Matt Damon refused to speak to Jennifer Lopez about her ex Ben Affleck at the after-party for their new film Unstoppable, sources say, who claim the actor made it clear he will “always have Ben’s back.”
Everyone was shocked when Lopez, 55, and Damon, 53, were spotted holding hands during a private moment at the event held at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday night.
The Jenny From the Block singer and the Bourne Identity star had their heads together and looked serious as they held a conversation that reportedly lasted 20 minutes.
Lopez was said to be interested in speaking to Damon about her ex-husband in the wake of their divorce, but Damon reportedly “wanted no part of it.”
“Matt Damon shot down any attempts by JLo to talk about Ben at the premiere,” a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.
“It was her timing that was so awkward, because she would have known that taking Matt aside at the event to have an intimate chat would be picked up and go viral.”
Matt Damon refused to speak to Jennifer Lopez (pictured) about her ex Ben Affleck at the Unstoppable after-party on Friday night, sources close to the show told DailyMail.com
According to sources, Damon made it clear that he will “always have Ben’s back” amid the couple’s ongoing divorce (Affleck and Lopez pictured in 2023)
The source continued: ‘Having her whole hand on his was a nice touch, but he wasn’t having any of it.
‘He told her he was glad she was okay and grateful for her involvement in the film, but made it clear he wasn’t there to talk about Ben at all.’
At one point, the couple was sitting together in the corner of the party and Lopez had her hand on Damon’s as he bowed his head as if in prayer.
Despite how fans have interpreted the images, the source insisted that Damon was “not ‘praying’ with her” and stressed that he would “always have Ben’s back no matter what.”
Lopez turned heads in a disco ball-inspired revenge dress for the event, marking her first red carpet since filing for divorce from Affleck on Aug. 20. The date marked exactly two years since they tied the knot at their Georgia mansion.
Damon and Affleck are producers on Unstoppable, a sports drama about Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and becomes a wrestling champion in college, but Affleck opted to stay home rather than risk a very public encounter with his ex on the red carpet.
Lopez, who plays a supporting role in the film, appeared to be in high spirits that night as she continues to move forward after the collapse of her marriage.
A source previously told DailyMail.com that the Let’s Get Loud singer was happy to “go to the Toronto Film Festival to promote this film because Unstoppable means a lot to her and she wants to support it.”
‘Matt Damon shot down any attempts by JLo to talk about Ben at the premiere,’ the source told DailyMail.com
Damon and Affleck are both producers on Unstoppable, however, Affleck opted to stay home rather than risk a very public encounter with his ex on the red carpet (pictured January 2024)
“It’s a very inspiring true story and she’s proud to be a part of it. Acting in the film was a highlight for her,” the source said.
‘The film has been getting a lot of attention and Jennifer wants it to do the best it can.
‘He is very professional and always works hard to give his films the best chances.’
The two sides have been at each other’s throats since their split, with Lopez’s camp claiming Affleck was “selfish, surly and loudmouthed,” while her team has painted her ex as obsessed with fame, while he hated their relationship being so public.
The singer made a famous album, a musical film and a documentary based on her love story with the actor and the letters he sent her in the early days of their relationship.
In the documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, Affleck spoke of enjoying less of the celebrity spotlight than his wife, but admitted it wouldn’t be “fair” to Lopez to push her out of it.
Before their split was made public, Damon reportedly advised Affleck to “focus on his work” and not lose sight of his career goals.
“Matt tried to warn Ben when he got back together with JLo that this could happen,” a source told DailyMail.com.
‘Matt was there to help Ben get back on his feet after his first breakup and he sensed that this would happen again.’
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 rekindled their love 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)
Affleck has always held the opinion of his friends in high regard, especially thanks to the fact that Damon has enjoyed a loving marriage to his wife Luciana Barroso for over 18 years.
The 40-something friends burst onto the scene in a big way in 1997, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting.
Although Affleck would later say that they had considered going their separate ways, this did not happen and they worked together again on several projects.
The close friends still have another film to promote with Lopez in the coming months: a musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, on which she is also a co-producer.