Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck split up in 2017 after being married for 12 years and having three children together. Garner was not in attendance when Affleck married Jennifer Lopez just over a week ago, but she is reportedly very happy that he has officially married another.
“I’m sure she’s thrilled to get rid of her fourth child,” a source who knows the former couple told Page Six. The comments refers to Garner’s efforts to help Affleck get sober, having staged an intervention and getting him to a clinic to treat his alcohol addiction in 2018.
The source added, “Jen is a great mother, she has really mothered those kids — and it’s great that she doesn’t have to have a fourth child anymore.”
Another insider said, “Jen has always approached things the same, no matter who Ben has been with… They have kids together — so if he has another episode, or falls off the wagon, it would be her problem.”
Their kids, Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10, were all in attendance for J.Lo and Affleck’s marriage, so Garner clearly supports the new union at least that much. Garner was photographed at Sam’s Club in South Charleston on the day of the wedding and she looked like she was in good spirits. With her was her dad, William, and her boyfriend John Miller. It’s not clear if she was also invited to the ceremony or not.
The source close to the former couple said the divorce was bittersweet, if for the best, explaining, “Jen grew up with her parents happily married and her sisters are married, so I know that she wanted it to work out. But she’s moved on.”
They continued, “[Lopez] will be good for Ben, she’s always been obsessed with him. And I can tell you that she will do her best to make sure he stays sober and well. Both Jen and Jennifer are very strong girls.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
