I was so busy crying into various bags of candy over Liev and Naomi’s split that I missed these photos of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck going out to breakfast after the school run on Monday. Compared to how much we see them out separately, it’s rare that they’re together for paparazzi photos. It’s safe to assume that this is just as much of a message as their dinner date together on Thursday, where the paparazzi just happened to catch them arriving and leaving together in the same car.
These two have not pulled the plug yet, it’s been over a year, and they’ve been successfully coparenting all that time, at least going by outside appearances. They haven’t trashed each other, in fact they’ve said nice (if pointed) things about each other in interviews, and they’re trying to figure out the next step, if any. Maybe they realized that it doesn’t get any better than they already have it.
Garner talked to People Magazine recently about her family and she said that it’s stressful when summer ends and the kids go back to school. Garner is promoting her partnership with Huggies, which is donating diapers to families in need.
[When the kids go back to school] “Everything shifts,” Garner tells PEOPLE. “It’s crazy town. I always feel like September is bananas, doing initial meetings, meetings for room mom, field trips. It’s crazy, but good.”
“I said to my kids yesterday, ‘This has been a long week,’ ” says Garner. “Kids fight, they push and pull. The beginning of school is stressful for them and they take it out on Mom. I have to say, ‘You guys, this is a lot for me. I need a break!’ We all have to chill out.”
“It’s one thing at a time,” she says. “It’s really about, this is what’s happening at home and this is what’s needed. Sometimes I actually need to go and work. I need to do something for me. And luckily, I’m able to step away and do that.”
But with the holidays approaching, Garner says right now, family is the biggest thing on her mind.
“Family all being together [makes me happiest],” she says. “My sisters and nieces and nephews and parents will all be together for a week at Christmas. And for now, we’re starting to think about Halloween costumes. It’s all fun!”
Family is important to her, and she wants them all to be together. That’s been clear for a while.
There’s news about the standalone Batman film which Affleck is writing, directing and of course starring in. That’s set to either start filming in a year and a half or to actually be released in a year and a half, it’s hard to tell by the way that was phrased by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who said the film was “a year and a half out.” It seems like a long time but it’s not really and I would bet that Garner and Affleck will still be together by then.
Also yes, I deliberately put “bananas” in the title of two stories today. I’ve never actually heard anyone use that word in person, but both Kaiser and Hecate told me they use it sometimes.
photos credit: FameFlynet
Why do these two consistently dress like hurricane victims waiting on their roof for rescue?
Ha!
HAHA!!!!
At least her shoe game is getting better. I actually like that black pair of shoes.
LOL
I have never thought Ben or Jennifer had any kind of natural sex-appeal, you know, like the one you have when you are in your pijamas, not the one you have after an army of stylists are done with you. This is who they are IMO, completely bland.
And I imagine the marriage will go on under new conditions, namely Jennifer will handle his ‘extra-marital’ affairs as well (names, dates, meeting places) in addition to his career and his family.
It’s really bad isn’t it? I bet those bad clothes are expensive so they think it’s ok,but that’s not how it works. Yuck and lol
😂😂😂😂😂
They look like the regular, everyday people I see out and about in the Midwest.
Except the clothes they are wearing cost ten times more.
Ya, this is normal casual wear (for people who don’t particularly care about fashion).
Well, he looks less bloated.
Can I tell you what’s driving me bananas? That’s how I’ve used it… My kid wants to be an ewok for Halloween and the only furry masks I can find are $200 perfect reproductions on eBay/etsy.
Daaaaang, @birdix. $200? I was an Ewok for Halloween when I was 6; I’m two months shy of being 39. I remember that the mask was very hot and I’m pretty sure I took it off 20 minutes into trick-or-treating. I took the liberty of googling for you and I saw some cute costumes that did not involve a mask. Would your kid be cool with a hooded, furry full-body suit that leaves the face exposed? I can testify: That mask will be will be off too soon to justify a lot of $$$$. 🙂
Yes, there are some good furry suits–made to be bears costumes mostly! It may come to that. At the moment she’s counting on having a furry face.
I read ‘breakfast’ and ‘bananas’ and now I want banana bread.
Hockey mask, super glue & a razor (now you just need to find someone with a hairy back)……much cheaper
This baby that I’m working with is crying so much it’s bananas! He has colic and has been crying for about an hour while he tries to burp! Poor thing. That’s how I use it.
I’m so tired of these two. I’m glad they’re working on it, but I still see it as massively unhealthy for her. Just my observational opinion.
Also, I LOVE IT when the kids go back to school. I did so much the first week they were back!! It is crazy running around but then…helllllo empty house for 8 hours! I love that part.
Yup, I use bananas. My use of it is as a substitute for swearing. So, more in a sarcastic, dry, annoyed way. I don’t use it when I’m excited about something. I would say, “Our clients are going bananas over…” Instead of saying, “Our clients are going ape-shit over the new projections.”
Jen wants to sound like a regular mom here – like she is one of us – the beginning of the year is hard – it’s hard on the mom etc. and it’s cute and it makes her relatable – except Jen you are not really one of us. You have what looks like 2 full time nannies – your youngest is 4 which is not a baby. Right now Jen appears not to be working. Us Regular folk manage the beginning of school without all that help and without being able to take time out for “me” – we just kick “me time” down the road.
“Meetings for room mom” – I found this statement so fascinating. You mean to tell me she is coordinating all the parent volunteers in one of her kid’s classroom? Working one-on-one (and at times taking direction) from the teacher and PTA. There is no way she has her nanny doing this work. I am intrigued how that feels for the other parents in the class.
I would imagine her kids go to a private school with a lot of other Hollywood kids — maybe the other parents aren’t movie stars, but they’re probably studio execs, agents, etc. So they’re used to being around/working with celebs.
I agree with Jenfan. I think September is absolutely bananas 🙂 but I don’t have a housekeeper, personal assistant, or nanny to do all my cleaning, scheduling, and taking care of my kids while I’m at work having “me time.” Wtf is up with having “me time” at work, anyway? Seriously? I go to work to earn money so I can pay for hockey and dance lessons! I like my job, but it isn’t my “me time.”
It’s always stuck out to me that she’s ramming this narrative down our throats. “I’m a regular mom who’s SO DEVOTED to my children! Listen to me talk about mom stuff! I’m a mom!” It bugs because her children seem to be her sole identity, like there is nothing else to her outside of them. Everything revolves around them. Which, I don’t know, is just really off putting to me. Like, who is she going to be when they grow up and leave home? Will she just vanish? Or is that what she’s waiting for so she can finally leave her husband? To do what though, exactly?
@granger. Most of us work for the money, whether it’s to pay for extras or necessities. I hope that most people get some sense of satisfaction from it, ie enjoying what you do or feeling you made a difference. Jen Garner, who I actually do think is lovely (unlike most posters here), does not need to work to pay for things. So I think what she is saying that when she does go to work, for her it’s time away from the kids (who can be irritating- I know I have my own), and I guess she really enjoys it, so it’s her “me” time.
In all seriousness I think she probably really is a good mom – I also think it’s a lot easier to be patient etc when you have a whole host of employees to take care of the dirty work, and to watch your kids while you go to lunch, shopping and the gym. I still think she is relatable but for those of us who don’t have that type of support, September is truly bananas !!!!!!!!!! (Though personally me and my working mom friends find school vacations and holidays much more bananas)
Have I seen my kids do too many “face swap” photos lately, or in that top pic, if you put scruff and short hair on her would they look like twins?
Sick of her and her schtick (we know you have an army of nannies and household staff, dear), sick of him and his toupee. Stop calling the paps every time you leave the house.
Clearly CB hasn’t seen the ROL story that says Ben is looking to move on and date but can’t find anyone because he’s lost his confidence. Which must be true since it’s ROL. I kid! 🙂 All I can say is, “as good as it gets?” If their marriage, with all of the crap that has been reported on for the last 10 years, is as good as it gets, then that’s sad. At least others – Angie, Naomi, etc. – have the strength of character to call it what it is, have some dignity and move on. I don’t think Jen has that.
Radar online you mean?lol that’s funny.
Lainey had a post recently basically saying that this appears all to be good pr for Ben’s movies coming out – the accountant next month – and later live by night. “See I get along so great with my ex – we are such great friends”. As opposed to brad and Angie. I think in some respects she is definitely right. I do also think that they are together or working on it on some level. They just spend way too much time together when he is in LA.
That’s a good point. It does seem like in the past when he has had career missteps he has ramped up the family man act to promote his projects. Not quite sure what she gets out of that.
Relevance.
Without the connection to Ben she’s just the actress from Alias who tried to do the rom-com thing and failed and now shows up in middling family films and Christian films. He’s a proper A-list movie star and director, and when she’s with him she get’s a big bump up the celebrity pecking order.
If she’d ended up with Foley or Vartan no one would ever talk about her anymore. Her status as a celebrity is extremely dependent on Ben.
Or, maybe, they both love their children, want their children to be happy, and put their children first. Of course, that couldn’t be the case, because, it’s Ben and Jen, and everyone loves to hate on them. If this was Brad and Angie, everyone would be saying what great parents they are and how wonderful it is that they make an effort to get along for their children. I believe that Ben and Jen truly want what is best for their kids, and not EVERY move it a PR stunt….
Isn’t that the truth?
I’m there with you, MrsBPitt.
Um, I’m thinking Ben needs to burn that shirt and others like it in his closet. His moobs are kinda distracting and not in the sexy way. Also good to note that previous supposition his face looks different because of the darker dyed hair is wrong. He still has face 2.0 even with the grey hair. I now suspect forehead lift. Their “go along to get along” strategy is a welcome relief from all the horrible things going on lately so I guess I should say thank you to them for keeping it nice.
I think it’s because he’s wearing a girdle or some kind of tummy flattening shapewear. The moobs don’t match the gut, thus the eye drawing weirdness.
Gwynneth’s divorce took almost three years, Amy Poehler’s divorce took four or five years.
They have moved on and seem to put the kids first. Ben is in therapy. There is nothing in any photos to suggest any romantic connection with these two. He is probably staying in that rented house down the street, Brook Shields’ house they rented. The kids are what’s most important.
Jayna…exactly what I was thinking!
They are walking so far apart from each other and there is nothing in their body language to indicate any kind of ‘togetherness’ in the romantic sense. I would say they are working very hard on staying friends for the sake of their children. Good for them.
I think, whether trying out being together again or being comfortable with each other whilst still being apart, they both put a lot of effort into being mature and working towards the right balance for their family. I can’t shade them for that.
My husband and I lived seperate lives (whilst under the same roof) when our daughter was in her teens. We talked a lot, at times argued, had others in our lives discreetly but with the full knowledge of the other. We maintained a ‘love’ but no longer ‘in love’ for sometime, both with mutual respect. We took family holidays together and spent family time together. Our daughter grew in certain knowledge that there was still much love in the home, especially for her.
Over time feelings reawakened, my husband retired early thereby taking off some of the stressors which had made our relationship fraught. Our daughter is now 23 and away at uni but loves coming home. My husband and I maintain seperate bedrooms much of the time but have rediscovered ‘in love’ and are far more open when spending far more time together just the two of us than we ever did before. We share more interests and hobbies, yet still have each of our own seperate time too but without the tensions which used to surround us both being very different people in many ways. We holiday with our daughter still and make a very enjoyable triple group for outings.
Our 25th wedding anniversary is next year. Would I rather our marriage had stayed ‘conventionally’ together throughout, perhaps. But then maybe we wouldn’t have matured into the new, and much more supportive and loving, lease we enjoy now.
There’s no rule book and no conventional marriage, there’s what you can make work or not. Whatever Ben and Jen seem to have going looks to be working for them.
I use “bananas” all the time. After the Gwen song and Kelly (Mindy Kaling) from the office (who is definitely quoting Gwen), I often use it to describe something crazy or intense. “This day is bananas” is a completely legitimate phrase in my book
What is this on Twitter yesterday that a stripper admitted that at one time she sat on Ben’s lap. 😄
What?
Jennifer = We are great friends. We are like a modern family.
Ben = My wife is the one who was instrumental for my success. (Something like that.)
I think there is a disconnect here.
I can’t understand the appeal of these two, why CB is always writing about them. They have to be the two most boring people in Hollywood, hardly worth writing about.
When I read the title I honestly thought the breakfast place they like to go to has “banana specials” in September, (like Souplantation has a monthly “theme food”), and that they had a lighthearted chat about this with the paparazzi!
Last 2 days Ben has been papped on his own bringing his kids to school. (Their children really are cute). So after trolling the Internet- it seems that Jen went to Memphis Monday – so I guess he has been on daddy duty.
What I am really waiting for is Jennifer Garner post divorce.When Ben has a new woman.It is going to be something to watch.The new woman better be ready.It is going to be monumental.