Ben Affleck shed some light on the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez and his relationship with first wife Jennifer Garner in a candid chat with British GQ.
The actor, 52, rekindled his romance with the singer, 55, in 2021, but the reunion was short-lived, with J Lo filing for divorce in August last year after their two-year marriage crumbled.
Affleck has remained tight-lipped about the breakdown of their union, yet has now insisted there was ‘no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue’ that caused their breakup.
Admitting why he didn’t want to dwell too much on the split in interviews, he confessed that it was less of a blame game and a big event, noting ‘the reason I don’t want to share that is just sort of embarrassing. It feels vulnerable.’
Affleck also addressed his participation in the documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told – part three of his wife’s $20 million media homage to their romance.
Fans were quick to point out how disinterested he looked in the doc – where he openly confessed he felt ‘uncomfortable’ on camera and revealed he ‘finds their privacy sacred’.
Ben Affleck shed some light on the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez and his relationship with first wife Jennifer Garner in a candid chat with British GQ
Ben admitted discussing his divorce from J Lo was ’embarrassing’ as he reflected on their very different attitudes to fame – while heaping praise on ‘wonderful’ first wife Garner
Doubling down on his remarks, he explained: ‘Part of it was, “OK, if I’m going to participate in this, I want to try to do it in an honest way and in a way that’s interesting.” Because I thought it was an interesting examination.’
Addressing the difference in their approach to fame, he continued: ‘My temperament is to be a little bit more reserved and private than hers. As happens in relationships, you don’t always have the same attitude towards these things.
‘And so I thought, “Oh, this is interesting because how do you reconcile that?” Because exactly what you said is true. I love and support this person. I believe in them. They’re great. I want people to see that… You’ve got to own what you knew going into any relationship.’
Clarifying that he ‘has a lot of respect’ for Lopez, the Oscar-winning actor added that fans would do well not to read too much into their documentary.
He mused: ‘I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture. It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, “Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.”’
Elsewhere in his chat with GQ, talk turned to his first wife Garner, with whom he shares Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12. The couple have remained close since they split in 2015 after 11 years together.
Addressing their relationship, Affleck mused: ‘I’m really lucky that I have a really good co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids’ mom, who’s wonderful and great and we work together well.’
Last month, the pair were seen embracing during an outing, sending the internet into a frenzy.
Affleck has remained tight-lipped about the breakdown of his marriage to J Lo, yet has now insisted there was ‘no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue’ that caused their breaku
See the full feature in the April/ May issue of British GQ, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 8th April
Daily Mail later learned Garner is ‘deathly afraid of falling back in love’ with the actor, with a source saying she still has ‘trust issues’ with Affleck after he slept with their children’s nanny, Christine Ouzounian, now 37, a decade ago.
‘She loves Ben but is worried that he will crush her all over again,’ the source said.
‘She doesn’t want to heal another broken heart because it is just too much drama, plus she does not want their kids to see round two of their mom in a bad place with their dad.
‘So much could go wrong if they reunite.’
The photos of Affleck tenderly embracing his ex-wife also resulted in Garner’s boyfriend John Miller feeling a bit bothered about their ‘touchy-feely’ behaviour, sources claimed.
‘It would get to anyone, but this is nothing new,’ the insider said. ‘Ben and Jen have a unique relationship, especially for exes.’
In March 2016, Garner detailed to Vanity Fair how her heart was ‘tender’ after her 10-year marriage to Affleck crumbled.
While she noted Affleck’s romance with the nanny didn’t end their marriage, it ‘hurt’.
Affleck has not spoken much about his divorce from Lopez but was photographed spending more time with his first wife in the months that followed.
The 13 Going On 30 star was said to have played a key role in helping her ex-husband through his split from Lopez, adopting the role of ‘marriage counsellor’ to the struggling couple, with some friends feared she had been forced to ‘play mediator.’
They detailed the highs and lows of their rekindled romance in J Lo’s documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told yet Affleck was ‘uncomfortable’ being her muse
Affleck and Lopez’s love story first started in 2002 when they dated while filming the movie Jersey Girl. They became engaged the following year but broke up in 2004.
Yet it was meant to be for Bennifer, who found their way back to one another in July 2021, marrying just one year later.
They detailed the highs and lows of their rekindled romance in J Lo’s documentary last February, yet while she appeared hellbent on publicly declaring her love, she openly admitted Affleck was ‘uncomfortable’ being her muse.
Just three months later, split rumours began to swirl and by August that year, the pair’s breakup was confirmed.
J Lo has since said she wants to find romance again after spending months with her family and friends to ‘heal her broken heart.’
‘Jennifer wants to be in love again,’ a source told DailyMail.com.
Though she has been linked to Yellowstone actor Kevin Costner after they spent time at the iconic western apparel store Kemo Sabe in Aspen Colorado over Christmas, she is interested in another Yellowstone type.
‘She had a crush on Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone and wants a guy like that, someone who can have her back and make sure she is OK. She wants to be put first and made to feel special,’ the pal noted.
‘Her life is a lot, she needs a man who can handle all that and still love her unconditionally like the way Rip loves Beth Dutton.’
In an odd twist, Ben is friends with the actor who plays Rip: Cole Hauser.
They starred together in Good Will Hunting.
See the full feature in the April/ May issue of British GQ, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 8th April.