Ben Affleck was disappointed by Mindy Kaling’s decision to joke about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, confidential sources say.
The 52-year-old actor and his ex-wife, 55, have officially ended their marriage, with the singer filing for divorce Tuesday night following months of speculation.
Just one day later, Kaling, 45, made a cheeky nod to the marriage’s breakup while greeting the incredible delegation from her home state of Massachusetts.
As she began listing off sports teams and famous names from the state, like the Boston Red Sox and Jason Tatum, The Mindy Project star said, “Ben Affleck, cheers!” followed by loud cheers from the crowd.
“Even though it was in the moment, even though he said it in jest, when Ben found out that Mindy had raised him at the Democratic National Convention, it was a slap in the face moment,” a source revealed exclusively to DailyMail.com.
Ben Affleck was disappointed by Mindy Kaling’s decision to joke about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday.
Kaling was listing off sports teams and famous names from her home state when she said, “Ben Affleck, cheers!”
The source explained how the Argo star was shocked to learn that her personal life had been mentioned at a political convention.
“The last place he would have expected or wanted to be talked about, especially regarding his divorce, would be at a political convention,” the source continued.
“He’s not going to mention Mindy, but this was just a moment where he would love for people to know, especially those who are supposed to be his peers in Hollywood, to just not talk about his personal life.”
Ultimately, the Daredevil star knows the joke will quickly become old news, but the mere mention of their divorce on such a public platform only highlights one of the key issues that caused problems during the marriage.
The source explained: ‘This will go away and people will forget about it, but the constant talk about his relationship with JLo is the main reason it didn’t work out this second time around.
“Ben values his privacy and dealing with adversity in public is a stressful situation for him and when people in his community bring it up, so to speak, it’s just frustrating. While Mindy wasn’t looking to cause Ben a headache, she did cause one.”
The Good Will Hunting star doesn’t expect Kaling to apologize for the joke in the future and instead wants to move on with her life while closing this current chapter.
The source confirmed: ‘He doesn’t want an apology, an excuse or anything, what was said is what was said, it’s time to move on. He just wishes he didn’t have to move on with anything at all.
‘He just wants to be known for his work and for being a great father, not for the mistakes or misfortunes that happen to him in life.’
The actor and his 55-year-old ex-wife officially ended their marriage when the singer filed for divorce on Tuesday night following months of speculation.
The source concluded: ‘Mindy did her thing and he refuses to do it. It was a brief and inconvenient time to deal with, time to focus his attention on more important things in life.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Affleck and Kaling.
Kaling’s viral comment came after Lopez filed paperwork Tuesday without an attorney, just hours before what would have been the couple’s second wedding anniversary.
In legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the On The Floor singer cited a separation date of April 26, 2024, and it was confirmed that the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement before saying “I do.”
Lopez and Affleck began dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of the film Gigli, and quickly became engaged.
But they separated in 2004, just before becoming husband and wife.
They both married other people (she exchanged vows with Marc Anthony in 2004, while Affleck married Jennifer Garner in 2005), but after splitting from their respective partners, they eventually got back together.
A source said: ‘Ben values his privacy and dealing with adversity in the public eye is a stressful situation for him and when people who are in his community bring it up, so to speak, it’s just frustrating.’
The superstar couple first tied the knot at a Las Vegas chapel in July 2022, followed by a larger, more lavish ceremony the following month at their Georgia estate on August 20.
Divorce rumors first surfaced a few months earlier in May when the couple had not been seen together for over a month, but problems reportedly arose in the marriage during their 2022 honeymoon in Italy.
The couple’s approach to fame seemed to cause problems in their marriage.
In fact, Affleck previously spoke about wanting to keep his relationship “private” in JLo’s documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
The film followed the making of her latest album, This Is Me… Now, much of which was inspired by her romance with Affleck.
During one part of the film, Affleck admitted he was “shocked” when he found his musicians looking through his private love letters that Lopez had given them to look at as inspiration for their next album.
Lopez and Affleck, 52, first got engaged in late 2002 but broke up a year later before calling it quits for good in 2004.
The couple reunited in 2021 and tied the knot in a Las Vegas ceremony the following July, before holding a lavish wedding at their Georgia estate in August 2022 (pictured).
The actor had held on to his correspondence with the singer throughout his 13-year marriage to Garner, then had the letters and emails bound into a book to gift to her when they reunited in 2021.
She told the camera: “I always felt that things that are private were sacred and special because, in part, they are private.”
Lopez will reportedly “keep the $5 million green diamond engagement ring” amid the divorce.
Meanwhile, the pair will also make a possible appearance together as they were “pressured to reunite” in two weeks at the premiere of their film, Unstoppable.