There have been days when she really had to dig deep to stay positive. But she has a spiritual connection with John,” the insider adds. “He’s the type of guy she’s been dreaming of her whole life.”
[From US Magazine, print edition, February 14, 2022]
Us also reports that they’re likely to have a “a no-frills, low-key” wedding without a lot of fuss. They also have details of their breakup last spring, stating that they both agreed to take a break and that “There was zero interest on either side to date other people. Jen just needed to juggle the other priorities in her life for a while, and John totally respected that.” I wonder why they didn’t mention the pandemic because it was super risky back then to see people before the vaccines were widely available, especially if you had kids. It really seemed to me like they took a break and then got back together when they both were vaccinated.
This makes me wonder if Ben Affleck is about to propose to Jennifer Lopez. Garner may be close to getting engaged to Miller and she may want to control the narrative that she’s doing it out of one-upmanship. Maybe that’s just the stage they are in their relationship. Also, it’s dumb not to get a prenup. I don’t plan on getting married again but if it ever happens I will absolutely get a prenup. They’re not just for very wealthy people.
These photos of Garner at the Hasty Pudding celebration are from Saturday. I would not want people kissing me!
Photos credit: Avalon.red and Backgrid
She’s crazy not to get a prenup. Everyone should have one, IMO.
I’d get a pre-nup just for the conversation about money and priorities it forces you and your partner to have. Never assume. Get it in writing. That’s my life philosophy from here on out.
OK this approach I can get behind! Have an open conversation, discuss fears, the future, expectations etc. Then REVISIT on a regular basis. A prenup is part of the conversation but the more important one is just to be able to talk openly about finances.
If you’re getting married for the third time you know a prenup is a smart move but really why get married at all? And JLo saying how lucky she and Ben are to have a second chance um he’s the guy who cheated on her with strippers and then cheated on his wife with the nanny. I’m over the fairy tale narrative the celebrities and the rags keep pushing on us.
I couldn’t agree with you more especially about the JLO part.
I hate when tabloids call something a celebrity does “secret”. The word is private. And yes to a prenup for anyone getting married. Reaching agreement on those kinds of issues once things have fallen apart is a special kind of hell.
I think she’s way too savvy to not get a pre-nup. This sounds like a lot of US creative writing.
That was my thought too. And if not? FFS girl I’m sure you’ve matured but this will be your third marriage. Third. Trying to get all “take the risk!” romantic at this stage with three kids is a bit silly. Your instincts in this area have been…questionable.
right?!? I hope she’s happy and all but get a d*MN prenuptial! you are rich!
Who would actually believe this? It sounds like total nonsense. Both of her previous marriages ended in divorce, and the most recent one took 3 years to complete. I don’t even think Burger Robot Guy is still around, rendering the whole thing moot. Garner’s PR team stays working tirelessly to keep her relevant in any which way that they can these days, I suppose.
Was the phrase “racing Ben to the altar” necessary? She and John have been dating much longer than Ben has been with JLo this time. If they are smart they both already have trust funds set up for their children and the house will likely be in her name and pre-wedding. I guess she got back at him for his remarks with “not missing his drama”.
US weekly needs to do better. “ he sees Jen as marriage material” what the actual f*ck is this 1800s misogynistic comment not the mention the aging part. You can tell a man came up with this storyline .
Ugh thank you. That was my immediate reaction too. I’ll happily remain “not marriage material” if it means I get to be a human being in this world without all the antiquated expectations.
That was my reaction too.
How much did Garner’s PR team pay Harvard to get her this award?
Garner and Affleck are indeed at each other’s throat, psychologically. Based on Gossip Cop, JLo demanded a pre-nup from Affleck before he even proposed yet. She also wants a huge wedding, at least more of a society event. Now we learn from US Weekly Garner won’t have a pre-nup and she and Miller will have a no-frill small intimate wedding. Everything is opposite of the narratives of the exes.
Interestingly, Garner and Affleck didn’t have a pre-nup either when they wedded and their assets were split evenly in the divorce.
There is another more calculated interpretation, one that is on brand of her public image and her past actions and one that some of her fans might not like to admit: right now Affleck & JLo, Garner & Miller are playing the waiting game. Who moving on first will be the loser in the public’s judgement court, because the winner will have the narrative that their ex has moved on, therefore they move on subsequently.
Lainey Liu read Garner more accurately than any other gossip columnists in that she always stays on a straight and narrow line in public narrative. From the moment she and Affleck announcing separation and divorcing, she knew Affleck would make mistakes and play into her own advantage in the public’s court.
We have seen this played out many times during the narrative war of the Jen & Ben’s divorce, and Affleck lost every single one of the set-pieces in the ensuring years.
Garner actually likes Taylor Swift a lot in that they acutely aware the narratives and manage always to be on top against their opponent.
That’s also probably why Affleck was so frustrated at his slopeness and her game that his guard was worn down during that Howard Stern Talk Show and confessed more than what he should have.
About Affleck’s mistakes he made during the divorce year:
In 2015, Nannygate happened, even though that happened after their separation. But does that matter anymore? The public already had their judgement: he cheated. Score 1 for Garner;
When in 2017, he moved out and started to see Lindsay Shookus, she went to People to let the public know that he and Shookus had been seeing each other since 2013. He cheater. Score 1 for Garner;
In 2018, more than 2 years after they announced they separation, and more than 1 year after his 2017 relapse and his subsequent moving out, she left public know she had been seeing someone else. At this point, she knew the public sympathy would be well on her side and allowed her to move on in their judgement. Score 1 for Garner;
In 2018, when Affleck learnt Garner moved on, he hinted her to sign the paper on blast.com through anonymous sources. She refused on US Weekly through anonymous sources too, citing his continuous drinking. Shookus left him (a payback to the third woman in their previous marriage). He relapsed (very likely because of frustration at him and at her). She drove him to the rehab, letting paparazzi taking pictures of him by pulling down the car window. The narrative completely destroyed him. Score at least 3 for Garner;
In Feb 2020, when he made confessions on national television and on NYT playing the sorrowful ex-husband, she broke up with Miller in Mar 2020. This time, the narrative around her is that there was still chances of reconciliation left for him. The scorned ex-wife was waiting for him. Then Ana de Armas happened. Score 1 for Garner;
Now we are at the present. This time Garner is playing JLo in the narrative court. She knew JLo is competitive. In fact, JLo herself made to much lower ranking tabloids to declare that she would not let Garner win the thunder by getting engaged first. Garner now is simplying playing JLo’s competitiveness. We learnt from OK and Gossip Cop that even though Affleck and JLo hadn’t engaged yet, but they had already signed prenup and she was preparing the wedding, all simply after Garner showing that rock on her hand with some deniable engagement puff piece on the tabloids. And now she deliberately announced this with that Racing Ex Ben & JLo to the altar headline onthe cover of US Weekly, knowing full well that JLo would be competitive.
Lately she looks carefree and happy.
She’s not a stupid person. If she isn’t doing a prenup – which isn’t always enforceable anyway – i can’t believe she’d just get married with no safeguards. That would not benefit her children if she died first. I am sure she has some way to protect her kids, like most of assets being held in a trust or something that goes to her kids.
Why does Garner look like she’s had cheek implants in the photo above where she’s smiling all crazy? Her face looks so unnatural there. Maybe it’s just the makeup?
And I also thought she was already engaged? Wasn’t she spotted wearing a ring? And then removed it? This story just sounds all kinds of grasping at straws. Does JG have anything coming out soon? What’s with the random PR story??
Seems like some people here really believe if it comes from US Magazine it must have come from her people. I don’t agree it sounds like they just decided to retread from that OK Magazine article from a few months ago only OK said they had already gotten married without a prenup which wasn’t true. She did seem really happy during that goofy hasty pudding parade (don’t worry it’s not like you can buy it) and it’s not stretch to believe that she’s happier now but to me she has seemed that way since her separation, whether there is another man or not in her life.
That photo is definitely photoshopped! i remember that photo…it was actually a pic of her with Ben!
i don’t believe Jen wouldn’t have a prenup if she was getting married..US Weekly is stirring the pot!
Eww, what does marriage material even mean? Seems like an outdated term that men use to differentiate between the women they have fun with and the ones they take home. Gross.
Congratulations !!
I will only believe this story if it actually plays out… if John & his children move into her house. They all start taking vacations together, marriage license provinf the fact, and are actually seen doing couples things together. This fake created boyfriend story has ran its course. But when Garner actually decides to settle down…good for her. Because Ben is not looking back.
I don’t think JG is looking back, either!