A Look Back At Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner's Long Road To Divorce
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's 10-year marriage ended in 2015, but it took them three years to finalize their divorce. After the couple released a joint statement announcing their split, an insider told People they were looking for a mediator to help ease the complicated process. On the outside, Garner and Affleck didn't seem to have any bad blood because they vacationed with their three kids in the Bahamas a month after their divorce announcement. However, rumors were flying around that Garner and Affleck got divorced because he cheated on her with their nanny, Christine Ouzounian.
A source close to Ouzounian told People that their supposed affair had started shortly after her hiring. They added that while she was falling head over heels for the "Gone Girl" actor, the relationship was purely physical for him. Meanwhile, an Affleck source flat-out denied their claims and stressed that he maintained a professional relationship with her. As for Garner, she told Vanity Fair in 2016 that their marriage didn't end because of Ouzounian and revealed that she wasn't aware of the alleged affair until after their split.
She also had some high praise for her ex-husband, saying, "He's the love of my life. What am I going to do about that? He's the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He's just a complicated guy." The "13 Going On 30" star added that they still relied on each other for emotional support as they navigated the divorce because no one else understood the situation as they did.
Their divorce worsened Ben Affleck's addiction issues
In 2017, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner officially filed for divorce together and requested joint custody of their three kids. However, they still appeared closer than ever as they continued to live together after separating. A source told People that the "Justice League" star had moved into their guest house and would continue to live there until they determined their next moves. They added that the divorce didn't disrupt Garner and Affleck's happy home life with their kids.
We saw an example of their amicable relationship when they stepped out to select a Christmas tree with their kids and later celebrated the big day together. The "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" actor stayed true to her word of supporting her ex-husband emotionally and drove him to rehab in August 2018, three months before finalizing their divorce. In a "Good Morning America" interview, Affleck revealed that he never wanted to get divorced because it would gravely affect their children's family life.
He added that the split made him question his identity since he never thought he would end up a divorcé. During a 2021 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Affleck admitted that he wouldn't be in a great place mentally if he were still with Garner. "I'd probably still be drinking. It's part of why I started drinking because I was trapped," he said. "I was like 'I can't leave 'cause of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?' What I did was drink a bottle of scotch."
Jennifer Lopez reportedly isn't too happy about the exes' closeness
Ben Affleck's comments on "The Howard Stern Show" weren't well-received because they seemed to unfairly shift the blame for his addiction issues onto his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. Affleck addressed the backlash while appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" a few days later. He prefaced by explaining that he had spoken highly about Garner in the controversial interview, but news outlets had made it seem like he was ranting. "It's the exact opposite of who I am, what I believe," he said. "I would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom. Because I never had, I never would."
It's safe to say Affleck and Garner's post-divorce relationship wasn't affected by his previous comments because they continued to have outings with their kids and remained close in the following years —maybe a little too close for Affleck's wife Jennifer Lopez's comfort. In September 2023, Page Six obtained photos of the "Good Will Hunting" star happily hugging Garner in a car before she walked out with their daughter.
A few days later, a source told Life & Style Magazine that Lopez wasn't too happy about their close bond and felt uncomfortable by the amount of time they spent together. "She believes Ben lied to her about his friendship with Jen — their bond is stronger today than when they were married," they spilled. According to the insider, the "On The Floor" songstress was particularly livid when Affleck stressed his ex-wife's importance in his life.