Ben Affleck has been staying at his Brentwood home, not the place he shares with J.Lo

As we discussed, In Touch Weekly has a big story this week about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s marriage trouble. In Touch claims that Bennifer might be headed for divorce. This whole thing seemingly started because it’s been more than a month since Ben and J.Lo were seen together. Ben was by her side in February for her promotion for This Is Me…Now. Although if you ask me, I did think the vibe was “off” at the premiere – I’m saying that as an old-school Bennifer defender, even though the Bennifer stans were super-mad at me. I did think Ben looked… restless. A little bit over it. Still, they were seen together a few times in March and then nothing. No sightings together in April or May. According to People, it’s been 47 days since they’ve been seen together. It feels notable that even People is bandwagoning on this story, doesn’t it?

Now, I think the lack of coupled-up photos would be easily explained if they were just in an undercover era. That happened last year, where they were barely seen for several months, and that spurred some “divorce” headlines too. But back then, both of them were sort of undercover. These days, they’re both being photographed a lot, just not together. Ben’s apparently working, but he’s getting pap’d around LA a lot. Meanwhile, Jennifer took Emme to Paris last week, and J.Lo has been flying all over the place, everywhere but LA. Now TMZ is jumping on the bandwagon too, sort of:

Ben Affleck has been staying at a home that he seems to be occupying without his wife, Jennifer Lopez — and he was spotted leaving there this morning … this amid split rumors. The actor was photographed Thursday morning in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles — where we’re told he left a house that he’s been seen coming from and going to … and where we’re told he’s been spending the night as well.

This morning, paps got him leaving that same area … and he appeared to be riding solo. We’re also told that Ben was NOT spotted at his house with J Lo the night prior — so it seems he spent the night here at this Brentwood address.

The reason this is all relevant is that an InTouch report this week claimed he and J Lo are dunzo. More importantly … the story also suggested Ben had already moved out of their marital home in Beverly Hills — and while we don’t know if he’s 100% out of there… we can confirm Ben has been seen staying at this house in Brentwood over the past week or so.

What’s interesting here is that Ben and Jen have both been seen rocking their wedding rings in recent days — including in this photo of Ben here, with his arm dangling out the window. Jennifer herself has also been spotted wearing hardware on her wedding ring in the past few days as well … although, both she and Ben have been noticeably apart from one another in public … including at public events like the Met Gala last week, where Jen was by herself.

[From TMZ]

I figured he would keep his Brentwood home no matter what – it’s close to Jen Garner’s house, and they’re both very active in their kids’ lives, so the proximity makes sense for school drop-offs and family life. Keeping the Brentwood house is convenient and he probably also considers it his man-cave, somewhere he can write and decompress, somewhere his kids feel comfortable too. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s everything. I don’t know. But I’m not getting a good feeling about this and I will truly be heartbroken if they split.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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96 Responses to “Ben Affleck has been staying at his Brentwood home, not the place he shares with J.Lo”

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  1. MaryContrary says:

    I thought I read he seemed drunk or out of it at the Tom Brady roast? That’s never a good sign.

    • Bettyrose says:

      Hungover frat boy is his whole vibe.

      • ELX says:

        He’s a very self-destructive person—he destroys and rebuilds over and over. Also, they are so different—sex by itself is never enough to keep two people together.

      • JustBitchy says:

        @bettyrose – agree 100%. Plus I do think JLo is probably exhausting

      • SquiddusMaximus says:

        ELX – Yes. I feel like his type of addiction craves the destruction/creation stimuli. I dated some like this once — he worshipped me when I was gone, then hated everything when I was there. Miserable. Death Cab For Cutie’s “Your Heart Is An Empty Room” could’ve been written about them.

    • StillDouchesOfCambridge says:

      What happened during/after the roast? Hmm 🤔
      Anyway, someone said jen must be exhausting, i’m sure they both are and i have the impression that she is a total control freak, i dont see how that would do well with midlife ben. It was only a matter of time. They love the idea of a new rekindled forever love, but now they remember how and why they couldnt make it to the alter the first time. They both have landed that plane and it landed in splitsville, in different places…

  2. HillaryIsAlwaysRight says:

    It is curious that they weren’t at the Met Gala together, especially since she was a co-chair.

    • Kokiri says:

      I actually think it’s ok he didn’t go. And I am not at all convinced they are still together.
      I just don’t think the gala was that big a deal.
      By all looks, Tom wasn’t there with Zendaya, Elsa with Chris. Perhaps the after party but not walking the stupid carpet isn’t a big thing (?? Is it?)
      It’s seems it is all work, like any red carpet. Not at all glamorous or fun.

  3. AlpineWitch says:

    I’d be sad if they split, after a reconciliation that lasted 20 years… still, she seems very extra and I don’t see it as something being good in any relationship, let alone with someone who has clearly another bowl of issues on his own.

    • Giddy says:

      I’d be sad for their kids. All that “we are family” stuff and then not? That’s really hard on kids.

      • Barrett says:

        I felt that way about Arod’s girls. She got close to those teenage girls and then poof. It’s gotta impact her kids, as well. We are super close , ok now we orbit out of their lives……empathy to all kiddos in these situations….

      • AlpineWitch says:

        Well, that went without saying, that’s never a pleasant situation for kids.

      • HollyGolightly says:

        It sounded like her daughter and Ben’s younger daughter had gotten really close. There were even photos of Jennifer Garner leading an amusement park gathering for the daughter’s friends, including Emme. Hopefully it’s not ugly for the kids’ sakes.

      • Hmmm says:

        The kids might be in touch. I’m still very close with my stepsiblings though our parents have been divorced for ages. Heck – I’m close with the sons of my stepdad’s current wife as well, since I’ve known them since we were kids. All their kids I consider my niblings.

      • lucy2 says:

        I especially feel for JLo’s kids, their dad has been married twice since he and JLO divorced, and she’s had a long engagement with ARod and now this marriage, all with other kids blended in.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      They both have serious issues which make them toxic together – he has addiction and fidelity issues and she is very very needy/controlling. Its a shame as they did really seem to be in love and wanted to make a go of it.

      • Ste says:

        I have always seen them as a mismatched couple. I never got the compatibility vibe from them in any photos that I have seen.

      • Proud Mary says:

        I really don’t think that this is about them being a “mismatched” couple. I think they each have issues that make them not prepared to be in long-lasting, committed relationships. Ben and Jen (Garner) stayed together that long because of her. That relationship was over long before the divorce — I remember his oscar speech just sounding like a man in an unhappy marriage. The problem with Jen (Lopez) is that all her relationships just have to be oh so public. She is not in love unless the whole entire universe is watching. She just seems to monetize everything. It just doesn’t seem real for her. She is so Truman show, all the time. I sometimes wonder, when will enough be enough for her. I also often wonder, when does she find the time to nurture any relationship? It seems her most lasting relationship was with Diddy? But then again, she used that to get up in life, so, who knows.

  4. Pinkosaurus says:

    Yesterday, I said that InTouch is a garbage tabloid and I didn’t believe they had a source. People and TMZ can also be terrible but are much more reliable sources. I hope this is just a blip or two busy people working on different gigs for a bit.

    • ML says:

      I think of TMZ as “the man zone,” and they usually uphold the guy’s p.o.v., but they are also usually accurate about gossip. The more telling info is from People, though. People kisses celebrities behinds: they do not want to lose access. I cannot imagine that they would report that Bennifer hasn’t been seen together in public like that unless this is okay with either or both Jen and Ben. So I absolutely believe that things are not well.

    • Gossip Magazine Talk says:

      Different tabloids serve different purposes within the celebrity PR eco-system. People to celebrity news is NYT/WaPo to regular news. It is used as a paper of record. As is this exat reason that some celebrity PR stuff (the more underhanded/shady etc) are not suitable for People to print. To this purpose, the more scandalous/low reportings ones such as US Weekly, Page Six do the same thing. You don’t ask your PR to go to these printers if you don’t want some deniability.
      This leaves the the space for InTouch, Star, etc. If you want to see celebrity troubles or hookups, go to there, or even better Gossip Cop who report them.
      For example, remember the fling that is between Leo DiCaprio and Gigi that was widely reported in Sep/Oct 2022? Well, I’d known this since May/June the same year, because some even lower than InTouch/Star magazines were reporting sources. I knew this because Gossip Cop was writing them in May/June 2022. And it is very obvious that Gossip Cop’s business model/earnings come from celebrities’ PR commissioning.
      Celebrity blinds also serve the same purpose. This one is even shadier to use for celebrity PR. This is most likely used by PR to smear campaign the enemies of their clients in the industry to mask their identity. For example most of blinds in BlindGossip were such nature before it went downhill in recent years.

      • She-Ra says:

        This makes sense. Does celebrity PR ever leak something to the tabloids without the permission of the celebrity? …..Who decides which tabloid to leak to, the PR or the celebrity?

      • Gossip Magazine Talk says:

        @She-Ra, celebrity is the master to their PR, of course they do the bidding for their master with their blessing. As for which tabloids to leak, I think it is up to the PR to pick the outlets, since it’s their job to know these things, but once again, celebrity will need to ok this.
        On a side note, does your name She-Ra come from that famous 80’s cartoon heroin?

  5. Ariel says:

    The Jane Fonda thing kind of rings in my ears on this. How she told Jen on camera that her love seemed performative and she should stop performing and showing everyone – and just be.

    If true. Sad. They seem to love each other.

    • NotTheOne says:

      I think Jane Fonda’s comment was very on point. I watched her movie and it was like a biography of her loves but I felt like all the wedding guests in the intro section – like this is all one big show for her and that’s what she thinks love is.

      Very sad.

  6. Get Real says:

    Anyone with eyes has seen this coming. Her flopped film was the last straw. She wants a fantasy and he is far from it.

    • Lolo86lf says:

      This happened the first time they got engaged. The movie Gili sealed their fate back then and it looks like a floppy movie (granted only Jennifer is in it this time.) is going to end their relationship again among other reasons of course. I said yesterday and I will say it again: Ben and Jen should never be married again after their impending divorce actually happens. Just accept the fact that marriage is not a viable lifestyle for them. They should just date and enjoy it while it lasts and move on.

      • Bettyrose says:

        I get why Gigli was hard on their relationship but why would the recent flop be a problem?

      • Jayna says:

        @Bettyrose It’s just the tip of the iceberg. He did not want her to do a movie all about “The greatest love story never told,” i.e., him. The whole reason they ended before was the oversaturation of them everywhere. Yet, from the get-go, that’s how this relationship was handled. But Ben accepted that was how J-Lo rolled and tried to be more open to it.

        But a movie and documentary and album about some fairytale great love, when they are just a couple of very flawed human beings who will probably have a marriage that has issues but can work, a movie that could get no backing and everyone advised her not to do, including Ben, was overkill She said Ben was very uncomfortable with it and told her she was crazy. She laughed and said he was crazy, but then admitted she was probably the crazy one. But she said he wanted her to be happy and fulfill her artist’s dream, but uneasy about him being her muse for it.

        The problem is Ben has a fear of being made a fool of again in the media. He’s trying to accommodate and support J-Lo by going against who he is at his very core. I was shocked to hear J-Lo talk about the minute they got back together in her mind she was forming this project, the greatest love story never told. I found that so strange that’s the first place she went to in her mind considering they famously flamed out the first time because of their relationship being so public and Ben bailing.

    • Get Real says:

      Thank you, @jayna. Every word you said. She has an image in her head of who she wants these men to be, and they constantly disappoint her by being flawed and human.
      I cannot imagine the cringe he experienced when this film was released. How awful to be objectified in front of the entire world, ans after he said he was uncomfortable, too – especially for someone struggling with addiction. Total boundary bashing.
      That’s not artistic expression, that’s pure selfishness.

      • CL says:

        I watched the documentary about the making of “This Is Me Now” (couldn’t stomach the actual movie), and Jen actually took a book of bound love letters from Ben and had it on display in the music studio, encouraging everyone to read it. It was so “look at how much I am loved!”, and didn’t even take into consideration how Ben might feel about it.

        When he later expressed surprise that she’d shown everyone the letters, I thought “they will split, and it’ll be her fault”. She cared more about being seen to be loved than she cared about her husband’s feelings about having his letters shown without his permission.

    • VoominVava says:

      She has a tour this summer singing all of her love songs about Ben…. it just occured to me that this may be a way to get some attention for that. They haven’t disputed or confirmed the rumours .. maybe it’s a PR thing.

      • Erica says:

        How would stories of them splitting be good PR for her “Greatest love story” tour ? She was already getting negative press for the tour, album and documentary. The point would be to draw attention from all of that to something positive to get people excited about seeing her on tour and buy tickets.

      • Aurora says:

        If it’s a PR thing, maybe it’s meant to justify the cancellation of some venues. If she had to pick, I guess she’d rather choose being sympathized on as a tragic love victim than being mocked as a struggling has-been that can’t sell cheap seats while global Swifties go broke after filling up Eras tour coffers.
        If only she’d pull a Swift and managed to get a decently mature album out of their split.

      • VoominVava says:

        I just meant any attention is still attention, that’s all. Sorry I can’t answer your questions I was just musing.

    • paintybox says:

      I’m not a fan of either one but I hoped their reunion would work. But I think the flopped film is significant too. My sense is she wanted to prove to him and the world that she could make a great film too, and she thought of it as a big valentine to him and their love. She really thought she would pull it off, no matter how much resistance or advice to the contrary, which is all in the documentary about the film. She set herself up. He basically tells her in the documentary, well at least you tried, you did it. He wasn’t laughing at her. But maybe her ego is bruised because the concept film wasn’t a huge critical hit and then her tour sales were bad. It’s just my own opinion (remember, not a fan of either one) but I think there were major red flags – she took on this massive speculative project (big set of massive projects, actually) before they were even married for that long. He was obviously cast into “supportive partner” role while she took on this huge work project promoting it as all about their love when it was really about her OWN journey to find love (as she sees it), including her past relationships and marriages and gods in heaven being obsessed with her life – Ben Affleck was a cypher and she didn’t care about his boundaries either. Her conception of how to be a guest at someone’s wedding in her film involved making her the big showstopper center of attention – wth? Please don’t come to my wedding, Jlo. lol

  7. Mrs. Smith says:

    Yeah, someone mentioned that Ben seemed inebriated at the Tom Brady roast, so maybe he’s off the wagon? That can be hard on a relationship that prioritizes sobriety.

    • Lolo86lf says:

      Is a gaunt face a sign of alcohol abuse. His face almost looks unhealthy. Ben always had a chiseled face but he really looks kind of too thin now.

    • Jayna says:

      Not off the wagon. But it was clear to me that he was medicated because of his dry mouth. I think he suffers from extreme anxiety at times and he doesn’t have the bottle to turn to anymore. You can tell when he does things that make him nervous, like the Howard Stern show, he takes some kind of prescribed medication. The very dry mouth is a sign. Now it all makes sense regarding his intensity on stage at the roast. He and J-Lo were having troubles and he was living elsewhere. That’s why he came on the roast in an agitated state. They weren’t getting along, and he wasn’t going to the Met Gala the next night. He probably didn’t even want to be at the roast.

  8. LadyE says:

    Aww man, I hope this isn’t true! I am very randomly invested in Bennifer. No idea why lol. I don’t have strong feelings about them individually at all, but something about their romance- I just want them to make it!

    I wasn’t really giving much mind to these rumours until I saw the People headline last night. Agree that seems significant and ominous : (

  9. d says:

    I dismissed the in touch stuff because I’ve been around a loooong time and that rag is not trustworthy but when I saw People’s article last night and the fact that their reps didn’t return calls for a statement I said “uh oh”. An “everything is fine, they each have commitments on either side of the country” explanation would be easy to give. I will suggest that Ben is in LA also because his oldest is a senior and probably has lots of end of year things going on that he would want to be there for. But again, that would have been easy to say.

    • suez says:

      That’s what is setting off alarm bells for me as well- it would be easy for the reps to issue a statement and put this whole thing to rest. Waiting for a late Friday announcement….

      • Jayna says:

        J-Lo set that pap shot up where they caught her looking for houses. I don’t believe for a second that those photos weren’t set up by J-Lo. I think she’s sending Ben a signal because he’s not come back yet and she’s not going to hide it.

  10. girl_ninja says:

    I hope for his sake that he is still on the wagon and I think that she needs to stop giving his love letters to her friends to read. I think Jen needs (as so many of us do) therapy and to reeavalutate herself.

  11. Eurydice says:

    It hasn’t even been 2 years, for heaven’s sake. I can’t with those two.

  12. K8erade says:

    I’m sorry, but I never understood why Jennifer Lopez took Ben back or what she saw in him in the first place. I could say the same for Jennifer Garner too but at least she got 3 cute kids out of the deal. Ben’s a wreck and he’s always been a hot mess. The ladies of the world deserve better than him. He’s no prize and treats the women in his life horribly (except his mom). I wish Jennifer Lopez had a better picker when it comes to men.

  13. Kokiri says:

    Well.

    There’s been comments along the lines of: the grew apart.
    That’s not what is happening.
    They didn’t grow apart- the don’t even know each other.
    They didn’t grow together. That’s what is happening.

    They barely knew each other 20 years ago. They definitely don’t know each other now, along with parenting, addiction, cheating, career highs & lows.

    They have no idea who the other is to even begin to understand, trust, rely upon, anticipate reactions, support, in any given situation.

    That’s what love is. The above paragraph. It’s not love bombing, making documentaries, pretending in your open self that this is in any way romantic.

  14. Amy Bee says:

    I’ll be sad if they break up.

  15. Midnightsun says:

    I think it’s over. He moved out and wasn’t she seen house hunting ?
    I hope he’s still so sober but at their core they are deepily incompatible, an US weekly article also mentioned issues between them because of jlo’s packed schedules. And it’s true she never stops it sure didn’t help to keep a harmonious family life. And Ben has his own demons. They both need to seek therapy for awhile and stay single

  16. Jayna says:

    Ben sold his Brentwood home. It sold some time before they bought the $60 million property. He made a very nice profit. So he’s either renting a home or a friend’s home is empty and he’s staying there.

    • Lauren says:

      I remember Ben getting dragged around looking at homes in Beverly Hills and he never looked happy. He did not want to live there. Now he is back in Brentwood near his children, and having his Dunkin’ delivered-just like the old days.

  17. Lisa says:

    most importantly, can we get an ID on these jeans? I love them she looks so comfortable

  18. Lens says:

    The house he’s been at since she got back to LA is a rental. His post first divorce house in the palisades was sold right before they moved in together just before their wedding. I’m curious who will get the white palace since she seems to be looking for a new place as well – or maybe she just wanted us to get the hint they’ve split. Probably neither wants it. A 60 million $ mistake and it took 5 years to sell before they bought it.

    • Jayna says:

      Yeah, I posted above that that those photos of her looking at homes was set up by her. She was definitely letting it be known.

      That $60 million home is a monstrosity. And then the guy that bought it to flip it put in a huge parking lot in front of the home, built a 5,000 square-foot guest house/indoor basketball court, etc. directly across from the front of the home. That’s their view from every window of the front of the Ben and J-Lo’s home, a massive second home. LOL. The guy who bought it to flip it tried to update the home, and the photos listed from back them showed a typical gray-themed update, basic to me. The place is massive and looked soulless inside, like a huge hotel lobby. I doubt Ben ever wanted that home. They just could never agree on a home and bought that one.

    • likethedirection says:

      Lainey IDed them, they’re Isabel Marant!

  19. mycatlovestv says:

    I always have a side eye whenever someone boasts that they have the greatest love story ever told…and goes on & on about it. Overcompensating much?

  20. Kitten says:

    Oh man…hope this isn’t true. I’d still be shocked because, as I alluded to yesterday, I think both of them are really committed to–and invested in– upholding J Lo’s narrative that they were destined to be together and that their love is real and lasting. J Lo seems too stubborn and determined to make this thing work that even if things are terrible, it’s essentially just sunk cost fallacy at this point.

    Like some here, I’m weirdly invested in them so I hope this is just the tabs looking for headlines but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried…

  21. Baby says:

    I hope this is not true. I noticed that at the Met gala and at another event she seemed subdued. Not her usual energy.

  22. Carolnr says:

    Ben had told her in the beginning that he did not want their relationship to be on social media. Ben is clearly not comfortable but she did not care & did it anyway. Her video & documentary were both flops. Her friends & entourage told her not to either but she was hell- bent in telling this story & no one ( even Jane Fonda ) could convince her otherwise. Benny Medina was an idiot convincing her to tell ” her love story”. I think Benny Medina is responsible for the breakdown of this marriage. I also think that JL is desperately trying to re- invent herself & will do so even if it costs her marriage to Ben.

    • Nachos says:

      Yep, she saw all the reality-show and social-media-relatable trends and how some A-listers have hopped on those trends and wanted to create a premium reality product to show them who’s boss. She’d have been better off completely donating that $20 million to needy causes.

  23. WithTheAmerican says:

    I said when all of this started it wasn’t going to end well, but I’m still having a hard time believing it fell apart so soon. Hope it’s not true.

    JLO, girl! You are already a fairytale by yourself! You don’t need a man!

  24. UpIn Toronto says:

    JLo.and Benny Medina should have just married. Perfect couple bc they would both be about her only

  25. Queen Meghan's Hand says:

    The myth of JLo is imploding right now, and so is Jennifer Lopez. That’s what’s wrong with the marriage. It’s so obvious from the documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, that Jennifer Lopez is a basket case who has not done The Work and that Ben Geza Affleck is doing The Work. Watching the documentary I was really surprised to see that JLo has absolutely no idea who she is as an Artist and a woman. The career and talent she has in her mind is not the actual career and talent she has in real life.

    • Nachos says:

      She’s an okay actress. Being credited as a singer and making so much money from works that rely significantly on the voices of ghost singers is truly off-putting, however.

      Also got to factor in how much briefly dating Tommy Mottola while he was trying to take revenge against Mariah Carey for dumping him and then dating Diddy (who locked in great songwriters, producers, and songs for her) helped her “singing” career.

  26. MsIam says:

    I never thought it would last this long tbh. He always seemed to have that “going to the dentist face” when he was around her. And then the whole thing where it seemed like she dragged him to Vegas to get married before he changed his mind? Yikes! Then again maybe its all just rumors, their kids seem happy together so maybe they’ll try and work things out between them. The greatest love story movie probably didn’t help things much though.

  27. Gabby says:

    I am surprised at the number of people who thought this was going to work out. They seem to have very different life priorities. And that it appears neither one of them can be alone, jumping from the last relationship to the next without taking any ‘recoil’ time. Call me crazy, but I think that recoil time is important. Mix in a few career hiccups and addictions. All in the public glare. I wish them both well, together or apart.

  28. seraphina says:

    They always seemed off to me. As though they were both looking for something in one another that was lacking in themselves. And then when together their energy was off. I hope they make it through this but I too am a Leo and I know I am exhausting at times to my husband. I can only imagine what JLo must be like right now with the flop she has had, getting older (yeah that does factor into it as well) and just being herself. Ben seems to need a woman to focus on him and his demons…… and JLo ain’t the one.

  29. Renee' says:

    I understand the commenting on Ben’s addiction issues….this is a gossip site. But I wish the speculation on whether he has relapsed was more forgiving. If you struggle with addiction, it is really hard to read the comments speculating on whether he fell off the wagon or relapsed.

  30. VilleRose says:

    Yeah, they’re dunzo. J. Lo did this with A-Rod too right before they broke up, issuing a statement “they were working on some things” and being very obvious they had broken up. Just weeks later we found out she was dating Ben. So my guess is she’s moved on to someone else. Not surprised by any of it. She’s a diva that has to have an entourage at all times, just came across a Twitter thread where people are sharing how she was nasty to them/people they know. Maybe they would have lasted longer had she not insisted on doing that stupid documentary? We’ll never know! I mostly feel bad about for all the kids involved. Max and Emme were introduced to A-Rod’s kids and then that didn’t work out. And then very quickly introduced to Ben’s kids and gained a stepfather. Who is she going to foist on them next? And same for Ben’s kids, their relationships with J. Lo’s kids will be cut off too I’m assuming.

    Ben is no saint either with his history of addiction but he has made it clear he is a private person and she airs everything out because she likes to overshare. They are very different people. Something connects them obviously since they’ve now done this twice, but red hot passion isn’t enough to sustain anything long term.

    • Kitten says:

      “Ben is no saint either with his history of addiction”

      Addiction is a disease actually and not an indicator of morals or character.

      • Nachos says:

        Yep, well said. And considering alcoholism is hereditary (check the studies) and Affleck’s father was an alcoholic also, we should be more compassionate and recognise for some people, it requires far more will than others to commit to staying sober.

  31. Eos says:

    Bennifer possibly divorcing? Oh NO, said no one. #Hollywoodmarriages

  32. Aidee Kay says:

    I am really, really hoping the goss is wrong on this. Fingers crossed these two crazy kids make it long-term!! #BenniferAgainifer4eva

  33. ohwell says:

    Ben has a low character, self-destructive energy. She wasted her time with him, but hopefully she found closure.

  34. Jaded says:

    I think JLo is exhausting — she literally sucks all the air out of a room, out of a partner, out of her professional life. She’s an energy vampire and needs a constant supply of adulation and adoration to keep her enormous ego afloat. Sure it’s all fun and games until reality hits with a thud that she never turns it off — you’re expected to cater to her neediness and addiction to being in big storybook love when some days you just want to watch TV in your pajamas.

  35. Sass says:

    I think several things can be true, whether they are on the outs or not. Ben is an addict and he will always struggle with it even if he stays sober, because addiction is a beast and it’s always there even on your best days. I think his struggles with addiction plus his infidelity are the two biggest reasons he prefers a private personal life. I think he is able to compartmentalize personal and professional and feels protected this way. It’s his self preservation. Jennifer is needy and likes attention and has always been public about her relationships to the point that she drives people away. Her addiction is being love bombed. If it isn’t intense every day she doesn’t want it. She sees everything as an opportunity for publicity and money and Ben doesn’t want to live under the scrutiny of a reality series. I am not accusing or defending either, only saying they’re very different people.

    I think as much as they love each other they are just not right together, it’s almost as though they just don’t communicate well. Which is something that can be helped through couples therapy, if they’re willing.

  36. Erica says:

    I’m not a fan of either one, and I’m not sure if these stories are true or not, but it doesn’t look good.

    The reality is Ben and JLO are still the same people they were 20 years ago only older with kids. JLO still loves the media attention and is still a not nice and unkind person who has not learned to love herself or value herself out of a relationship. Jumping from relationship to relationship, engagement from one person to a marriage to another with no breaks in between.

    Ben is a serial cheater that is too much of a coward to end his relationships that he is unhappy with, but it makes things so toxic that the woman ends things. He loves the media attention just like JLO, but withdraws when he does not get positive attention from it .

    Ben is also newly sober outside of the corvid safety bubble. He has not focused on his own issue as a single person just jumping from marriage to relationship to relationship to marriage. Ben definitely seems like he is looking for a caregiver in those relationship’s.

    At the end of the day whether or not they split or stay together they are two people that never learned how to be alone and work on their own issues outside of a relationship, but got back together because of nostalgia.

  37. NotSoSocialB says:

    I feel like a relationship w JLo would be exhausting all the time- she’s always on, always being performative. That would wear me down.

  38. Katie Beanstalk says:

    They only just got married! If it’s not working out couldn’t they have found that out before they got married? By the way Ben is gorgeous.

  39. therese says:

    I don’t want this to happen. I avoided reading anything about it up till now. I remember that JLo revealed that her green diamond or wedding ring was inscribed inside by Ben “not going anywhere”. I do believe though that private relationships have more of a chance. We’ve discussed couples living separately, and I think that would be healthy for them. Hope that is what is going on. I remember years ago when David Letterman gave JLo advice on air too.

  40. Jayna says:

    Gosh, these two and their pap-ops. J-Lo sets up a photo-op of her househunting. She wants the world to know what is going on. No secret separation to privately work on things. Ben is seen leaving a home he is staying in in Brentwood. Wedding rings still on for both. J-Lo likes a post, bringing even more attention to trouble in paradise.

    Damage control shades of Ben and Jen Garner, back when they did a public photo with Jen, Ben, and their kids showing some unity even though separated. Remember all of those photos for damage control by Ben? LOL

    So that’s still in Ben’s playbook — or is it J-Lo’s playbook? Or both? LOL Anyway, J-Lo and Ben are photographed talking at one of his children’s school events. They arrived separately. Although, he dropped Emme and J-Lo off at the family compound after the event. Then he returned to his Brentwood rental.

    Exhausting.

  41. Andrea says:

    They are BOTH Leos! Two Leos sounds exhausting to my little Pisces soul.

    • Jayna says:

      After thinking about it, J-Lo and Ben are done. If they were working on their marriage, they would be in counseling, not Ben going out there and renting a home. That is a huge move and something he wouldn’t do to his children and her children unless he thinks it’s over. It’s not like they are home all the time in each other’s faces. I mean, she had been filming another movie away this year and then doing press and then the Met Gala. So they had space while living together. Both are really busy and she’s going on tour in several weeks and will be gone. So why move out unless he really wants to uproot his kids and himself away from J-Lo and the home they bought and live in together? They have a massive guest house on the property. He could have moved in there for a breather. He didn’t do that.

      So renting the house was the first step in ending the marriage IMO.

    • Nachos says:

      There are good Leos and bad Leos. I find people with Leo mixed with Libra in the big three, as Lopez has (Sun and Rising sign), is prone to narcissism.

  42. East Villager says:

    I don’t have strong feelings about them staying together, except that all of the kids involved (JLo’s and Ben’s) seem like really great, just all-around awesome kids, and I hope they are not enduring long-term emotional stress from all this drama.

  43. Nachos says:

    The Daily Fail has pics of him *gasp* not wearing his wedding ring. That, plus JLo’s IG like of the “broken-relationships” post, plus no leaks esp from JLo’s team about their marriage being solid, suggests they’re headed for a breakup.

    I don’t care either way but it’s always sad when people break up. Also, interesting to see how they will roll out the PR for this. How will JLo continue to manage the story as she’s poured her heart out about this greatest love story of all time thing? Again, she’s so out of touch and has proven herself to be far less savvy and beyond narcissistic.

    Aside, just skim-watched Dinner for Five – I’m so slow to the Bennifer gossip game! – which has a Jen Garner (then married to Scott Foley) apparently flirting with Ben Affleck (then engaged to JLo during Bennifer 1.0) big time. I thought she was just being her friendly/saccharine self + light flirting and wouldn’t have said she was aggressively flirting as all the commenters seemed to say. I mean, they just finished filming Daredevil. However, what’s notable – in addition to the smoking, rough talking, etc. – is Affleck trashing on his erstwhile girlfriend when asked about winning an Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1998). He basically said she didn’t really like him, cheated on him, and broke his heart. Who was he dating then? GOOP.

    • cws says:

      @Nachos, Just to be fair to GOOP, Ben had not met her yet. Matt dated Minnie Driver at the time for while after makie the movie, then dated Winona Ryder some time after winning the Oscar. Ben dated Gwyneth after Matt and Winona got together, after the Oscar win

      • Nachos says:

        They were dating when he won that first Oscar and he was 100% talking about her when he was talking about the “girlfriend in London”:
        – According to People (see “Gwyneth Paltrow’s Dating History, Including Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck and More”) and numerous other sources, they dated from 1997 to 2000, on and off.
        – Good Will Hunting was released in 1997 but Affleck’s win for that film was during the 1998 awards.