Jennifer Garner is reportedly urging her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, to work on his marriage with Jennifer Lopez as rumors of their impending divorce intensify. A source close to Garner informed Us Weekly that she “completely supports their relationship and simply wants him to be happy.”
Garner, who was married to Affleck from 2005 to 2018, understands the pressures of fame and how it can strain relationships. “She knows what it’s like to be in the spotlight and how it can affect a marriage,” the source added.
Support from Garner comes as multiple reports suggest Affleck and Lopez struggle to keep their marriage afloat. According to Page Six, Ben Affleck reportedly feels that the past two years with Jennifer Lopez were like a “fever dream” and is now facing the challenges of their relationship. A source humorously noted, “If there were grounds for divorce based on temporary insanity, this would be it. He feels like he’s woken up from a dream and now sees their relationship cannot continue.”
The couple, who rekindled their romance in 2021 and married in July 2022, have been at the center of breakup rumors. Last week, reports surfaced that Affleck was staying in a separate home from Lopez, fueling speculation that their marriage was in trouble. Photos showed Affleck driving through a Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles after spending the night in the area. He was seen wearing his wedding band, but he and Lopez had not been spotted together for over a month.
Sources tell the media that “Jen and Ben are facing difficulties in their marriage” and noted that “they are often on completely different wavelengths.”
Despite the rumors, the couple has tried to present a united front. On Thursday, May 16, 2024, Affleck picked up Lopez and her daughter, Emme, from a play performance featuring his 15-year-old daughter, Seraphina. However, the reunion seemed tense, with no signs of affection between the two.
On Friday, sources indicated that Affleck is looking for a new home in Los Angeles while Lopez seeks to invest in her own property. Over the weekend, Affleck attended his child’s recital without his wedding ring, adding to the speculation of marital strife.
Jennifer Lopez has also been talking to Garner. A source revealed that Lopez sought Garner’s support because she knew that Garner was one of the few people who truly understood what she was going through. “Jennifer Lopez has been confiding in Jennifer Garner because she believes Garner is one of the few people who can truly understand her situation,” the insider revealed. “Having experienced a relationship with the same man, albeit under different circumstances, they have faced similar issues.”
The insider noted, “Jen doesn’t want Ben to end the marriage because she genuinely cares about Jennifer. The main concern right now is the possibility of him relapsing into drinking, and part of why Jen is keeping an eye on him is to prevent that.”
Affleck has openly discussed his struggles with alcohol in the past. In a 2020 interview with the New York Times, he admitted that his alcohol abuse was partly responsible for his marriage breakdown with Garner. “I used to drink in moderation, but as my marriage began to fall apart in 2015 and 2016, I started drinking more heavily. Naturally, this only led to more problems in our marriage,” he explained.
Despite their current issues, Lopez and Affleck have a deep bond that has lasted over two decades. They first dated in 2002 after meeting on the set of the movie Gigli and were engaged in 2002. They called off their wedding in 2003 due to excessive media attention. They rekindled their relationship in 2021 and got married twice in 2022—first in Las Vegas and then in a larger ceremony at Affleck’s Georgia estate.