Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner Divorce On Hold? Couple Continue Cohabiting
Have Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner put their divorce on hold? The celebrity couple, who initially split last year following Affleck’s widely-publicized infidelity scandal, appear to be sticking it out for the kids.
According to a new account on “Bennifer” from Us Weekly, Affleck and Garner are still cohabiting in their Hollywood mansion, continuing to tend to the everyday duties of a high-profile power couple with three children. Reportedly, Ben and Jen are calling off any divorce proceedings for the time being.
Ben Affleck and Jen Garner have put their divorce on hold: "Things changed." https://t.co/2qOuUDIxeo pic.twitter.com/vMUsFPB7pe
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) July 14, 2016
Ben and Jennifer, who wed in 2005, are parents to 10-year-old Violet, seven-year-old Seraphina, and their youngest, a four-year-old boy named Samuel. Over the course of their 10-year relationship, Affleck and Garner were frequently cited in the press as a rare example of an enduring movie star match.
However, the cracks in the facade began to appear last year. In 2015, Affleck was caught cheating on Garner with Christine Ouzounian, the pair’s 29-year-old nanny. Often referred to as “nannygate” – a throwback term to Bill Clinton’s 1993 Attorney General snafus – the affair caused Ben and Jennifer to separate, a contentious divorce assumed to be in short order. Over a year later, the duo have yet to file divorce paperwork.
In a February interview with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Garner publicly commented on the Affleck issue for the first time. In a conversation with journalist Krista Smith, Garner asserted that she’d split with Ben prior to the affair. As a response to “nannygate,” Jennifer lightly chided Ben for its effect on their kids:
We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes. It’s not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.
Though it likely goes without saying, both Affleck and Garner are well-respected cinema stars. Ben is also an Oscar-winning director after his turn at the 2012 political thriller, Argo. Further, Affleck’s acting profile received a fortuitous bump this year upon donning the cape and cowl as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the blockbuster film starring Henry Cavill as his Kryptonian foil and helmed by Man of Steel director, Zack Snyder. Affleck is already set to direct the next standalone Batman feature.
In promotion of his superhero outing this past spring, Ben spoke to the New York Times about the movie and took some time to address Garner’s recent comments concerning their relationship. Glossing over any specific details related to the split or his infidelity, Affleck appealed to the simpler nature of the pair’s familial connection and praised Jennifer’s virtue:
“Jen’s great. She’s a great person. We’re on great terms. I just saw her this morning, so that’s the reality that I live in.”
Jennifer was in Atlanta late last year while filming the movie Miracles From Heaven, released in March. Numerous paparazzi snaps from the period show Affleck frequently visiting the actress and spending time with their three children in the Southern city. The photos painted the portrait of a family sticking together, if only for the kids’ benefit.
Perhaps there is hope yet for Ben Affleck’s romance with the 13 Going on 30 and Elektra star. For now, those divorce papers may never be filed.
[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]
