Matt Damon has warned Ben Affleck about reuniting with his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez before they tie the knot, according to inside sources, who claim the actor is desperate to prevent his best friend – and former alcoholic – from relapsing amid growing speculation about his status. of his marriage.
The seemingly embattled couple first sparked concerns after going more than a month without being photographed together, with subsequent images of Affleck, 51, without his wedding ring and Lopez, 54, taking a solo vacation in Italy further fueling speculation.
Damon, 53, has reportedly advised Affleck to “focus on his work” so as not to lose sight of his career goals amid the alleged turmoil in their marriage of two.
“Matt tried to warn Ben when he got back with JLo that this could happen,” a source told DailyMail.com. “Matt was there to help Ben get back on his feet after first breaking up with him and he felt like this would happen again.”
Affleck holds his friends in high regard thanks to the fact that Damon has enjoyed a loving marriage with his wife Luciana Barroso for over 18 years.
Matt Damon is helping Ben Affleck ‘focus on his work’ amid his rumored marital struggles with Jennifer Lopez
Lopez, 54, and Affleck, 51, first raised concerns after going more than a month without being photographed together.
Affleck has been spotted without his wedding ring, while Lopez recently took a solo vacation in Italy before heading to Paris Fashion Week (pictured).
“Matt has had a successful marriage for years and Ben has always been in awe of this,” they continued.
Damon and Affleck have been friends since childhood and wrote the famous Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting. In recent years they founded Artists Equity, a production company.
The source continued: “When things started to fall apart, Matt told Ben that he supports whatever decision he makes, but wants him to step in and focus on his job.
‘Ben spent a lot of time focused on JLo’s projects, just like he did the first time. He said to Ben: “What has she done for your career?”
‘Matt is the only real friend Ben has. ‘She didn’t let him take the bottle again and has been on top of him to make sure of it.’
The Last Duel duo will reportedly star in and produce an upcoming thriller titled RIP.
Plot details have been kept under wraps, according to Deadlinebut the duo produces through their production company Artists Equity, which they launched in November 2022.
Artists Equity released its first film, Air, in April 2023 about the origin of the Air Jordan and starred both actors and Affleck also directed.
“Matt tried to warn Ben when he got back with JLo that this could happen,” a source told DailyMail.com (Lopez and Affleck pictured in December 2002).
Insiders have claimed that Damon, who is married to Luciana Barroso, expressed fears that the couple would rekindle their romance in 2021 (both couples pictured together in January 2024).
In recent months, Affleck and Lopez, known as Bennifer when they first dated, have faced rumors of an “imminent” divorce.
Speculation has been spurred by the fact that the couple has also been living separately, with Affleck staying in a $100,000-a-month rental property in Brentwood.
It was later revealed that the couple is also trying to quietly unload their $60 million marital home in Beverly Hills after purchasing the property together last year.
Most recently, Lopez was spotted enjoying a solo vacation in Italy after Affleck’s new Airstream RV arrived at his Brentwood residence, hinting at plans to take a long road trip.
The A-list couple got engaged in the early 2000s before splitting, only to reunite (and later marry) in July 2022.
Their initial two-year romance was highly publicized and the intense scrutiny over their relationship was difficult for the couple to handle.
Damon and Affleck have been friends since childhood and wrote the famous Oscar-winning script for Good Will Hunting (pictured March 1998).
Affleck said in his music documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told: ‘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.’
The On The Floor singer was also candid about the pain she felt when the relationship came to an end.
“I was heartbroken when I lost the love of my life, my best friend, and I couldn’t speak for so many years and that was the hardest part,” she said.
“I used to think it was everyone else who was broken, now I think it was just me.”
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.
“When we got back together, I said, ‘Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a social media relationship,'” the actor recalled.
Then I realized it wasn’t fair to ask. It’s like if you were going to marry the captain of a ship and say, “Well, I don’t like water.”
The two friends will reportedly star in and produce the upcoming thriller RIP (pictured March 2023).
He continued: “We’re just two people with different types of approaches trying to learn how to come to terms.”
In the end, Affleck respected her wishes and only posted a handful of snaps featuring him, including a cheeky shirtless photo this past Father’s Day and a sweet video of them singing Sam Cooke’s (What A) Wonderful World in the car. In his birthday.
During the documentary, the mother of two acknowledged Affleck’s discomfort with being the center of attention.
“I don’t think[Ben]is very comfortable with me doing all this,” she said. “But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist and he’ll support me in any way he can because he knows you can’t stop me from making the music that I made… he doesn’t want to stop me.” But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse.
Elsewhere in the documentary, actress and Hollywood legend Jane Fonda warned Affleck against making her love story with Affleck a film, expressing serious concerns about the permanence of their union after spending two decades apart.
The couple rekindled their love in 2021 and married in a ceremony in Las Vegas the following July, before hosting a lavish wedding at their Georgia estate in August 2022 (pictured).
The Oscar winner, who met Lopez some 20 years ago when they filmed the 2005 romantic comedy Monster-in-Law together, said: “First of all, I want you to know that I don’t know entirely why, but I feel invested in you and Ben and I really want to make this work.”
‘That’s my concern though. It seems like you’re trying to prove something rather than just live it out. All the other pictures show the two of them kissing and the two of them hugging.’
In the years they were separated, López married and divorced her third ex-husband, Marc Anthony, with whom she welcomed her 15-year-old twins Max and Emme.
Meanwhile, Affleck married and divorced Jennifer Garner, with whom he is the father of three children.
Sources previously revealed to DailyMail.com that Garner’s new partner, John Miller, has emphasized that it is not his responsibility to “fix” her ex-husband’s marriage.
Insiders had revealed that Garner was trying to help save the couple, and Lopez confided in the actress over joint fears that Affleck could relapse.
