Ben Affleck’s daughter Violet was all smiles as she reunited with mom Jennifer Garner in New York City on Saturday, looking every bit the beaming college kid enjoying a break from campus life.
The 19-year-old Yale student lit up the Manhattan streets, towering over her mom in a cream puffer jacket and flared jeans, while Garner, 52, bundled up in a classic navy trench coat against the brisk spring chill.
While Violet and Jen enjoyed their time together in the busy streets of New York, Ben was spotted back on the West Coast bonding with son Samuel during a low-key shopping trip in Santa Monica.
Dressed casually in a plaid shirt and cargo pants, the 52-year-old Accountant star grabbed coffee with his 12-year-old son Samuel, whom he shares with ex wife Garner—along with Violet and 16-year-old Fin.
The bonding sessions come on the heels of DailyMail.com’s bombshell report that Violet has intentionally distanced herself from former stepmom Jennifer Lopez, after allegedly feeling like a ‘pawn’ in the unraveling of Lopez’s marriage to Affleck.
When J.Lo and Affleck quietly split last summer, people were surprised to see Violet still hanging out with the singer—joining her in the Hamptons and even posting about a visit from J.Lo’s sister at Yale.
Ben Affleck ’s daughter Violet was all smiles as she reunited with mom Jennifer Garner in New York City on Saturday, looking every bit the beaming college kid enjoying a break from campus life
The 19-year-old Yale student lit up the Manhattan streets, towering over her mom in a cream puffer jacket and flared jeans, while Garner bundled up in a classic navy trench coat against the brisk spring chill
While Violet and Jen enjoyed their time together in the busy streets of New York, Ben was spotted back on the West Coast bonding with son Samuel during a low-key shopping trip in Santa Monica
But sources say that by the time the divorce was finalized in January, Violet had started questioning whether those connections were ever really genuine.
‘Violet felt like she was used as a pawn so to speak during her dad’s split from JLo,’ an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com.
The source shared that Garner made a conscious effort not to interfere with Violet’s relationship with Lopez’s family, explaining, ‘Jen supported her daughter getting close to the singer because she always puts her children first.’
‘But as the divorce loomed, the fact that Violet was hanging out with JLo and wearing her clothes was odd to the family. So too was Lynda Lopez visiting Violet at college.’
The source continued: ‘But Jen even let this slide, because she wants Violet to be happy and respects that, as an adult, she can choose who to spend her time with even if Jen does not necessarily agree.’
Violet has intentionally distanced herself from Lopez after sensing how deeply the divorce affected her father, with a source noting she remains a ‘daddy’s girl’ at heart.
Bennifer 2.0 made headlines when they gave their love story a second shot in 2021, nearly two decades after calling off their first engagement.
Despite two lavish weddings in 2022, the rekindled romance fizzled fast, with the pair now officially divorced.
Before things fell apart, Affleck was frequently seen with ex-wife Garner, who insiders say had stepped in as an unofficial ‘marriage counselor’ during the couple’s rocky final chapter.
Ben shares Samuel with ex wife Garner—along with Violet and 16-year-old Fin
The actor held a tense look on his face
The star made a pit stop at the Paper Source retailer
The bonding sessions come on the heels of DailyMail.com’s bombshell report that Violet has intentionally distanced herself from former stepmom Jennifer Lopez , after allegedly feeling like a ‘pawn’ in the unraveling of Lopez’s marriage to Affleck
Violet took a step back from her former stepmom Jennifer Lopez after being left feeling like she had been a ‘pawn’ (seen in July 2022)
She the raised eyebrows last fall after Jlo’s sister Lynda Lopez shared a selfie with the Yale student after paying her a visit at the prestigious university
Jen and Ben share Violet, 19, Fin, 16, and Samuel, 12, with Affleck; (pictured 2018)
Sources close to Garner had been left feeling like she was forced to ‘play mediator’ to help the pair work through their issues in a way that would not impact Affleck’s sobriety.
‘Jen feels slightly used as a pawn in JLo’s bid to repair her marriage,’ a source told DailyMail.com at the time. ‘She doesn’t believe it was intentional. But when Jen realized her ex-husband’s marriage was past the point of salvation, her only concern was Ben’s well-being and sobriety.’
Meanwhile, Violet was seen showing support to Lopez during that time period, choosing to wear a Dolce and Gabbana dress that The Wedding Planner star wore on a Valentine’s Day date with Affleck in 2023.
Violet reportedly wore the dress as a statement to show how close she was to Lopez after being left ‘heartbroken’ at the split.
