A lot of you guys have complicated opinions about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Not only that, you guys seem to have a lot of theories about who is briefing what and why. Having been a gossip consumer for decades, I feel like this is one of the rare situations where we can just take stuff at face value and assume that the gossip is flowing steadily from Jennifer’s camp and Ben’s camp. If a report says that Ben is over it and Jennifer is mad about it, I believe it and it’s probably coming from both sides. If something seems like it’s obviously Ben’s perspective, then it probably came from his people, and vice versa with J.Lo. Two months ago, I would have said that there was more nuance and gossip gamesmanship, but now, as we can see clearly that the marriage is over and that Ben said sayonara, all of these reports and gossip items are coming from both sides. J.Lo is pissed and it’s spilling out. Ben is a selfish a–hole and he doesn’t care who knows. It is what it is. Well, People Mag has a piece on Ben’s perspective these days:

Ben Affleck is spending significant time working this summer, as rumors continue to swirl regarding his marriage to Jennifer Lopez.

A source tells PEOPLE that Affleck, 51, has not yet moved into the home in Los Angeles that he recently purchased and is still living in the rental home in Brentwood, Calif., where he was staying in May, when sources first said that he and Lopez, 55, were living separately.

“Ben’s doing well. He thrives when he’s busy and he’s been working nonstop,” the source says. “The kids are still off from school. He spends a lot of time with them, too.”

Affleck and Lopez’s marriage has been the subject of significant public scrutiny since May, though the pair put on a united front at his daughter Violet’s high school graduation that same month. The couple, who married in 2022, have spent much of the summer apart after Lopez canceled her tour and subsequently spent much of the past two months on vacation in Europe and in the Hamptons, New York. Lopez recently returned to L.A. and began searching for a new home after they listed the Beverly Hills mansion they purchased together in May 2023.

“It hasn’t been the easiest summer for him either,” the source adds. “He’s just trying to stay focused and make every day as good as possible.”

[From People]

“He thrives when he’s busy and he’s been working nonstop” – I remember back at the start of the year, when I thought Bennifer would be forever, I looked at Ben and J.Lo’s work schedules for this year and I was surprised by how they were both booked up like crazy. This was back when J.Lo thought she was going on tour as well (a tour which she canceled). All of which to say, Ben has been working a lot this year, and Jennifer was supposed to as well. He’s probably using work as an excuse for why he can’t engage with Jen or work through their bullsh-t. “It hasn’t been the easiest summer for him either” – my dude, you left her. I’m not surprised that Ben is trying to milk some sympathy for himself though. He’s done it before.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Backgrid.