Ben Affleck has spoken candidly about his personal life and relationships with ex-wives Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner. Amid speculation about his growing closeness with Garner following his divorce from Lopez, the actor addressed the challenges of living in the public eye, the reasons behind his divorce, and how he navigates co-parenting while handling media scrutiny.
Divorce from Jennifer Lopez
In an interview with GQ, Affleck reflected on his involvement in Lopez’s documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, and how their contrasting attitudes toward fame impacted their relationship. “Part of it was, ‘Okay, if I’m going to participate in this, I want to do it honestly and in a way that’s meaningful,’” he explained. While Lopez embraces public attention effortlessly, Affleck admitted to having a more private and reserved nature. “As with any relationship, you don’t always share the same perspective on everything,” he said. “I love and support this person. I believe in them. They’re amazing. I want people to see that. It’s like marrying a ship captain and then saying, ‘Well, I don’t like going out on the water.’ You have to accept what comes with it.”
However, Affleck was quick to clarify that their differing public personas were not the main reason for their split. “I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture,” he emphasized. “You can’t just watch that documentary and think, ‘Oh, now I understand all the problems they had.’”
Co-Parenting with Jennifer Garner
Affleck also spoke warmly about his co-parenting dynamic with Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children.
“I’m incredibly lucky to have a great co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids’ mom. She’s wonderful, and we work together really well,” he shared. Addressing how they handle media attention around their family, he recalled a lighthearted approach they used with their children: “Whenever they’d see something on a tabloid stand, we’d tell them, ‘You know this isn’t always true—because if it were, you’d have 15 brothers and sisters.’” He described the persistent media scrutiny as “more of a headache than anything else.”
Handling Public Scrutiny
Discussing the public’s ongoing fascination with his personal life, Affleck admitted that he remains largely unaffected by the attention. “I don’t really care that people are there taking my picture,” he said.
Despite the media’s constant speculation, he insisted that his life is far less dramatic than it appears. “My life is actually pretty uneventful,” he noted. “For all the sensational stories written about me, if someone actually sat down and talked to me about it, they’d probably be bored out of their minds.”