Entertainment
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck arrive SEPARATELY for cinema event
Ben Affleck was pictured having an awkward family reunion with wife Jennifer Lopez and ex Jennifer Garner on Sunday, amid ongoing rumors of marital strife.
The Oscar winner, 51, and Lopez, 54, were seen separately arriving at the Aero Theatre in Brentwood, where they joined Garner, 52, and their kids for a cinema event.
The two were not seen interacting together outside the theater, though Lopez was pictured hugging Affleck and Garner’s middle child Fin, 15, at one point.
The Batman actor put his wedding ring back on for the outing, after recently being seen without it. He was not seen wearing his ring on Friday and Saturday amid claims his marriage with the singer is on the rocks.
Lopez also wore her wedding ring on Sunday.
Affleck was pictured with a cigarette in his mouth as he made his way to the theater, wearing a grey t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.
Lopez was seen arriving with her child Emme, 16. She shares twins Emme and Max with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 55.
She later shared a hug with Affleck’s child, and was pictured chatting with Fin and Emme.
The superstar cut a stylish figure in a brown coat with a floral pattern worn over a beige turtleneck and brown slacks.
Her eyes were shielded with a pair of aviator sunglasses, and she wore her brunette tresses down.
Meanwhile Garner — who was recently seen visiting Affleck’s current rental home — flashed a bright smile as she arrived at the event in a summer dress and a navy cardigan.
The Alias star was accompanied by her and Affleck’s two other kids, daughter Violet, 18, and son Samuel, 12. Garner and Affleck were married from 2005 until 2018.
The split speculation between Affleck and Lopez comes amid reports that the pair have been ‘living separately’ and that Ben moved out of their $60 million L.A. home ‘several weeks ago’ as per Us Weekly.
Ben is currently living at a Brentwood home amidst filming his latest project titled, The Accountant 2.
The day prior Affleck was also seen with his ring on as he returned to the $100,000-a-month rental home he had been staying in as of late.
On Friday evening, Affleck was seen for the first time without his wedding ring on amid split rumors with Lopez – whom he tied the knot with in 2022.
The ring was also gone as he departed his rental in Brentwood on Saturday before meeting his ex-wife Jennifer and their daughter Violet.
The Gone Girl actor joined the Alias actress and Violet to watch son Samuel’s basketball game in Santa Monica on Saturday.
Another insider told Us Weekly that the couple have not split, but ‘are having issues in their marriage.’
‘They started having issues a few months ago as Jen had started ramping up work commitments and prepping for her tour.’
A separate source informed People on Friday that both Lopez and Affleck ‘did not celebrate Mother’s Day together.’
Jennifer was recently spotted on Friday exiting a studio ahead of her This Is Me…Live tour and appeared to be donning her wedding ring.
Her excursion also came after after a source told People that the two stars are currently ‘living separately’ under different roofs.
In recent weeks, both Jennifer and Ben have been spotted on various solo outings. And on Thursday, she notably liked a scathing break-up post about ‘lack of integrity and respect’ on Instagram.
Affleck and Lopez reunited for the first time publicly in seven weeks on Thursday.
The couple, who wed in July 2022 after rekindling their romance in 2021, almost two decades after calling off their first engagement, put on a united front while attending a school production for Fin, who uses the pronoun ‘they.’
An eyewitness told DailyMail.com that ‘Ben did not look happy to see JLo as she arrived at a show for one of his kids.’
‘When he saw her get out of her car, they did not hug or kiss,’ the observer noted.
Despite not engaging in any public displays of affection, the superstar brought his child a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers to celebrate their performance.
The two-time Oscar winner also brought flowers. An insider told Perez Hilton that ‘nothing would have stopped them coming together for the kids’ and that ‘the marriage drama comes second.’
‘They are putting on a united front. Jen showed up with Emme to support Fin. Emme’s super attached to Fin, so it’s only natural that Jen, no matter what she’s going through with Ben, was there,’ the source said.
The insider noted that Emme, ‘was super excited’ and ‘jumping for joy over Fin’s performance.’
There seemed to be no tension between Lopez and Affleck’s son Samuel as she walked with her arms around his shoulders, at one point.
Prior to their latest sighting, the celebrity couple known as ‘Bennifer,’ were last seen together seven weeks ago, at the end of March, while grabbing lunch in New York City.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the pair ‘just couldn’t make it work’ and are headed for a split after less than two years of marriage. A source who spoke with In Touch claimed Affleck has already moved out of their marital home.
‘The writing is on the wall – it’s over,’ the insider stated, adding, ‘They’re headed for a divorce – and for once, [Ben’s] not to blame!’ The source alleged the actor has moved out from the $60 million home he shares with Lopez.
The mother-of-two was seen house hunting in Beverly Hills without Ben on Tuesday.
‘He’s focusing on his work and his kids now. Ben already moved out and they’ll likely have to sell the dream house they spent two years searching for,’ the insider went on to say.
‘They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her. There’s no way it could have lasted.’
Jennifer’s decision to release her Amazon Prime documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, in February, which chronicled her love story with Ben, seemingly put a strain on the pair’s marriage.
Fans have pointed out that the pair have been spending a lot of time apart lately, and attending events without each other.
Lopez was solo for her co-chairing duties at the glitzy Met Gala in New York on May 6, with many surprised that Affleck skipped the event.
Meanwhile Affleck was on his own while appearing at The Roast of Tom Brady on May 5th.
During their last outing together the pair appeared strained, with neither cracking a smile as they grabbed lunch at Cecconi’s.
The couple’s love story started in 2002 when they dated while filming the movie Jersey Girl. They became engaged the following year but broke up in 2004. They then rekindled their romance in the spring of 2021.
The duo married in a Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022, followed by a lavish wedding at his Georgia estate on August 2022.
They detailed the highs and lows of their rekindled romance in J Lo’s new documentary, yet while she is hellbent on publicly declaring her love, she openly admits Ben is ‘uncomfortable’ being her muse.
It’s not the first time fans have speculated about there being trouble in paradise in the couple’s marriage.
In May of last year Ben appeared to slam the car door after Jennifer sat in the passenger seat, causing fans to go in a frenzy on social media. Fans took to Twitter to comment on the viral clip, noting that he looked ‘miserable.’