Daily Mail reports the actress — who has remained close with the father of their children since their divorce in 2018 ― has been a close confidant for Lopez, with the two women allegedly afraid Affleck could break his sobriety pledge.
Speaking to the news outlet, a source said, “JLo has been confiding in Jen because she knows that she is one of the only people in the world who would understand what she is going through.”
Ben Affleck and actress Jennifer Garner split in 2018. Photo / AP
“She has been through it with the same man herself and although the circumstances were quite different, it is still the same man and they both dealt with some of the same issues.”
Garner and Affleck finalised their divorce in 2018 after 13 years of marriage. The actor confessed to the New York Times only two years later that he felt “shame” and “regret” with the way the pair parted, noting his drinking ultimately created “marital problems”.
Sources close to the actor told Daily Mail that Garner and Lopez are concerned the actor will return to drinking as a coping mechanism, stating Affleck has a certain behavioural pattern he adheres to when he is going through a difficult time in a relationship.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are going through a rough patch in their marriage. Photo / Getty Images
“Ben is frustrated right now because he does not have any escape from his problems, so he runs away,” the source said. “The biggest fear right now is that he will start drinking again and part of the reason Jen [Garner] has been keeping tabs on him is to make sure this doesn’t happen.”
Daily Mail reports Garner attempted to talk to her former flame about his and Lopez’s alleged relationship problems last weekend in a bid to “keep the two of them together”.
The source said the 13 Going On 30 actress knows how important Lopez is to Affleck and said: “She [Lopez] is one of the only women who can get through to Ben and keep him from jumping off the deep end with his addiction.”
Affleck sought professional help for his drinking in 2001 and checked into rehab, where he lived a sober life for many years. However, he suffered multiple setbacks over the years and returned to rehab in 2017, 2018 and 2019, while navigating his separation from Garner.
Speaking to ABC News in 2020, he explained: “I was sober for a couple of years and then I thought: ‘You know, I want to just drink like a normal person and I want to have wine at dinner’. And I was able to for about eight years.”
Affleck has since returned to his sober ways, with his children being a driving force for his choice. He told the New York Times later that year that fatherhood had taught him to be sober “during these formative years for my kids”.
An insider claims Ben Affleck has called his relationship with Lopez a “fever dream”, alleging the actor is ready to end his marriage to the singer. Photo / AP
It comes amid claims the couple are headed for divorce after weeks of intense speculation.
Speaking to Page Six, an insiderclaimed Affleck has called his relationship with Lopez a “fever dream”, alleging the actor is ready to end his marriage to the singer.
According to the source, Affleck has “come to his senses” after falling madly in love with Lopez, and feels his head is “clear” now.
“He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream, and he’s come to his senses now and understands there is just no way this is going to work.”
