US Magazine has run so many insider stories on Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s relationship, like a lot of other outlets. I think they’re Garner’s celebrity friendly magazine of choice, given the number of stories they’ve written from her perspective. So when US says that Garner and Affleck aren’t getting back together and that they’re not sleeping in the same room, I believe them, or rather that it’s the story which Garner wants us to believe. People Magazine claimed earlier this week that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner spent his birthday in Montana, where they’ve vacationed before. That sounded like it came from their reps, but some of you said that People got it from social media. Whatever happened, it took them until the next news cycle to clarify that they’re no together romantically at this point and that they don’t anticipate that happening again in the foreseeable future.
Ben Affleck, his estranged wife Jennifer Garner and their children, Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and Samuel, 4, visited Montana’s Yellowstone Club to celebrate the actor turning 44 August 15.
“There was a cake and they did the usual stuff: hiking and playing outside,” an Affleck insider says in the new issue of Us Weekly. “They wanted to be together as a family.”
They chose one of their “favorite places” for the occasion: Affleck and Garner, 44, spent Christmas at the ski resort last year and returned in February with pals Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen.
While the Boston native “got along great” with Garner throughout the weeklong birthday festivities, that won’t lead to a permanent reunion. “They didn’t sleep in the same room,” explains the source. “And they are not getting back together.”
Still, spending the Batman star’s birthday together seems to be a tradition that won’t end simply because of the split.
So Affleck is still calling Garner his “wife” in interviews and Garner is not having it but she’s playing nice for the kids. She’s said that she’s disappointed that her plans for a family didn’t work out and we know she’s trying to continue to keep things normal for the kids. They’re not together and Ben is maybe screwing around when he can find discreet partners but Garner is not and she’s not dating or I’m sure we’d hear about it. What happens if and when one of them gets another long term partner? Will they continue to do things together and incorporate the new person? Now that would be impressive to see.
photos credit: WENN and Fame
Yep. We know. He’s getting out of a car with his pants undone right before an award show.
I wonder why they feel the need to give the public updates about their marriage when so few care. And most of the accounts are conflicting ones, so it’s all pretty dumb.
No one cares about your marriage/maybe-divorce, Ben and Jen.
Really? Your reading this article and posting which contradicts what you are saying lol.
I’ve always thought it was weird how Jen has regularly scheduled pap walks – she calls them up and always makes sure she looks natural, wet hair/no makeup, or just going to/from workout.
Honestly, Ben Affleck is a total douche…but Garner to me is a total manipulator. The example she is setting for her daughters by playing will we/won’t we with Affleck is going to ruin them quite a bit….
She does do this just when the story is about too die down. When she has a chance to set the record straight she sounds like a riddler. I agree, where is she running too, looks like she is always at the gym, I guess trying to dis spell these baby rumors, and resurrect her career after Nine Lives,I think her movie choices are good, but actresses have a time to work.
Omg. Jen and Ben, Johnny and Amber ,poof be gone gotdangit!
Seriously. It’s almost like they create their own problems for attention.
Um, Amber Heard did not suffer through abuse to get attention.
Also if you don’t like celeb stories why are you here?
When someone new is introduced I predict all hell will break loose.
Divorce is hard for the kids. Ongoing ambivalence and playing ping-pong with their feelings and understanding is way harder.
I hope they are at least clear with the kids. I’m just saying this as someone married to a man who’s parents did the “are we together or are we apart” tango for years and years. It causes anxiety and confusion and resentment in the kids. Just break up for real and be done with it. It’s great to spend special birthdays together and to put importance on being harmonious, but there shouldn’t be this ongoing question of whether they are or will be together. They need to grow up.
Personally, I agree. My parents were divorced. Even my grandparents were divorced! This idea that kids are not able to handle a divorce is not true at all. Our family was always harmonious and never bad-mouthed each other, and I think we got to spend better quality time with my dad once my parents were divorced. Divorce does not ruin children. All that really matters is that both parents are present in their children’s lives, jMO.
Yes! These two need to get the divorce over and move on. However, I suspect this is less about the kids than the parent’s (more likely Jen’s) inability to let go. Get divorced or not–I don’t care but stop trying to wring all the PR out of a sad situation.
I don’t mean to sound shallow, but who wants to date some one who is always running to a family function with another family.
is it just me or does Garner seem kinda phony it all seems a bit over done with her.
Not just you. I think to some degree Garner is Amazing Amy and filming Gone Girl is when Ben started to really pull away and push for a separation. Garner will give interviews in which she talks about her young son begging her to keep the paps away from him because they scare him, but then she calls the paps every time she steps out of a car. I think too her relationship with Ben, at this point, is not healthy. They need to cut the cord and she either has to let him coparent on his own or not. Work it out in court. Doesn’t it seem though like she doesn’t trust him? She wants control of him and the children is the way she is doing it. Why can’t they just be with their father without her? Maybe Ben’s drinking is more grim than what we know. I think I was younger than Violet when my parents divorced and my sister was around Samuel’s age. We would spend a weekend or two a month with my dad and the rest of the time we were with my mom. It worked, but I think it would have been very weird for us should my mom have to follow us to our dad’s when he had visitation. But then again I didn’t have a helicopter mom. I think Garner is probably a helicopter mom.
It baffles me that a nanny must always be present when he has even one kid by himself. The really pretty nanny was with Ben and Violet in London recently. She was with Ben and the kids when they did the church stroll on July 4th weekend and Jen was in France. I mean, come on. Overkill. But I suppose if he spends all his time outside smoking and looking miserable when he’s supposed to be watching them, a nanny might be required. Like he cannot give that up for even an hour while they eat lunch. Weak.
PS. I think Garner was a helicopter WIFE. Which is why Ben preferred to be away working.
She’s become VERY phony through all this divorce stuff. This stuff about hating the paps, sis… we know you call them. Always has a huge smile on her face when she sees them. She is loving the attention. She seems to be delusional when it comes to the attention on her kids, too. She and Ben are always telling anecdotes about them for really no reason, which drives up interest in them, which is why they get photographed. There is no gun to either of their heads to discuss their children in even a general sense. And Jen, no photogs followed you to WV, you are not that special, you could move to Santa Barbara and your kids could live quiet lives. But then you wouldn’t get to do your gym stroll every day, so… too bad, kids. Suck it up. All this said, people talk about how Ben needed Jen for an image rehab and while that’s true, she needed him for one as well. Her relationships with Foley, Vartan and Ben overlapped a lot and she was totally messy. She was not J. Lo famous so no one noticed and it’s the only reason she gets to be Little Miss Wife and Mother of the Century today. I really can’t stand her.
Lol.
Jennifer is going to lose it in every way when Ben shows up with someone new. I think most of this is her. She doesn’t want to be divorced and doesn’t want to pull the trigger. I think Ben is trying to keep the peace and keep the damaging stories about him to a minimum. He probably doesn’t have anyone serious so the divorce is probably not up there and he is letting it run until she is ready.
I think either one of them would lose it if the other got an significant other. Jen will go full Jen An mode and play passive aggressive teary-eyed victim for years. Ben will go into full meltdown mode and completely lose it at not being Jens # 1 anymore.
I disagree. I think he has had relationships since being separated and could even be in one now. I think he sabotaged their marriage with drinking and gambling and other women, including one of their nannies. I don’t think he wants to be Jen’s #1 anymore, lol. Jen on the other hand will absolutely lose it when he gets serious with someone else. I hope for her sake that she has emotionally moved on at that point.
He’s cheated but I’m talking new official girlfriend/wife material not hidden away one night stands which allow her to hold the position of wife in the public eye. I predict he will eventually date and remarry a younger and huge star and start another family and that will devastate her.
@Luca I agree that she will be younger but do you think he’ll go with another actress? I think he may pull a Matt Damon and get with someone not in the industry and who doesn’t talk to the press every day or call the paps for gym and church strolls.
Yes I’m picturing a Michael Douglas Catherine Zeta-Jones type marriage for him.
I think I agree with Samantha. He may date an actress or two since they are so readily available to him but if he remarries, it’ll be to a civilian. I think the tabloid frenzy contributes to his angst (it seems to give Jen life) and he sees that others are able to avoid it by having non-famous spouses. After all this, he probably wants someone who won’t run to US Mag every week.
I think Ben loves drama. I think he loves publicity and he will go for Bennifer 3.0 in spirit if not in actually. But those are just my opinions.
I’ll jump in and add my 2 cents. I partially agree with Luca — he loves drama. But I will say that he seems to only love *positive drama. He seemed to enjoy the paparazzi attention during the Argo days, when he was just Mr. Family Man taking his kids to the cake-baking place and who also makes good movies. He never looked miserable or appeared to be hating life. But now? Not so good. I think what he has realized is that when he and his SO are not on the same page, the PR stuff spins out of his control and it makes him miserable. So while I think it might be tempting to find some PYT C-lister, he will likely end up with someone not in the business. Then, all interviews and tabloid stuff is under his control.
I see Ben with a Blake Lively version.
I bet HE does, anyway. But he’ll sabotage that as well, because his self-loathing runs pretty deep, for some reason.
I don’t think he is afraid of a woman his age, and why do these guys keep starting over with loads of kids.
I think people got the story from social media and maybe confirmed that they were actually in Montana together. Jen’s pr team should have just let it rest. This US weekly item seems like overkill, like Jen said wait, there might be someone out there that now thinks I’m with this pants wardrobe malfunctioning almost ex-husband. So they went to US magazine and said make sure you write how we are not sharing a bedroom. Why does this need to be said, just let the story die. It was not much of one to begin with.
There were 2 great stories this week – one – that the kids and Jen super decorated the house etc for Ben’s birthday and he did not show for the party – that was probably made up – but fun to read anyway.
Then another one yesterday that the real reason they are not divorced yet – is that it would break up their mega millions and it’s not worth it – this one I do believe. It is the one that makes the most sense at this point.
Back in the spring from Jen’s birthday until the end of the European trip I did feel strongly that they were either back together or really working on it. Lots of date sightings of them in Europe and some unguarded looks of “I really love you” caught in Paris on camera (not the ice cream line), plus the people and U.S. Weekly articles at the time, really made me think they were on the road back. My feeling is something turned and they could not do it. But I do think it’s over now.
My guess is that they don’t divorce for the same reason than Maria Schiver/Schwarzenegger: too money involved ( in more in Schwarzie/Schiver case,Maria was very involved in Schwarzie’s business )
Arnold and Maria are old as f*ck. Ben and Jen aren’t. Not even remotely the same thing. B&J will divorce and remarry and probably have more kids (he will, anyway).
They tried to say it was a religious thing too? Arnold seemed like Maria was holding on to him, then Maria said Arnold wouldn’t sign the papers.
I was just thinking the original “conscious uncouplers” were Bruce and Demi. They did a great job of staying friends and integrating their SOs, at least for a good while.
I was thinking of Bruce/Demi/Ashton, too….they got along great!
I don’t understand why this divorce has been dragging for so long, other than because either one of the parties won’t let it happen. They’ve been separated for at least one year (I would guess more than this), Batfleck has taken his movie-mojo back (sort of), Jennifer is not doing too shabby herself (with that horribly-sounding movie Miracles from Whatever).
I applaud them for being civil and standing on a united front for the kids, but that’s about it.
At first I thought they needed to settle things financially, but it’s clear this is now what is on the plate.
$$$$$ He has been unarguably the bigger earner of the two. According to imdb he had earned almost $100mil in salary alone when he went into the marriage, so whatever he’s worth now, ten years later, it has to be much, much more than she has ever, or will ever earn. I think he’s being cheap when it comes to splitting assets.
OK, but if that’s the case, isn’t staying married only making his position worse?
He’s certainly even richer now, one year later..
I don’t know how splitting assets works, and what is the benchmark for the duration of the marriage.. they’ve been separated but not divorced yet, technically aren’t they still married?
@Bishg I’m pretty sure that the date of the separation is legally considered the end of the marriage. I’m not sure that it matters in their case since it was 10 years and a day after they got married. So even if they had a prenup, which they apparently didn’t, it wouldn’t matter and it’s all community property now. It wouldn’t matter if he filed for divorce the day after the announcement. But actually now that I think of it, they were separated before the announcement so maybe that will factor in. I have no idea and it’s all speculation.
Who knows about the laws, but I don’t think. He was making good money when he first married her. He could have divorced before Batman and been alright, but he let her do it after the ten year mark,so he must not care about the money. Had this been Tom Cruise, well we know what….
Well if you go back to the very early days of the breakup even before the nanny. Her team was saying everything was honkydory in the marriage and his team was leaking that a separation was imminent. So I tend to believe she’s the one that’s holding up the divorce. I also believe there’s some minor battle over filing. She won’t file and he’s too chickensh*t about looking like the jerk that he is to file.
I don’t read anything into their divorce because it’s been a year.
Gwynneth and Chris Martin’s divorce took at least two years, maybe more, from the date of their separation announcement. Amy Poehler’s divorce from Will Arnett took four
years.
My friend’s divorce took three years and both were dating other people. He even got engaged before they finally came to an agreement over the financial settlement and her stake in his business and finalized the divorce.
I hate ben’s new face. It looks motionless.
It’s funny and also zzzzz worthy how the tabloids freak out every time Ben and Jen are in the same room together. This has been happening since they announced their divorce and it sends all the rags and websites into a tailspin of “are they back together? NO, they aren’t”. They are obsessed with these two people. I have a feeling that years from now, when both are with other people, the rags will still try to make a thing out of them, like Brad/Angie/Jen.
LOL yes! They could be divorced and married to other people and tabloids will still be going on about these two. I actually think this is why they put this story out there, to stop gossip rags making assumptions. You just know RadarOnline was waiting for write some fanfic about how they poured their hearts out in Montana or some sh!t.
Oh god, this again. Jen, you are still very much the ashes. Take all the umbrage you want. You haven’t filed, you haven’t even kicked him off of the property. Not really so much grrrrl power there, huh? As for Ben: we all think you’re a jerk anyway so go ahead and file. Won’t change anything. Someone has to pull the trigger here, and we all know it’s not going to be Doormat Jen. She’s still waiting and wishing and hoping that Ben will decide that she’s The One and treat her well. Girl, love and respect yourself. Get some self-esteem and a backbone. Be a better example for your daughters. Right now, I predict both girls will grow up and marry men like Ben, who treat them like sh*t, because that’s what they learned at home. Putting work ahead of family? Totally fine! Smoking and drinking and gambling the days and nights away? Totally fine! Cheating with the help? Totally okay! (It’s pathetic, really.)
THIS, is soooo spot on. It’s pride that’s keeping either one from pulling the trigger, they’re both p@ssies really. Ben doesn’t want to be the “bad guy” it’s like dude, you’ve always been the “bad guy” that’s never going to change. And Jen, still holding Ben to “you gave up on the marriage you file first” so when its all said and done, and her children start asking questions when they’re older, Jen can say your dad didn’t want to be a family anymore, it was his decision. It’s all a stupid game, and in the end the kids will lose. But yeah, maybe today’s the day one of them will grow some balls and file for divorce….
Or, it’s money. If they cannot agree on an equitable division privately they seem to have two options–file in court and expose their finances publicly so a judge or jury can make that determination, or stay married but separate until one gives in just to get it over or they meet someone else and let it go. Jen has said she doesn’t care if they stay legally married, so it may be a long wait. I really don’t think it is an emotional thing at this point for either. Could be wrong.could be right.
“Jen has said she doesn’t care if they stay legally married” Um, what? When did she say that? That is totally pathetic even by her World’s Biggest Doormat standards. I also don’t recall her uttering such a thing so if you could provide a link or quote, that’d be great.
@Gina – I’m guessing @Diane was referring to one of those recent articles over the summer where another “source” claimed that Jen was still planning to go ahead with the divorce but she didn’t seem to be bothered with how long it took or something to that effect. Who knows if it’s even true, but here’s one of the places it was picked up:
http://mobi.perezhilton.com/2016-06-08-jennifer-garner-ben-affleck-still-getting-divorce-update#.V8Ca-sT3anM
@Jojo Not Gina but there is a huge difference between someone saying that she didn’t care if she ever divorced, and a dubious “inside source” claiming that she didn’t care if the divorce took a little longer to finalize.
@Kat in the Hat – I agree. As mentioned in my comment, I was only trying to point to the statement that I think @Diane was referring to above, since @Gigi asked where she got that info.
She really hooked this big fish with Violet and will not let go.
He’s a rough looking 44.
I think maybe Afflecks alleged issues are more serious than what is seen in random photos. There is no gain for Garner to stay in this marriage as it is, neither personally nor professionally She definitely distanced herself from him in the Today interview. She was clear the trip to Europe was about the kids, not Ben. The US article is very Ben centric and quotes sources close to him, not her.
Something is behind the scenes that is holding up a filing. It Is likely the finances. Lainey even had a blind about Ben pre-announcement that he was concerned about the timing before the 10 year mark for money purposes. It probably is just a matter of that still is in dispute and calculation. Like others have said, there have been numerous wealthy divorces that took years.
Also, Laura Wasser is Jen’s attorney and she’s been tied up lately with representing Depp in his debacle.that has to have been all-consuming.
No gain? She’s never been more famous than she is right now. This divorce is the only thing keeping her relevant. They aren’t papping her daily gym strolls because Nine Lives was such a huge hit and she’s such a huge movie star.
Garner has definitely been more famous than she is now. This tabloid style fame is not the same as her early 2000s fame. Their relationship did more to help Affleck seem more likeable than it ever helped her.
If she is famous more than ever before then, how come her current projects are all crappy. To think that after the famous Vanity Fair article, she would have gotten more solid projects but none, nada. We hear the usual excuse that she is choosing to stay closer to home because of the kids and therefore, only accepting mediocre projects. When in fact, there are really no big offers with important roles. She is only famous on tabloids. Otherwise she is becoming extinct.
@JAS-Not being argumentative, but just want to comment on this. Ben’s career was definitley at a low point when he married Jen, that’s true. And she definitely played a role in making it “appear” that he had a stable, solid, “white picket fence” family life and also staying home to raise the kids while he worked and rebuilt his career. (We all know that behind the scenes it was apparently anything but picture perfect. ) That aside, I would definitely still argue that Ben was still the A-lister. People love to hate on him (and I wouldn’t deny he has big demons), but the reality is he’s a smart, talented writer/director/producer who had already won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting when he married Jen. Yes, he was having an image crisis coming off of a few bad blockbuster movies and the JLo media spectacle, but I personally believe he would have climbed his way back to the top again in the business with or without Jen – based on his talent. On the other hand, Jen did Alias, and yes, she was awesome in that. Yes, she put her career on the back burner, but just being totally honest, I don’t think she ever would have achieved the same A-list status as Ben. Just don’t think she has the raw talent and range (not saying she’s not good in certain things because she is, and not saying Ben is a great actor because he often isn’t. :))
@jojo Jen was coming off 13 going on 30 I believe either before or after daredevil, and at that point there were whispering that she could be the next Julia Roberts ala rom coms. It did not happen mostly because by her own admition she shifted her ambition to her personal and family life and less ambitious about her career.
@J – Yes, I’m aware of that. But it didn’t happen, so we’ll never know. These types of statements are made about lots of rising stars, and then it doesn’t actually come to fruition. Regardless of her choosing to prioritize family, looking at her work, I personally just don’t think she has the talent to be an A-lister. Even when comparing her to Julia Roberts, I don’t see her pulling off a role like Erin Brokovich, but I do think she can be cute/funny/good in certain things. I’m not slighting her at all. I’m just saying I think her range is limited, and despite his highs and lows, I think Ben would have continued to be an A-list writer/director with or without her. Yes, she helped him have a family while he re-established his career, but as we can all see now, he prioritized his career over the last 10 years anyway. In my opinion, she was not instrumental to his career comeback in general, but she was instrumental to him being able to have kids while he prioritized his career comeback.
They haven’t filed because they haven’t finalized the details yet. There is a lot of money and several properties to be divided. I’m willing to bet it is the property issue that is holding things up.
I’m sure their lawyers are working out the details but when you file that’s usually the time that the lawyers hammer out a settlement. And for celebrities that can take years. For instance Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey are still legally married a good year or more after filing,
Not when using private mediation, which is the common way for high profile divorces, and many ordinary ones these days, and what the Afflecks said they are doing. The agreements are worked out so the only thing filed in court is the petition and then in 60 days or whatever the period in Calif., you finalize. It cuts down vastly on what becomes public record and courts don’t like cases to sit on their dockets so long without being resolved.
Exactly. Melanie Griffith’s divorce from Antonio took one year and six months.
And wasn’t the house up for sale, why don’t they just move out.
Uggghh! I don’t care about this couple’s sleeping arrangements and it’s a bit ridiculous that someone on one side or a friend thinks it’s something worthy of announcing to the world. The constant talk about it is getting a bit unseemly. And I say this as a huge Alias fan.