Jennifer Garner has felt like she has been used as a “pawn” during the breakup of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage, according to sources who claim her friends believe she has been “put in the middle” unnecessarily in recent months.
The superstar singer, 55, officially filed for divorce from the Gone Girl actor, 52, on Tuesday night after months of speculation, and just hours before what would have been the couple’s second wedding anniversary.
Prior to the filing, Affleck had been photographed spending a significant amount of time with his ex-wife Garner, who previously took on the role of “marriage counselor” for the troubled couple.
But those close to Garner, 52, feel she was forced to “play mediator” to help the couple resolve their issues in a way that would not affect Affleck’s sobriety.
“Jen feels a bit like she’s been used as a pawn in JLo’s attempt to repair her marriage,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. “She doesn’t think it was intentional.”
Jennifer Garner felt like she had been used as a “pawn” during the breakup of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage (Garner and Affleck pictured in 2013)
A source told DailyMail.com that the actress’s friends believe she was unnecessarily put “in the middle” of the estranged couple’s struggles (Affleck and Lopez pictured in 2023)
“But when Jen realized her ex-husband’s marriage was beyond saving, her only concern was Ben’s well-being and sobriety.”
The source explained that the actress’ close friends weren’t too impressed with the way Lopez leaned on Affleck’s ex-wife despite how complicated things were for the trio.
“She was caught in the middle and her friends think, no matter how you look at it, that a man’s ex-wife should never have to play mediator in a divorce from his new wife,” the source said.
“Especially since his wife was such a sweetheart and was compared to Jen during their 13 years of marriage. She’s happy that Ben is happy now.”
Earlier this summer, DailyMail.com revealed that Garner had made a conscious decision to step away from the “circus” surrounding Affleck and Lopez because the situation had brought up “painful” memories for the actress.
Now, the star is primarily focused on co-parenting with Affleck, who has battled alcoholism and gambling addiction for decades, while dealing with life after his most recent marriage, but will remain friends with Lopez.
The source explained: ‘In the end, Jen Garner always has Ben’s back and although she now considers JLo a friend, no one sees this blossoming any further.
“They probably won’t be going on bike rides together or hanging out in the Hamptons.”
DailyMail.com previously revealed how Garner, 52, had been acting as a “counselor” to the couple as she desperately tried to help them sort out their alleged issues (pictured in June).
A source claimed: ‘Jen feels a bit like she’s being used as a pawn in JLo’s game. She doesn’t think it was intentional.’
Affleck and Garner, who are parents to Violet, 18, Finn, 15 (formerly known as Seraphina), and Samuel, 12, were previously married from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2018.
Garner has since moved on with her rumored fiancé, businessman John Miller, 46, who was reportedly left frustrated by how involved Garner was in trying to “fix” Affleck’s marriage.
“John wants nothing more than for Ben to be okay, but it’s not his girlfriend’s responsibility to babysit for him,” a source told DailyMail.com in June. “That’s something Ben needs to figure out on his own and his wife needs to handle. It’s not Jen’s responsibility, and he’s told her that.”
As all parties move on, it has been revealed that Lopez’s own friends have suggested the star needs to “look inside herself” after ending her fourth marriage, as they are growing tired of her chaotic life.
On Tuesday night, the superstar singer, 55, officially filed for divorce on the eve of the couple’s second wedding anniversary.
Garner felt compelled to “play mediator” to help the couple resolve their issues in a way that wouldn’t affect Affleck’s sobriety.
Another source said: “After four failed marriages, her friends think she should look inward and focus on herself rather than what others want her to be and finally figure out who she is and what she wants from her future.”
Lopez filed for divorce without a lawyer, on the second anniversary of their stunning wedding ceremony in Georgia. She listed the date of separation as April 26 of this year.
But the source told DailyMail.com that the star is not the only one capable of playing mind games.
Explaining Affleck’s attitude of taking the high road, the source continued: ‘JLo said she was tired of Ben putting her down and waited until the second anniversary because she wanted to be cruel.
“But it didn’t hurt him. He’s been finished for a long time and deep down she knows it. He let her do it so she wouldn’t look like the bad guy.”
The couple first got engaged in late 2002, but broke up a year later before calling it quits for good in 2004.
In the intervening years, J-Lo has married and divorced Marc Anthony, with whom she has 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme.
The couple, affectionately known as “Bennifer,” reunited in 2021 before tying the knot in two ceremonies the following year.
The couple began sparking separation rumors when they went 47 days without being seen together.
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).
Speculation about the split continued after the two spent the summer apart.
Lopez had also walked the red carpet solo at the Met Gala in May, which was also when she canceled her world tour “to be with her family.”
It was later reported that Affleck had moved out of the $60 million home he shared with the On the Floor singer.
The actor later moved into a rented property in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, near Garner’s home.
Lopez was spotted house hunting in Beverly Hills without Affleck in May, and again this month.
Their divorce marks Lopez’s fourth failed marriage and Affleck’s second.