It’s been over a decade since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck split up, but given how much the actress supported her ex during his divorce from Jennifer Lopez — and the fact that they share three children — we know that the two remain close. Sources claim that they’re even close enough for Garner to have opinions about Affleck’s dating life. To that point, one insider is spilling the tea about why the Yes Day star allegedly thinks her ex-husband should stay single for a bit.
Bennifer 2.0 — aka Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s second attempt — ended in August 2024 when JLo filed for divorce on their second wedding anniversary. In the aftermath, Affleck seemed to be spending a lot of time with his ex-wife, their three kids and Jennifer Garner’s partner John Miller, even joining them for Thanksgiving and Christmas (I wonder how Miller feels about that?). Affleck has not dated anyone publicly, and sources for Page Six allege that’s how Garner thinks it should be:
Jen thinks it might actually be good for Ben to take a break from dating for a while. She cares about him a lot and only wants what’s best for him at the end of the day. From her perspective, he’s happier than he’s been in a long time and she feels like it could be healthy for him to keep putting that energy into himself, his work and his family instead of jumping into a relationship.
Jennifer Garner reportedly helped Ben Affleck with health post-divorce by putting together care packages of food, reminding him about doctor and dentist appointments and sending him vitamins. She wasn’t the only one looking after him, though, as Matt Damon also allegedly encouraged Affleck to focus on his work during the tough times.
Ben Affleck may have a good support system, but Matt Damon and Jennifer Garner’s advice will only go so far, and Garner allegedly understands that. The source continued:
That said, she trusts Ben to make his own decisions and supports him either way.
Lopez formally filed for divorce from Affleck in 2024 and, by early 2025, their split was finalized. In the aftermath, rumors swirled around the former partners' love lives and, as of late, Lopez has been open about enjoying the single life. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck may be casually dating, but that doesn’t appear to be his main priority, sources have said, and this insider concurs, saying:
Ben isn’t ruling out dating and would be open to putting himself out there again. He has friends who have offered to set him up, but he’s also incredibly busy right now and isn’t sure he has the time for a serious, committed relationship.
In addition to The Rip, which stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and can be streamed with a Netflix subscription, he’s got another project in the works for the 2026 movie schedule. Animals is a crime thriller on which Affleck serves as director, producer, co-writer and star. It is expected to be a part of Netflix’s calendar this year.
Stay tuned for that as we wait to see if Ben Affleck will follow the alleged wishes of Jennifer Garner when it comes to dating.
