Ben Affleck has moved on from his much-derided career-stalling relationship with Jennifer Lopez to marry a woman who seems her polar opposite in many ways. Jennifer Garner is relatively free from pretension and seems genuinely kind, if a little ditsy at times. (We can’t always be signing her praises.)

Garner has made fun of herself for even small moments of being demanding, saying in a recent Glamour interview that she had to check herself when she found that she was slightly miffed that she had her makeup done after someone else. “Ben’s in Africa studying malaria and visiting slums with a lack of potable water and maternity wards where many women have HIV. So would I really put my energy into worrying that I’m second to get my makeup done? When you think about the bigger picture, it’s hard to not have some perspective.” Lopez, on the other hand, sends lists of demands to hotels where she’s staying that rival many concert riders for big stars.

So Affleck probably feels like he dodged a bullet in marrying and fathering a child with such a lovely low-key woman. He’s not above acknowledging his ex’s happiness, though. Lopez has managed to stay with her third husband Marc Anthony for an incredible three years and now she’s pregnant with up to two babies. Affleck sent her a friendly note to congratulate her on the pregnancy and let her know how much he enjoys fatherhood. His daughter with Garner, Violet, will turn two next month:

Despite telling “Details” magazine that his relationship with the Latin superstar “was probably bad for my career,” Ben sent a personal message to Jennifer and hubby Marc Anthony extending his best wishes, say sources.

Ben, now married to Jennifer Garner, “raved how fatherhood has left him thrilled – and he said he knows what a great mother J.Lo will be,” the source said. “While the two have had little communication since their highly publicized breakup, Jennifer was deeply touched by Ben’s heartfelt message.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, November 26, 2007]

This isn’t the only one of the couple’s exes that Affleck and Garner are friendly with. They are said to have invited Garner’s ex husband, Scott Foley, over to dinner.

Affleck and Garner have been quite scandal free since their 2005 beach wedding. There was a minor blip in February when a Hollywood madam claimed that Affleck hired one of her girls for sex at least six years ago, back when he was single and known as a partier. That mini scandal quickly blew over, and Affleck has kept his nose and polished clean apart from some rumored online gambling.

Last week’s Life and Style has an article about Affleck and Garner titled “Ben and Jen face the biggest test of their marriage.” They suggest that Ben must be lonely since Jen is devoting so much time to her well-reviewed role on Broadway in Cyrano de Bergerac. The only evidence Life and Style offers that they’re having trouble is that Ben “was spotted nursing a Guinness and knocking back a few glasses of wine after the Oct. 10 Chicago premiere of Gone Baby Gone“! In fact Ben even “filled Jen’s dressing room with roses” and they’re said to be “very much in love.” He probably does feel like he dodged a bullet and landed on a soft bed.

Affleck is shown out with his family on 10/14/07 in NY, thanks to Splash News. He is shown below at the Glamour Woman of the Year awards on 11/5/07.