Ben Affleck is desperately trying to ‘erase’ Kick Kennedy from his life for fear that their connection will negatively affect his divorce from Jennifer Lopez; sources close to the couple added that he is also worried about being associated with Donald Trump.
Earlier this week, a rep for the Oscar winner, 52, had denied reports that he is dating Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter, 36, amid his split from the Love Don’t Cost a Thing singer, 55, and even cast doubt on whether the duo knew each other.
The denial came after multiple sources claimed that Ben and Kick had been “hanging out” and had previously dated before Ben rekindled his relationship with JLo.
And now, sources have told DailyMail.com that Ben is putting his connection with Kick on hold due to concerns it could be detrimental to their divorce proceedings and his fears of being connected to Trump after Kick’s father endorsed him.
“Ben shouldn’t have said anything,” a source said. “He tried to erase Kick from his existence, and it wasn’t fair to her or anyone who knows her.”
Ben Affleck is desperately trying to ‘erase’ Kick Kennedy from his life for fear their connection will negatively affect his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, sources claim
Insiders have claimed that Ben, 52, has been “hanging out” with RFK Jr.’s daughter Kick, 36, in recent weeks.
‘He’s trying to pull the “I don’t know her” card, but what he didn’t realize is that they weren’t the only two people in the world who knew that they used to hang out, or that they were dating again.
“He fears this will affect his divorce and, although there was no overlap, saying he didn’t even know her was not the right decision.”
Another source claimed that Ben “doesn’t like the intrusion that comes with celebrity, like dealing with his name in the news all the time, and he didn’t like the mention of the DNC.”
They continued: ‘And now, as far as Kick is concerned, he is worried about being linked to Trump in the wake of his father’s endorsement.
‘Given the current political climate, Ben is holding back Kick.
“But not just because of the Trump connection. She’s also worried about what JLo might think.”
On Tuesday, Ben’s rep, Jen Allen, told PEOPLE that he is not dating Kick.
She said: “There’s no truth to that. I don’t know if they even know each other.”
Ben and Kick previously enjoyed a brief fling before he rekindled his relationship with Jennifer, 55, in 2021 (pictured in Arlington, Virginia, in June 2018)
While it’s also unclear how Ben and Kick initially met, RFK Jr.’s daughter has an interest in the entertainment industry — she’s also a philanthropist and activist.
On Wednesday, sources claimed Jennifer was “very upset” with Ben amid rumors that he had been “dating” Kick again in recent weeks.
“This has affected her a lot. She is very upset and disappointed in Ben,” they told People.
Last week, sources close to the pair revealed to DailyMail.com that Kick and Ben have been “enjoying spending time” together, but the writer is keeping “private” about their connection because she doesn’t want to be seen as a “mistress”.
“Ben and Kick had a fling before he got back together with JLo,” the source began. “They met because Ben is from Boston and when you live in Boston, the Kennedy family is royalty.”
The source continued: “So when she started dating Kick, she thought she had made it into the Kennedy family. But she was too young and not ready for anything serious.”
The source stressed that the pair’s romance never overlapped with the actor’s rekindled relationship with Jennifer, continuing: ‘They didn’t have any affairs during their marriage, but it’s interesting to Kick’s friends that as soon as this divorce happened, suddenly Ben is dating an old partner whose family he views as royalty.’
As for how Kick views the actor, the source claimed: ‘She thinks he’s smart and very much like her style, but she’s being incredibly secretive because she doesn’t want to be seen as a mistress.
Sources told DailyMail.com that Ben is concerned about being associated with Donald Trump through Kick
Kick pictured with her father Robert Kennedy Jr. and stepmother Cheryl Hines in 2015
“She’s not a mistress. She’s nothing like JLo and likes to keep her private life private.”
The source explained that Kick isn’t wasting much time worrying about how Jennifer might feel about Ben’s decision to reconnect, adding: ‘Kick likes Ben and honestly doesn’t care what JLo thinks.
“When they first started dating, he and JLo were broken up. He made that very clear to her. The fact that JLo indicated their split happened in April only confirmed that.”
The source continued: “They both take it day by day, but so far, she’s enjoying spending time with him. They hang out at the Beverly Hills Hotel because it offers a level of privacy to celebrities that no other place offers.”
“The fact that people say she looks like Jen Garner is flattering to her, because she thinks Jen is beautiful.”
Meanwhile, a second source confirmed the pair were simply getting to know each other better, claiming: ‘Ben has been spending time with Kick but there’s nothing there yet.
‘They are friends and enjoy spending time together and admittedly she has no idea what JLo would think of her spending time with Ben. He’s a great guy and they are just getting to know each other.’
While it’s also unclear how Ben and Kick met, RFK Jr.’s daughter has an interest in the entertainment industry.
Kick, born Kathleen Alexandra, is an actress who has enjoyed small roles in several television shows and films, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, starring her stepmother Cheryl Hines, 58, who married RFK Jr. in 2014.
Her most recent role was as a “lazy tourist” in 2021’s Fear and Loathing in Aspen.
She graduated from Stanford University in California, where she studied history and theater.
The actress has a presence on social media, with 17.1 thousand followers on Instagram, but has not posted anything there since August 24, 2023, when she appeared with a saker falcon.
He has been linked to other celebrities such as Taylor Swift, who notably dated his brother Conor in 2012.
According to her IMDB page, she is an actress and writer, as well as a philanthropist and activist.
Kick’s mother is Emily Ruth Black, who was married to RFK Jr. from 1982 until 1994, when he married Mary Richardson. They divorced in 2010. Two years later, she committed suicide. Kick has five other siblings.
After months of split rumors, Jennifer officially ended her marriage to Ben when she filed for divorce on August 20.
She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split and set April 26, 2024 as the official date of separation.
Ben and The Wedding Planner actress began dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of the film Gigli, and quickly got 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 Ben married Jennifer Garner in 2005), but after splitting from their respective partners, they finally got back together in 2021.
The superstar couple first tied the knot at a Las Vegas chapel in July 2022, followed by a larger, more lavish ceremony at their Georgia estate the following month.
It was recently revealed that Ben and Jennifer had “planned” their divorce before she officially filed.
