His ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, broke her silence to describe the “sad” and “scary” end of their marriage earlier this week.
And Ben Affleck seemed tense in the wake of his ex’s comments when he was spotted in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The Air filmmaker, 52, was photographed smoking a cigarette while talking on his cell phone on the sidewalk.
He was seen walking with his youngest son, Samuel, 12 years old.
The revelation comes after a source told DailyMail.com that Ben feels talks about his split from Jennifer will follow him indefinitely.
Ben Affleck appeared tense as he smoked a cigarette and talked on the phone during an outing in Los Angeles on Thursday.
He looked casual in a white graphic T-shirt, skinny olive pants, and a trendy pair of green and brown Nike sneakers.
For his day off, Ben dressed nice and casual in a white t-shirt with a graphic featuring a photo of a destroyed hotel room that read, “AE Unscripted.”
The understated look highlighted his muscular arms and he paired the shirt with a set of slim olive pants.
He was sporting a pair of green and brown Nike sneakers and sported a thick, extra-dark beard after dyeing it last week.
Samuel stood close to his father and wore a black T-shirt with baggy acid-wash jeans and olive green and white Nike sneakers.
Even when walking with his son, Ben still seemed impassive while talking on the phone.
The father-son bonding moment occurred on the same day DailyMail.com reported that Ben feels he can’t help but talk about his failed marriage to Jennifer.
“Ben knows she will talk about the breakup forever,” a source said.
‘He would love her not to talk about it, but he feels like she will always talk.
“He didn’t receive any warning that she was going to talk about their relationship, but he assumed it would happen eventually,” they continued. “It’s a part of your life as much as anything else, you can never escape it.”
The source said Affleck is “fine with how Jen has to deal with it” and is aware that his ex “has always been someone to talk” about her personal life.
“People deal with loss and breakup in their own way, and this is what Jen had to do and Ben has to accept it,” they continued. “He would like to keep some things to himself, especially important details about your relationship.”
The On the Floor singer filed for divorce from Affleck on August 20, following months of reports that her second chance at love had failed 20 years after their first breakup.
Lopez detailed her ‘fucking tough’ breakup in an in-depth chat with Nikki Glasser this week, in which she talked about her life ‘exploding’ in her face.
He was accompanied by his 12-year-old son Samuel as he took a call while showing a tense expression.
A source told DailyMail.com on Thursday that Affleck feels like he can’t help but talk about his botched message, including Jennifer; Pictured on January 7 in Beverly Hills.
“I feel alone, unknown, terrifying,” she told the comedian for Interview magazine. ‘He feels sad. He feels desperate.
‘But when you sit in those feelings and say, ‘These things aren’t going to kill me,’ it’s like I’m actually able to feel joy and happiness for myself. Being in a relationship doesn’t define me.’
When asked if he regretted anything, he replied: “Not a second.” That doesn’t mean he didn’t almost eliminate me for good. He almost did it.
Lopez, who did not name Affleck, added that she is “not looking for anyone” right now and suggested that her ex did not accept all of his flaws.
“Someone who truly loves you will help you heal those parts of yourself,” she said. ‘That’s what I’ve learned about love, that it’s a sure thing. You make me feel safe, and when I fail to achieve glory, you understand me and help me grow to be better, because you have your limits and I have mine.’
The singer posed topless in leopard-print bikini bottoms and matching gloves to commemorate the publication’s 55th anniversary special.
Affleck failed to smile days after the interview when he was photographed in Los Angeles looking for a location for his next project.
Lopez and Affleck got engaged in the early 2000s before breaking up, only to reunite (and then marry) in July 2022 before holding another ceremony a month later.
Their initial two-year romance was highly publicized and the intense scrutiny over their relationship was difficult for the couple to handle.
Speaking in her music documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which was financed and produced by Affleck’s Artist Equity, she said: “Ben and I broke up three days before our wedding and we crumbled under the pressure. You think you’re doing right and you ignore it.’
While navigating their reconciliation, two-time Oscar winner Affleck admitted he had no interest in becoming a fixture on his wife’s social media accounts.
Fears for the now-estranged couple first emerged in May when it was revealed they had gone 47 days without being photographed together.
López attended the Met Gala and the premiere of her film Atlas alone.
“He would love for her not to talk about it, but he feels she will always talk,” a source told DailyMail.com; photographed together in November 2023 in Las Vegas
Speculation later reached a fever pitch when Affleck moved out of his $60 million mansion in California and into a $100,000-a-month rental home located near his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
Just a few weeks later, the house was listed for sale for $65 million and the couple began selling artwork from inside the mansion.
They reunited for the first time since announcing their separation and reunited with their children at the Beverly Hills Hotel last month.
Affleck shares Violet, 18, Finn, 15, and Samuel, 12, with Garner, while Lopez has 16-year-old twins, Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.