In case you thought the rumors of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s impending divorce were overblown, US Magazine is running an upcoming cover story about the couple’s alleged marital problems. It has a whiff of truth, like a publicist is preparing the public and/or gauging the response. US usually doesn’t run cover stories unless they have solid sources and they’re calling this an “exclusive.” Enough time has passed since the original tabloid reports to suggest that US isn’t just piling on. Plus we know that these two have spent important dates apart (like Jennifer’s birthday and Mother’s Day), and Ben has a well deserved reputation as a carouser and gambler. It seems inevitable that the guy who ditched J.Lo right before their wedding would get antsy after being married for ten years. Here’s the teaser for US’s story, with more promised in the upcoming print edition.
After nearly a decade as husband and wife, the parents of three are well past the honeymoon period. In fact, they’re smack in the middle of a marriage crisis, insiders reveal in the new issue of Us Weekly.
Rumors of a split have dogged the couple off and on for years, but this time, sources say, there may be something to them. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” one insider shares in the new issue. “The marriage is in trouble.”
It has been for some time, too. According to a second source, the Gone Girl star, 42, and the Dallas Buyers Club actress, 43, “have had problems from the very beginning.” Among their biggest issues? Affleck’s “workaholic” nature and “many vices.”
Insiders say their kids — Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3 — are the glue that’s just barely holding them together. But as one source says, “things are not all peaches and cream with them.”
(A rep for the Batman v Superman star declined to comment on Us Weekly’s cover story; Garner’s rep could not be reached.)For the full inside story on Ben and Jen’s marriage crisis — including their time apart, years of therapy, and tense home life — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
I dislike that expression “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Just because something is suspected doesn’t mean it’s true. Still, there’s enough circumstantial evidence here to suggest that these two are having serious issues. This report has me worried. Could The Enquirer have been right about the fact that they’re going to announce a divorce before their tenth anniversary? That’s on the 29th of June, so this story seems strategically timed. We’ll have to wait and see. I’m kind of sad for their kids and hope this isn’t true.
These photos are of Ben and Jen out at the farmer’s market with their children on Sunday. They’ve been spotted by the paps much more frequently lately, which could be good or bad it’s hard to tell. Credit: FameFlynet. Frontpage image credit: Pacific Coast News
Their body language & Ben’s look of misery in the latest pap friendly strolls speaks volumes. They are not even interacting with each other.
Jen looking smug & happy, while Ben looks miserable.
I kind of do beleive that he was in Nova Scotia without her knowing. Where he was is very isolated, a perfect place to hide away.
He always looks SO miserable. It’s slightly irritating, only because he seems like the type that will find reasons to wallow in his own despair no matter what. He has a hell of a lot of reasons to be happy, but it seems like he just refuses to be.
Most cheaters are miserable people. They are their own worst enemy. Please agree with me b/c this concept makes me feel good.
Lol Jennifer justice, I agree with you! Cheaters are always looking for something different and better, happy for only a short period of time. A miserable experience.
ITA. Their pap strolls for the past several weeks seem to be exercises of marital misery. No connection, no interaction, he looks very tight and unhappy in all of the pictures while she continues to maintain the appearance, though strained.
If she is smug then she might have won an argument / …
Though I think her smile is kinda forced and she is very good at hiding things. She has lived with Afflek for a long time and she has probably learned to suppress many things.
Yes, she looks strained lately. In that last photo she’s got a real rictus grin. They are both unhappy, but only she cares enough to pretend. I’d be surprised if he stays much longer.
I agree with everyone. This isn’t surprising, especially after Ben’s comments on his marriage after he received his Academy Award. He made it sound like he was completely miserable being married. It was ugly and it made me feel sorry for Jennifer.
Why do Americans think Nova Scotia is isolated? It’s one of our provinces, like all the rest of them …
I suspect he is suffering from chronic depression. Whether it’s chemical or situational, it’s very hard to climb out of depression just by choosing reasons to be happy. Lots of work has to be done, often with professional guidance and possibly medication. As someone whose mother suffered from intense clinical depression that went undiagnosed for decades, and also as someone married to a man grappling with depression who uncannily reminds me a lot of these pap Ben Affleck pics we’ve all been seeing, I wish it were that easy for people who are suffering from depression to say “Wow, look at all of my blessings, I really have it made.” and just “get over it”. But sadly, that’s far from reality.
He looks like the least in THE WORLD to go to a market with. Why do they keep going to markets if he hates his life so much when he is at a market? Jennifer has the worst shoes ever. I am guessing he loves her like a sister now, and that is sad for the kids. But really Jen. I know there is a lot going on, but there is no excuse for 5,000 pairs of fugly shoes.
For such a pretty lady, she really does seem determined to dress herself in the most unflattering ensembles that she can find.
+1000. If you’re going to do the paparazzi runs….while I don’t see the need to wear coture….couldn’t she at least wear something mildly flattering? Or pull an Angelina and do all black? Sheesh.
I’m guessing you don’t have kids. She has three kids plus one of them is a “threeanger”. I’m surprised her hair is brushed frankly. I think she looks great.
I have kids, don’t have the nannies, assistants and a celeb set up and find the energy to put some effort into the way a look/dress. So do a lot of my mommy friends BTW. Just saying….
She sure does. And the SHOES. Meemaw’s looking for those, Jen.
she should divorce those pants.
I think she’s comfortable with herself, and looks like she enjoys casual dress. I applaud her for going out of the house without the need to dress for an occasion other than what it is: running errands.
When i was married 10 or so years, my hubby did in deed spend a few holidays away from me and his son (and likewise, i have missed a few myself)… somethings cannot be changed, and if you are confident in your marriage and believe in your spouse’s fidelity, there is no problem with it. i refuse to be one of these women whose husband must prove his devotion — simply put, sometimes shit happens, and you gotta do what you gotta do. FYI, married 32 years now, same guy. Happy.
On her shoes and wardrobe, I think she’s got other priorities. I think she said she’d commit suicide if they had a fourth child, in making a point that she barely has time to breathe with three children. Seriously, I admire them for being hands on parents. If I had three I’d definitely have a part-time nanny, as long as my finances permitted.
right? I feel a little catty hating on her shoes but come on now jen! I might believe she was trolling but she’s really consistent when it comes to hideous footwear.
I read an article written by her years ago about how she sees herself in 10 years. She was so keen on a big family and seemed so sweet and down to earth and genuinely someone you’d want to be friends with. Liked her ever since and wondering how happy she could have been and make someone else happy if he would be with anyone but Ben.
On the other side, she dresses horrendously on daily basis. There are not enough words. It’s really easy to get some nice base pieces and then put them together in a minute in the morning. If she really is a bad dresser she can afford to have a stylist buying them for her in the first place and then just throw them on. But WHO wears shoes like those unless they’re 99 years? And WHO buys them in the first place?
I believe this is the image that wins over a lot of moms in middle America. This is how my mom dressed like when I was a kid. She didn’t have a lot of money but she wore clothes that made her look put together and feel comfortable. I can imagine this has helped Jen’s image with moms ranging from those who shop at Walmart to those who shop at Whole Foods. Her PR is all about being a normal mom and most normal moms do not wear clothes that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars when they go to the market.
@kibbles…You really think the way she dresses is for PR reasons…Personally, I just don’t think she cares about style very much…
Beth and Daryl tho???????
LOL…I just saw that and I would like to know that story. Funny how people just show up on a tabloid story. I wonder if they ever thought they would be the subject of gossip. I guess the tabloids are branching out. Putting new people on the cover sidebar.
You’re gonna miss me so bad when I’m gone, Daryl Dixon.
With US we are moving out of outright tabloid territory to more credible gossip. Sad. I suppose better now than when he’s doing Batman promotion. That’s going to be an exercise in deflection. Watch out Henry Cavill, Warner Brothers PR will try to have you married off before the end of the year. Messy, messy, messy.
Never saw this working out from the beginning. Shocked they made it this long,
Even Goop knew that Affleck was more into strippers and not really boyfriend/husband material.
Their marriage makes me feel so tired. I would never want to married to a guy like Affleck. He’s like Paul Rudd’s character in “This is 40.” He probably spends 2 hrs on the toilet on his phone to avoid his family.
Didn’t she refer to him, thinly veiled, as a “knucklehead”? That was decades ago and it’s still stuck with me.
“Their marriage makes me feel so tired.”
YES, this.
I;m also surprised they made it this far. I guess he married her cause he wanted kids and knew she’d give him that, but never intended to stay faithful. She’s as mumsy as they come and we all know that’s not his type.
It is astonishing that a family man like Matt Damon is friends with Affleck.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Affleck is a MUCH better friend than he is a husband. He’s one of those dudes who has some weird defect in his brain that makes him think “loyalty, honesty, complete trust, forever bound” only with regards to good male friends, NOT with women he is romantically involved with or even married to. Some guys are built like that, like to them, women don’t deserve the same level of respect as their best bros.
Gosh, I totally agree with you. I know men who are like this, and unfortunately, they’re my dad and brothers. But when they’re sick and really need help, they seek help to their spouses. I would not want to get married to that type. NO, NO, NO!
I tend to think that she has dedicated so much time to being a mum that maybe the spark has fizzled, Ben looks like the type of man who would want more attention that his kids get.( just my opinion please).
I totally buy that. She seems so into being a mom and talking about it. That one pic looks like her forced smile is about to make her cry. Oy.
Yes she has, and on a superficial note ,she is still a young beautiful woman and has let herself go. No I don’t expect her to look like Elektra everyday but….
…but some guys like and expect that. Especially a rich and famous one, amiright?
…and one who was with J.Lo and Gwyneth before, COMMON.
Interesting theory. My ex was the same way. He needed as much attention or more as the kiddos did.
That is how I feel too. Too many kids, not enough help.
She needs to hire 5 nannies and housekeepers and live a little bit.
Jennifer was at the U2 concert last night at Montreal. You don’t need tabloids sometimes. In Twitter, you get the latest.
Before the Nova Scotia trip of Ben went into tabloid news, I knew before hand he was there real time. People tweeted of his sightings. One even commented of him being there with his side piece. LOL!
Or how about NYC real estate? Real Estate agents were sending him tweets about properties for sale.
I love Twitter! 🙂
Yes! My ex used to talk ‘at’ me at the same time my 3 year old was talking to me. I was like, ‘hello, I cannot process this (ADHD)! Who is the adult here? Do you know even hear your child is speaking?’
I hope this is not true because there are 3 kids involved.
Anyway, i do not think he ever loved her romantically and I have always thought she put him on a pedestal.
Take it from me if the parents divorce with class and co parent maturely they will be better off then having to grow up in a house full of strife and passive aggression . Ben & Jen look miserable and haven’t seemed happy almost ever.
I wouldn’t trust Ben to co-parent. He is too self absorbed and has too many vices to allow the children to stay with him unsupervised for long periods of time (anything longer than a few hours). I don’t doubt he loves his children, but anyone who leaves their children in the middle of the night to go gamble in Vegas can’t be trusted.
I think the title of the article was about a marriage crisis, not necessarily a divorce. I have given my opinion in previous threads about divorce, if this is their choice. I take my own parents as a great example how to divorce amicably. But if they do divorce, I think like Rhiley and it will be amicable because of her and not him.
I think Divorce is so sad. These poor kids. I know u shouldn’t stay together for the kids but people are rarely ever happy after divorce either. If you are unhappy at home chances are you will be unhappy in your next home
Lol what? nothing about this comments makes sense.
Nonsense. And so untrue.
” i do not think he ever loved her romantically”
That’s my impression as well. He’s a classic case of a guy with a madonna/wh*re dichotomy. He’ll only respect a woman who’s not too sexy and doesn’t show off her body, is rather mumsy even and have kids with her but he won’t be sexually attracted to her so he’ll go and cheat on her with the exact opposite “type”… whom he’ll treat as dirt probably.
Amen. I agree completely!
I’ve always thought these two ad an awful chemistry, if it is true I am sorry for their children.
I think there have been Breakup!/Ben’s Cheating!/Ben’s Drinking/Gambling! stories practically since they got together. Since they have several small kids, I hope this is just more tabloid nonsense, but who knows. If they do split, I hope they keep it amicable and classy, for their family.
It’s like reading reruns, isn’t it? I don’t think they’ll be together much longer..and then all the gossip will be about his wild hot pursuits and how she’s being strong for her kids…’Boredblond Predicts’…
I don’t care about his cheating miserable looking ass but: WHAT IN EVERY SINGLE F*CK ARE THOSE SHOES SHE IS WEARING??/ It hurts my spirit
Love QQ!!!!
Ugly shoes are her trademark.
I wouldn’t even mind them if she wasn’t wearing them with those 90’s grunge boy band jeans. Do better for yourself, Jen.
Yo I wanted to shade the Jeans But F*CK Man!!! Those shoes took all the fight out of me , how can someone with so much money and raw materials just dress so UGLY
But he’s dressed like gramps.
She obviously gives zero f*cks about how she looks, since she calls the paps and then chooses to dress like a stoned college guy. So I kind of respect her for it..?
LOL at ‘stoned college guy’. Perfect. 😉
@QQ
lmao, the opposite with me, saw the jeans and couldn’t even look further down so never saw the shoes until someone mentioned them
I have shoes like that but I wear them to take out the garbage.
Doesn’t she have some toe condition that is genetic? Maybe it makes cuter shoes uncomfortable. I have wide feet and finding shoes that fit but are not ugly is a challenge. Obviously I don’t have her resources, but if you have sizing or comfort issues, cute shoes are complicated.
Bahahahahahahahhahahahahaha
I hate that expression “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” People throw that out every time there is some gossip about someone breaking up or if a couple is not seen together. Or if one is out without the other.
I don’t know if anything is going on with Jen and Ben. Sometimes I feel like he is being Passive Aggressive in the way he behaves when they are all out together. He looks miserable. It wouldn’t take much effort for him to look a bit happy and maybe crack a smile. Giggle at his kids or something. But nothing. And that just gives the gossip more steam; even if everything is fine between them. The kids usually are more peppy when they are out.. I see them looking different too. But again that could be the paps. And seriously I don’t give any gossip magazine any credit regarding sources.. LOL.. they print crap week after week claiming sources and then the stories turn out to be false.
I would expect him to be a better actor when playing happy family. That is astonishing indeed. If Affleck for whatever reason has agreed to play happy family then why doesn’t he put in more effort?
Because he wants her to dump HIM so he’s not the bad huy who left his family?
I think US Weekly has actually been on a poor run for a while.
In fact if it’s not a story about the Real Housewives, or The Bachelor, or reality TV, they miss the mark.
They now appear more like an upmarket In Touch Weekly mag than a junior People mag.
Their ‘exclusive’ cover detailing Beyonce and Jay Z’s ‘divorce’ some years back?
Or a then pregnant Beyonce’s looking forward to her baby boy ?
Never mind the endless Jennifer Aniston cover exclusives that never panned out.
Yeah, this could be true. Sure.
But US Weekly declaring it on the cover does not automatically lend it credibility the way it may have done b4. JMO
In Touch has edged them out with all their Duggar coverage.
Us Weekly has been trotting out this same story for the past 10 years. Sure, maybe it’s actually true this time but it’s sort of like The Boy Who Cried Wolf at this point.
@Kitten – My feelings exactly.
Again it could be true but US is not a credible barometer.
4 years ago maybe, but not anymore.
I am not 100% sold this is the end but I do think US weekly is still the place that a team would run to with this type of story before any actual confirmation.
I also think something WAS going down between Beyoncé and JayZ but they decided to hold onto their brand.
@Luca76
True.
US Weekly does get legit stuff at times, but its not like it was.
It seems when it, comes to the big non-reality TV names, they’ve struck out time and again.
The Beyonce and Jay Z turnaround claim can be made about any story that does not pan out to be true in the first place. Same with the phantom pregnancies that become miscarriages, when there’s nothing 9 months later.
As I have said it could very well be true and tellingly there has been no denial to Gossip Cop.
But too many US Weekly exclusives have turned out to be BS (especially as they are supposed to be more credible than In Touch, Star, e.t.c).
I think it’s a marvel that everyone has sort of forgotten about the elavator fight and how isolated Bey & Jay have made themselves from the media since that happened. I don’t think they are happy together and I do think some other really crazy s$$t went down. I don’t think anyone in their camps talk but HBO and the tour people were leaking info. Just my opinion though.
The Jen An pregnancy and pregnancies in general are a crap shoot though.
It happens SO often, doesn´t it.
The one is way much more into it
than the other. Both end up being
unhappy. Difficult situation, especially
when there are kids involved.
If two people are miserable together, then I’m pro divorce. The kids know more then we give them credit for and somehow they can internalize that pain. You cannot carry a marriage on your own and try to make it work if the other person isn’t honest and committed. I would rather be happy and healthy single then unhappy and resentful as a couple.
Exactly!!!
I know gossip sites have been trashing this marriage for years but this still makes me sad. I’ve always thought they had the cutest kids. 🙁
Makes me sad, too. And I didn’t really believe it for a number of years but I do now–they just look miserable.
It is kinda sad. I’m sad for Garner because I really think he was (is) the love of her life, but he just never felt the same. I actually think he feels guilty and stayed so long because he didn’t want to hurt her.
Oddly enough, I think the kids will be fine. Garner is a good mom and Affleck might be a present father once he has the freedom I think he wants so badly. Just my opinion. I could be reading this totally wrong. Can’t believe I am analyzing the lives of total strangers…:)
I hope its not true too. Btw- I have yet to meet a couple who have been married 10 years with kids who haven’t experienced a rough patch or gone to couples counseling. Also, parents often look rough at times. Clearly JG doesn’t give a F**k if she looks like a normal person at a farmers market.
I like him in a superficial way but even I can admit he looks like a morose, moody, miserable mofo ALL THE TIME these days and AINT NOBODY (parenting 3 kids/with kids/with healthy self esteem) GOT TIME FOR THAT!
Ugh he just seems so very needy.
So very needy…and spoiled…and self-absorbed. She deserves better for sure.
Thing is, she HAD better and treated him badly, was shady as Ben has been with her, and then cheated on him and dumped him. Her first husband – Scott Foley.
I don’t feel sorry for Jen. I feel for the kids but not sorry just hope they get some happy around their little lives soon so things get better for them – the kids. The kids had no say in this and Jen was selfish and stupid getting involved with Ben and this is the result. It’s on both Ben and Jen that they’re where they are. The kids deserve much better.
Rumor had it SF cheated on her. Yes, sorry for the kids; she did not choose wisely.
Don’t forget her pitstop with Michael Vartan in-between. Back in the Alias days.
US Weekly isn’t that credible at all. They have had lots of bad covers that were false. I even read articles that normal facts I know just from following a specific actor or singer are way off in the story, just facts that aren’t even about the headline, but a good journalist would never get so wrong in the article written. They have some true stuff, too, but they aren’t credible like People Magazine and many fake stories for headlines, but aren’t as bad as the real tabloid rag mags.
Having said that, Ben looks miserable in the latest outing.
Since they obviously take into great consideration what the public think/say about them, here’s my message to the couple:
I hadn’t seen such an unconvincing display of passion, enthusiasm and general chemistry since the Hathaway/Franco Oscar fiasco… NO KIDDING.
Affleck, you know you’re not that good of an actor, and it shows.
Abort this cringe-worthy American Horror Marriage Story!!!!
This is more like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes than Hathaway and Franco.
Or:
Robsten?
Michael Jackson + Lisa Marie Presley?
George Clooney + All of them?
I don’t think Ben kidnapped and then brainwashed Jennifer, which is pretty much what Tom Cruise did to Katie Holmes. I think initially he probably was very attracted to Jennifer’s “wholesome” persona and was ready to get is life in order and have a family, but he probably knew in the back of his mind, that the long term (forever) commitment was probably going to be a challenge for him. I think prepping for Gone Girl, studying Nick Dunne, helped to bring some feelings that he may have buried inside a little closer to the surface. He probably does feel trapped; does turn to alcohol and younger women to help him feel like his old self again; does look at his wife with contempt.
I actually feel really bad for them. If my marriage, good, bad, or indifferent, were speculated about like this all the time, I’d be so upset. It must be hard to even have a successful marriage in Hollywood.
Agree. Especially when there’s kids. I hope they’re good.
This. It’s like vultures watching a dying roadkill. Their kids are old enough to see these tabloids and wonder why the papers seem to be rooting for their parents’ marriage to fail. Sicko.
BA is a troubled kind of guy, I can believe he has demons. He’s like the mayor of demonville. And I suspect she’s more or less kept him moving forward, but damn what an exhausting role. If they do divorce, which it seems their camp is ramping up to announce, she’s still going to be there, I can’t see it being The End. JG’s devotion and loyalty remind me a lot Dean Martin’s ex, I think her name was Jean? Jeannie? She was there literally til the end with him, divorce or no.
Just the fact that you brought up Jeanne and Dean Martin makes me like your comment 🙂 love them!
I think this story was placed by Ben’s PR team to prepare the field for the divorce. He’s the main beneficiary from a divorce before the 10th year as California law establishes the half rule. He’s had enough of her pap ops and trying to look like the perfect family, I don’t believe he’s playing along for secure some political future for himself. Jennifer has never looked worst and that little disgusting toe of hers is not helping her. Ben must look at that thing every night in bed and get c*ckblocked.
Let’s not act as if those pap walks didn’t benefit him during his Oscar campaign or anytime a negative tab story about him that had a whiff of truth and he needed to change the subject. Also, Ben and his ‘roid looking, bulky with no definition, middle aged man chest and gray hair isn’t looking too hot himself these days.
Are you seriously ragging on her for trying to keep up appearances when 90% of the time it is to clean up his mess? I mean, yeah she uses those pap walks for her own benefit too, but it gives him the image of being stable and a reliable bet for being leads in movies and get director work. The public loves him because of all that she did for his image. I don’t even like her, but I hope that if they do divorce it is after the 10 year make because he would not have had the resurgence in his career if not for her, so she deserve a whole bunch of money.
Yeah, I don’t like Ben all bulked up, because it’s just the upper half of his body. I hate those kind of bodies in men who are middle-aged. His body when he played George Reeves years ago looked great, tall and broad-shouldered wearing great suits.
Speaking of director work for Ben, they moved his Live By Night production to November. It was supposed to start this summer. But target release date is in October 2016. What does this mean?
LOL, harsh!
Wow, seriously? Throw away a life built together and three children over the appearance of a toe? If that’s all it takes I don’t know how my husband hasn’t thrown himself off the nearest rooftop yet.
I’m hoping my sarcasm detector is faulty today.
Why is it all her fault that the fire died? Poor fashion sense is not the same as being a miserable, cheating jerk. Jen saved his tanking career (and worked her ass off during the Argo campaign) and cut way back on her work to raise their children while he publicly embarrassed and disrespected her. Humpty Dumpty will have a great fall, you can tell he is spiraling downward.
I did not think they were a good match from the beginning.
I have not one negative thing to say about the very decent person who is Jennifer Garner except….she is one of those pretty women who has zero sex appeal. Zip. Nada. None. Even when she gets out of the Mom ponytails and dumpy clothes and slaps on some makeup and heels. Nuthin’. Like Taylor Swift.
And Ben? If he weren’t marginally good looking (bird seed teeth aside) with broad shoulders, we’d have no interest in him at all. Boring, sullen. Just douchy.
She must have some sex appeal with not just Ben being with her but hotties like Scott Foley and Michael Vartan falling in love with her..
I don’t think it’s sex that drew Foley and Vartan to her. I think it was her caring heart, kindness, work ethic too maybe. Those were both good men. Well, Foley is, I’m unsure about Vartan.
However Affleck is all surface and superficial. That’s why he was into J.Lo. She plays that up about herself.
So Jen Garner is never going to make Ben happy because she actually has substance and kindness and he’s got demons. He needs to work his stuff out. I also don’t think he was ever meant to marry, be a parent etc. He’s just not that kind of guy. I think he wanted to be, or thought he should be, but he isn’t.
It is all kind of tragic when I look at it through the lens of each of them individually.
I can’t forget how broken up Foley was when she cheated on him and then left him (or he might have dumped her due to the cheating, not sure). He was so supportive of her, as she is of Ben. And now look…. sad all around for Jen now.
My parents stayed married way too long. For most of my childhood, they were just going through the motions – not affectionate or attentive with each other, not communicating, sweeping problems under the rug, separate rooms, etc. They always say that they’re happy they stayed together while all of the kids were still at home, but I think that having their relationship as the primary relationship “model” in my life has been really damaging. my siblings and I (my sister and I are in 30s, brother in his 40s) have all had extreme difficulty being in healthy relationships. And those older affleck girls — what kind of model are they getting for their future relationships? Mom is being a martyr again. Mom is turning a blind eye to another affair/gambling bender/selfish act. Dad is just being dad. Mom is helping dad keep his $h!t together. Give, give, give. Let’s all go out for a pap walk and pretend we’re a happy family. Honestly, I think they kids would be better off if rhey divorced.
Yeah the people who say they should stay together for the kids obviously never talked to anyone who grew up in that kind of environment.
Total agreement here.
Word.
Truth
He looks like he wants to kill himself (I really hope he doesn’t). I think it’s the aggressive presence of the paps that are infuriating and embarrassing him. I don’t understand why they don’t change their routine for a while to avoid the paps if it’s causing him that much distress. I wonder if she’s dragging him out to be photographed because he’s obviously hating the attention and she’s smiling for the cameras. I think if they both wanted to avoid the paps, they could.
He only grew that beard back when he finished filming, didn’t he? I remember reading how much she hated his beard from Argo and chopped it off after he won his oscar. I do wonder if he’s growing it back because he knows she hates it.
I don’t believe anybody knows what goes on in their marriage, there’s no evidence for any of the rumours about him. He does look miserable though and for some reason they continue to walk into places where they know they’ll be surrounded by the paps he hates.
I like him as a director and his recent performances as an actor. Hopefully he can get out of this tabloid drama. He seems to hate it.
She’s always going to the same Farmer’s Market and coffee shop where paps are known to hang out. I’d hate being photographed looking so frumpy all the time, but I think she sees it as her thing. She wants to be seen as the relatable mom. I’m guessing he’s too spineless to tell her no when she wants him to come along. And the result is the two of them looking like they are in two very different marriages.
There are paps who stake out the farmer’s market, but these guys also know where Garner lives and what her general routine is and they simply follow her. She’s said in the past that if she went to take her garbage out (that’s shady, taking out her own garbage, but whatever), boom, there’s paps lying in wait..
Do they do anything other than go to the farmer’s market?? That’s a marriage killer right there. Seriously, leave the kids with nanny / grandparents / friends one weekend and get away somewhere fun.
I’m guessing he can be a miserable prick to live with and try to make happy. If all this is true, she’ll be fine without him and they’ll co-parent the kids without rancor and all will be well.
Who really knows. I never believed the Jen/Brad marriage trouble stories, then was proven wrong.
If they do break up it will be bad for him. I think he will go down the path of Johnny Depp and I have no doubt his gambling and drinking issues will get much worse.
I don’t trust USMag to have that much credibility. They have run Aniston pregnant and getting married in a week and Beyoncé is getting divorced for sure articles and so far, neither of those things has happened, so definite grain of salt.
But I think they should never have started these pap walks. If he is going to look like he wished he was somewhere else or dead, then they should have just let it go. He has proven that he can look perky doing pap walk if it helps his cause (Oscar campaign for Argo), so he can look happy if he wants to. They had to know they would be hounded looking for photos such as these. Who knows if he started smiling a split second later, but tabloids are not going to buy and print those photos as it does not fit “the marriage is in trouble” narrative. They know the game and how to play it and they have failed miserably and seem to be losing the game fast.
If nothing is going on, they need to lay low and re-group as these photos do not support their “happiest couple on the planet” image, whether that is true or not.
“If he is going to look like he wished he was somewhere else or dead, then they should have just let it go.”
Exactly! Does Ben not understand how a pap walk works? If they’re not divorcing then all he’s doing is generating more speculation with his cranky expressions.
Jen2 I agree about the pap walks. I don’t see the point of them. If they are to deflect marriage trouble rumors they aren’t working. If they are trying to portray that all is well they aren’t working.
I have always liked her (and he’s grown on me) but I do think she is very calculating about the pap walks and portraying the perfect family image. That being said, I feel there has to be a reason they are dragging the family on these miserable looking pap strolls.
Why would Jen agree to a divorce before the 10 year mark? This sounds like something Ben is doing. He’s the passive aggressive one who can’t man the F up and do the right thing. He’s got to get the women in his life to take the steps to dump his butt (or call off the engagement). I don’t agree with staying together for the children because kids know. They can tell when things aren’t right, and it would be better, mentally for them, if they did divorce.
Everybody jumps on the California ten year rule as if it’s something set in stone and it isn’t. A judge can determine yours is a marriage of long duration even if you don’t reach ten, and three kids is a good basis for that. Barring a prenup, and who knows if there is one, California is a community property state and she’s still entitled to half the community assets regardless of whether the marriage lasted a year or fifty.
The tabloids like to run these stories where ten years is a big line in the sand, and it just isn’t true. If somebody like Tom Cruise bails right before the ten year mark, like he did with Kidman, it’s more likely to be because it triggers something in the prenup and not because of state law.
Rant over, it’s just that as a lawyer, this one always makes me crazy.
I’m in a fun, happy marriage and can’t imagine having to look at Affleck’s big mopey face all the time. It just sounds exhausting.
Thanks for the info. I thought it was set in stone they had to be married 10 years for her to get half, but it’s good to know she doesn’t have to stick around and be miserable. Because like you…looking at his mopey face and dealing with his issues would be exhausting.
“……….. Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3………..”
9, 6 and 3. Hmmmmmm seems like its just about time for another baby.
Thats all I got.
That ship has sailed. Ben wanted a fourth after Matt Damon Jr. — I mean, Samuel was born. Jennifer said three was enough and has gotten back into fighting shape and seems to be venturing out and doing more work-related things..
I’m sorry but if two people are so unhappy together and one keeps stepping out on the other it’s better for the children if they aren’t together. Yes divorce is tough on kids but staying in a loveless marriage can damage the kids even more and can devalue there self worth because they think it’s normal for daddy to cheat on mummy or vice versa.
+1
Kourtney Kardashian gets a lot of grief (deservingly so) for having children with an immature, alcoholic.
Jennifer gets praise for being the martyr mom. But didn’t she have his first child not long after his crazy antics with J Lo? Was he fully prepared for marriage or did she subtly pressure him?
People show you who they are right? Jennifer knew what she was getting into. She keeps looking the other way, enables his self-destructive behaviors, has child after child in a dysfunctional marriage.
And, for the sake of keeping up appearances, is all about Image and puts out this picture of a happy & healthy family.
So please. Jennifer doesn’t get a complete pass in this dysfunctional coupling.
She reminds me of Reese Witherspoon in that she puts forth this idea of a long-suffering wife and martyr mom when she has her narcissistic agenda.
Jennifer maintains her wholesome mom image for her endorsements with Neutrogena, some airline. All about $$$ with both of them.
This 1000%
Ben has had one foot out the door ever since his Argo Oscar win when he thanked his wife for 10 Christmases and for working on the marriage that speech just seemed like a thank you and goodbye speech and now that 10 years are up and with US weekly reporting it and their PR teams not saying anything it does look like they will be divorcing.
At least from the outside, this relationship always looked to me like a good girl trying to reform a bad boy. Not to generalize, but even after marriage and children, it is exceedingly difficult to change a person’s inherent tendencies and qualities. Not to mention, a marriage that begins on the basis of a pregnancy – while not necessarily doomed to fail – puts an enormous burden on the relationship from the start. Who knows if he ever would have made a marital commitment to her if not for the first child… she could have picked a more good-natured guy. When I saw 13 Going on 30, I thought she and Mark Ruffalo would make a nice couple, but alas he has married and seems to be the rare, genuinely decent type in Hollywood who actually honors his vows! lol
Whether true or false, or even another couple, I feel so sorry for their children seeing the tabloids. They’re of age for friends telling them or even googling their parents and having this pop-up. I wonder if celeb couples share their issues with their children so they are not blindsided. So sad for the children and if it is the Affleck’s feel bad that this once touted love story did not survive.
Ben Affleck is always going on about the “hard work” that is marriage. Is this a surprise? Honestly, if you’re lucky enough to meet your best friend (temperament, interests, outlook on life) and you’re also compatible physically and in terms of life goals, you’re set and nothing can stop that, not even being attracted to other people or major crises, et cetera.
But these two just come across as not really inspired and happy. “Hard work” should NEVER be the way you describe it. Incidentally I just read some article about Sting and his wife’s Italian property. These two are a good example of why if it’s real, it’s not “hard work.” Good luck to Ben and Jen. He’s a bit of a douche but she seems lovely.
They are a solid couple, and they adore each other. But Sting has said relationships are hard and not natural but he’s lucky because they actually like each other. I just think their marriage has very relaxed rules as far as fidelity. They aren’t exactly Ozzie and Harriett. Years ago my friend was at an event in a big city and he was there, and she said he hit on her friend, who was beautiful.
Sting was photographed leaving a nortorious German Brothel at two something in the morning during his reunion tour in 2007. He tried to duck down in the back seat after leaving.
“Asked about Sting’s night out in Hamburg, his publicist said: “Sting and his wife Trudie Styler have always been open about their interest in strip clubs.
“I do not know whether he went to this club. However I would not be surprised if he went. It is nothing he would be ashamed of.”
In an interview in 2004 Miss Styler claimed the couple had indulged in wife- swapping, swinging and visiting sex clubs.
She told U.S. radio host Howard Stern that said she would watch as her husband met other women.
“I don’t get jealous. He likes to go to these clubs where they all get naked,” she said.
“I just sort of hang out and talk to them, and polish my nails.”
The interview quickly made headlines around the world. Within days Miss Styler gave another interview as an apparent retraction, saying the comments had all been a joke.”
There was another article where Sting addressed it.
“Trudie Styler later fanned the flames by telling American radio presenter Howard Stern the couple enjoyed swingers parties and strip clubs. Even though his wife later tried to retract the statement, Sting said: ‘I think she might have been winding him up, but I’m not going to confirm or deny anything. Let’s just say we have a healthy sex life.”
I don’t know much about this couple and had no idea! Gross! So they’re like Jada and Will Smith then, I suppose. Okay, I’ll go with the earlier poster and nominate Mark Ruffalo and his wife as one of the better famous couples out there.
I know this story comes up about twice a year, for at least 8 years, but to me that’s what makes it seem true. I’ve known quite a lot of people like Ben, and they always have one foot out the door. A couple of times a year they’ll line up a jump-off or just reach peak boredom levels and start making moves to leave. If they’re married to someone like Jennifer, they get dragged kicking and screaming back into the marriage. She pays him a lot of attention for a while, they seem happy, and then the cycle repeats. I’ve seen marriages like this go on for decades, but at some point the guy just can’t be pulled back. Often the behaviour gets worse and worse in the lead up to a divorce. These guys are aware of the cycle they’re stuck in, and they’ll try and get the woman to give up and not pull them back in when they leave.
Ben’s been a hot mess for a good two years now, and they haven’t looked happy together for longer than that. He barely even tries to hide his ‘vices’, and he hasn’t made his usual adjustments when caught out. Stories came out about his gambling, he started spending even more time at casinos. People side eye the fact he’s publically drinking, he starts showing up to events high as a kite. Rumours of affairs surface and instead of doing what he usually does and heading straight back to Jennifer to play happy families, he avoids her and doubles down on the shady behaviour.
This might not be the time he leaves, but it looks to me as if he’s edging closer and closer and has been for a while. At some point he’ll actually do it.
Ugh. There is no good or bad person here. I just don’t think they fit – ever. It always seemed painfully obvious. Ben’s issues aside, they just don’t fit. And Jen always seems like Kathleen Turner in the movie Serial Mom, sitting at the kitchen table going, “eweet,
eweet,” imitating the birds outside as though everything is just perfect. Who knows if they’ll even split up – they both seem invested in protecting the “family” image at any cost, while it seems painfully clear they haven’t been happy for a long time, if ever.
It is not about the right fit or the fashion sense or the bad vices but this should be about the children. They are young, still innocent and it is not about how wealthy they are! The kids are the ones to suffer.
I don’t care about the fashion sense. And I agree what’s most important is the kids, and I’m sure Ben and Jen are well aware of that, or they probably would have split eons ago. but there comes a time in sne marriages where it’s just no longer good to stay together, even for the kids. I believe in marriage. But I come from generations of divorce, and while it wasn’t always easy, we all turned out just fine. What really matters most is that kids remain close to both parents, and that’s achievae in an amicable divorce, and there are more and more of these today. What I don’t understand is this idea that people should stay together at all costs, or that Ben should just stay with Jen if he knows what’s good for him. Believe me, I’m sure she has her issues too – we just don’t see them since Ben’s appear to take the limelight. Blah – it’s just the narrative the media has chosen. No divorce is ever one-sided.
Maybe I’m a total beyatch but I know women like Jen Garner and frankly, they are so damn boring they send you into a coma.
These ‘career mums’ specialise in a kind of martyrdom that has shades of passive aggression attached. I’ve met a few of them from my 15 years as a mum and these are some of the career mum hallmarks:
* They get ‘wash n go’ haircuts, to minimize the time spent on themselves.
* They always wear the ugly uniform of cargo pants, runners and polo shirts.
* They belong to the P and C and are heavily involved with the kids school.
* They volunteer in the canteen.
* When you ask them if they’d like to come to a BBQ/ kids party/ gathering they always reply ‘Thanks but I’ll have to check with my husband Rob first’ (smug married syndrome)
* Their children always are neat and tidy with the best Easter Hats, library books returned on time, excursion notes returned the next day, lunch boxes full of quinoa wraps with chicken breast and avocado and they never ever drop the children off in pajama bottoms and Ug boots.
Career mums also boast about never having a minute to themselves as they are constantly ferrying Ruby and Cooper to soccer, violin, karate, kumon, parties and swimming lessons.
They never get very drunk and embarass their kids, sleep in and miss things, feed their children cereal for dinner or allow themselves to get fat as they also visit the gym daily so as to be fit and healthy for their kids.
And the reason they are so boring? All they ever do is talk about their kids! Sorry Jen, you seem totes boring and annoying to me and like others have said, those slide sandal things are ugly as f*ck!
Ha it’s worse where I am. Not only are the mommies being perfect parents, they’re being perfect career women too. Nobody ever mentions things going to s&^t at home, they’re traveling with the family abroad for the summer (and presenting their research while they do it), they have just run a marathon (along with the kids), meanwhile they’re telling you this while they host the school fundraising gala. It’s freaking exHAUSTing. I never feel like I can keep up, and I imagine them at home either running it like a dictatorship or curling up in a little ball sometimes. They’re interesting but insufferable. Wait, it gets worse. They’re actually NICE.
She has 13 acting credits in the last five years, and 6 future projects as producer..don’t think she fits this stereotype…mostly I love that she doesn’t seem to give a s#+$ about what people think of her shoes.
It sounds like you guys are sick of suburbia and the nuclear family with the 2.5 children or whatever it is in general.
I think some aspect of bens personality matches Jen’s, he’s a down to earth guy and his demons are what demons are to any of us: aspects of ourselves we fight and suppress, but rear their ugly heads. Sometimes I like Ben and sometimes I think he’s a jerk so I can’t imagine what it’s like being around him. He comes across likeable at times and arrogant at others.
Although she’s dressed like a woman not even trying to save her marriage – I can’t see them announcing anything. Ben could be in an unhappy marriage going about daily life or hate the paps hence the scowling, but I think if he was actually being freed from this apparently miserable married life people think he’s got, he’d be smiling! He looks like he’s stuck. Or he doesn’t want to get divorced because he’s got his own life on the side anyway, but she’s had enough. Jennifer will come out of a divorce on top of the world – i can see it now, magazine covers: Jennifer Garner talks divorce and feeling like an empowered, independent, super mom! He’ll be photographed by TMZ stumbling out of casinos, still scowling, looking beat, with a 21 year old barely dressed blonde beside him trying to hide her face. Hehe.
Gossipcop has upgraded this story from zero (absolute hogwash) to 5 (maybe). Evidently they have been trying to get their reps to confirm or deny the breakup rumors, and whereas the reps used to give a flat-out denial, now they aren’t saying anything.
More about Bindi!