Jennifer Garner has made a conscious decision to step away from the “circus” surrounding her ex-husband Ben Affleck’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez, according to sources close to the couple, who claim the current situation has unearthed “painful” memories for the actress.
Garner, 52, and Affleck, 51, who recently “moved his stuff” out of the $60 million mansion he shares with On The Floor singer Lopez, 54, have been photographed together in recent weeks amid mounting speculation that their two-year marriage is on “shaky ground.”
Sources close to the couple previously revealed how Garner had been acting as a “counselor” to the troubled couple as she desperately tried to help them sort out their alleged issues, but now sources claim the Elektra actress has decided to pull out altogether.
“Jen finally got to a point where she said, ‘I’m sorry, you deal with this yourself,'” a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.
“It was starting to get too painful for her because it brought back so many memories of her divorce.”
Jennifer Garner has decided it’s time to step away from the ‘circus’ surrounding Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s marriage, sources close to her say
This comes amid mounting speculation about the status of Affleck’s relationship with Lopez, with insiders previously telling DailyMail.com that their two-year marriage is on “shaky ground.”
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).
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 reportedly been struggling with memories of her own marriage and subsequent breakup with Affleck in recent weeks, and despite how much she cares for Lopez, she no longer wants to be that involved.
“Throughout their marriage there were times when Jen felt like she was taking a backseat to JLo, even though there was no communication between her and Ben for years,” the source said.
‘She was surprised at how public he became when they reunited because he was always a man who wanted to stay out of the spotlight when they were married.
‘Jen opened the doors of her home and her life to JLo because she had put the past behind her. She cares about JLo and her children and how it will affect them all.
“But in the end, it’s not Jen’s circus, it’s not Jen’s monkeys, and she will no longer be a marriage counselor for her ex-husband and his wife.”
Garner’s withdrawal comes days after DailyMail.com revealed that her rumored fiancé, businessman John Miller, 46, was fed up with how involved she 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 him,” a source said last month.
Affleck, 51, was spotted visiting his ex-wife’s home in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“That’s something Ben has to figure out on his own and his wife has to handle. It’s not Jen’s responsibility and he’s told her that.”
On Sunday night, Affleck was spotted visiting Garner’s home in Los Angeles.
The outing came amid reports that he and his wife are living separately, with the Atlas actress currently residing in her $60 million mansion while Affleck stays in a $100,000-a-month rental in Brentwood.
Lopez recently returned to the United States after taking a solo trip to Italy, where she was photographed spending time with close friends during a day on a boat in Positano.
Last week, the star also made an appearance at Paris Fashion Week for Dior’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 Haute Couture show.
On Saturday, the Grammy-nominated singer was spotted having lunch with her 16-year-old daughter Emme in Beverly Hills, but Affleck was nowhere to be seen.
The latest update comes after a source told DailyMail.com that Lopez is “done” trying to make her marriage work.
Lopez and Affleck 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 couple has been plagued by divorce rumors for months, which were further fueled when they put their Beverly Hills mansion up for sale for $65 million in early June.
The two appear to still be in touch and have business ties: Lopez is set to star in two upcoming films, Unstoppable and Kiss Of The Spider Woman, for Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company.
This comes a week after another source told DailyMail.com that Lopez was “done” trying to make her marriage work.
“Jenny has had enough and has really tried but she can’t do any more, she’s not getting any better, she’s getting worse,” a music industry source told DailyMail.com.
They added that the main reason Lopez left her husband was because he was always “grumpy and negative” like Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.
Lopez is sad about the end of her nuptials, but is “trying to make the most of it by working out, spending time with her twins Max and Emme, and making new plans for 2025.”
