Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner reunite in Japan as ‘best friend exes’ amid Jennifer Lopez split rumors: source

By in August 20, 2024

Ben Affleck and ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, continue to team up for the sake of their children as the actor faces ongoing marriage woes with estranged wife Jennifer Lopez.

“They’re best friend exes and the epitome of good co-parenting,” a source close to Affleck tells Fox News Digital. The source shared that the former couple recently enjoyed a trip to Japan with their children: Violet, 18; Seraphina, 15; and Samuel, 12.

Representatives for Garner, Affleck and Lopez did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck split with Jennifer Lopez

A source tells Fox News Digital that Ben Affleck enjoyed a vacation with ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their children amid ongoing split rumors with estranged Jennifer Lopez.  (Getty Images)

On Thursday, Garner — who recently opened up about their eldest daughter, Violet, graduating high school and attending Yale this fall — shared some snaps from the vacation on her Instagram, showcasing some of the sights and experiences.

That same day, which was coincidentally Affleck’s 52nd birthday, both Garner and Lopez paid visits to the “Argo” actor-director at his Los Angeles home, according to photos obtained by Fox News Digital.

Jennifer Garner leaves Ben Affleck's home on Aug. 15.

Garner was photographed visiting Affleck at his rental home on Thursday.  (Backgrid)

Jennifer Lopez leaves Ben Affleck on his 52nd birthday.

Lopez was also seen visiting her estranged husband on his birthday. (MEGA)

Later that night, Lopez — who notably didn’t post a tribute to her estranged husband on social media — was seen dancing to Bruno Mars’ “Marry Me” at his Inglewood, California, concert at the newly-opened Intuit Dome.

Affleck Lopez

The A-list couple have reportedly been living separate lives. (Getty Images)

For months, the couple have been at the center of split rumors as they spent much of their summer on opposite sides of the country. Lopez enjoyed her time in the Hamptons, while Affleck remained in Los Angeles.

Garner, who divorced Affleck in 2018, has offered a supporting hand to the actor throughout the years as he’s faced struggles with addiction as well as ups and downs in his relationship with Lopez.

In June, the actress shared a positive message on social media referencing how the hard times will eventually get better.

Jennifer Garner in a sleeveless red dress soft smiles on the carpet

Garner and Affleck divorced in 2018. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

On her Instagram story, Garner shared a poem titled “it gets better” by Cleo Wade. The poem opens with the line “you will not have the blues forever.”

Shortly after sharing the poem, she shared a video of Whitney Houston singing the song “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” which features lyrics like “Where do broken hearts go? Can they find their way home / Back to the open arms / Of a love that’s waiting there?”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

The former couple share three children together. (Getty Images)

Whispers about the state of Affleck and Lopez’s marriage took a drastic turn when Affleck didn’t attend Lopez’s luxurious “Bridgerton”-themed 55th birthday party on July 2.

“Ben didn’t come to celebrate Jennifer’s birthday because they are done,” a source told Fox News Digital last month. “Totally done. They are not getting back together.”

Instead, the Academy Award-winning actor-director closed escrow on his new $20.5 million home in Los Angeles, according to People magazine. That same day, the Grammy Award-winning Lopez reportedly finalized the sale of her New York City condo.

“They are not communicating right now,” the source added. “If she wants to talk to his kids, she goes straight to the kids. Same with him.”

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

Affleck and Lopez did not spend their second wedding anniversary together in July.  (Getty Images)

Earlier this year, in the documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” Affleck was shown reluctantly dealing with the public scrutiny that followed the couple when they first got together in the early 2000s.

The doc follows Lopez as she works on not only her new album, “This is Me…Now,” but also the high-concept music film, “This is Me…Now: A Love Story.”

“Jen was really inspired by this experience, which is how artists do their work,” Affleck said. “They get inspired by their personal life, it moves you. I know as a writer and director I certainly do the same things. But things that are private I had always felt are sacred and special in part because they’re private.

“So, this was something of an adjustment for me.”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez smiling looking away from the camera

Affleck and Lopez got engaged for the first time in 2002.  (Getty Images)

During an appearance on Kevin Hart’s Peacock show “Hart to Heart,” earlier this year, Affleck opened up about adjusting to Lopez’s level of fame and admitted to not liking the attention.

“We went somewhere with [Jennifer] — I can’t remember because she’s so famous, and she creates this — people love her, and she really represents something important to people,” Affleck said about Lopez. “[To me,] people are like, ‘Hey, I like your movie,’ and then they’re like ‘Ah! J-Lo!’ It’s amazing, you know what I mean?”

Recalling a situation in which he, Lopez and their blended family were walking through Times Square in New York City, Affleck said the fan attention was “f—ing bananas.”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

The duo have rarely been spotted together over the past few months.  (Michael Buckner/Golden Globes 2024/ via Getty Images)

“We get out of the car, we were going to a play, and I was like, ‘F— it, babe, we’re going to be late, we gotta walk a block and a half.’ She was like, ‘Alright,’ she didn’t say s—,” he said. “We get out with her, all the kids, through Times Square, and the s— was like f—ing bananas.”

During the conversation, Affleck also addressed his not-so-subtle facial expressions that often seem to highlight most paparazzi shots of him.

“I don’t like a lot of attention,” he said. “This is why people see me and they’re like, ‘Why is this dude always mad?’ Because someone had their camera sticking in my face, and I’m like, ‘OK, here we go.’”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the premiere of "This Is Me...Now"

Affleck and Lopez tied the knot in 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Rumors of the couple’s split began earlier this year when they went 47 days without being spotted together. Since then, they have only been seen together on rare occasions, including school graduations for Affleck’s children, Violet and Samuel. Lopez shares 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.

A source recently told Fox News Digital that the duo often butt heads when it comes to their parenting styles.

“They’ve had fights about differences of opinions on raising their kids,” the source said. “They have very different parenting styles.”

JENNIFER LOPEZ’S MOST STUNNING RED CARPET OUTFITS OVER THE YEARS

Video

Affleck and Lopez were first engaged in 2002 after meeting on the set of their film “Gigli.” Affleck proposed, and they were set to be married in 2004, but the wedding was called off at the last minute.

Twenty years later, Lopez and Affleck married in Las Vegas during a surprise wedding ceremony.

In her documentary, Lopez got candid about calling off her engagement to Affleck over 20 years ago.

“Ben and I, we broke up three days before our wedding,” Lopez revealed. “We just crumbled under the pressure. I think we all go along thinking like, ‘I’m doing OK. I’ve been through these things.’ If you’re like me, you just shake it off and put your best foot forward and just do your thing.”

Comments (0)