Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez got back together—and got married and then divorced—about 20 years after they were first together. So, it is possible that a rekindling is also possible for the other Bennifer? The rumor mill is definitely churning, particularly after Affleck and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner were photographed together at a paintball birthday party for their son, Samuel, who recently turned 13.
On March 4, TMZ published a video from the outing in which Affleck hugs Garner around the waist while they're in their paintball gear. In a photo from the party, they're seen laughing together. Alas, this is enough to get people talking!
According to a source who spoke with People, the exes "have been on good terms for a while now and seem to enjoy chatting and hanging out." They added that the Air actor "usually acts happy around" Garner, but has been "extra giddy lately, though, and much more affectionate." The source said of Garner, "She doesn't seem to mind. She seems to enjoy spending time with Ben."
Adding to the gossip, a source told Page Six that Affleck "would love another chance" with Garner." They explained that he "would definitely be open to giving things another shot with Jen if the timing is ever right. At the same time, Ben knows it’s just not realistic at this time in their lives.”
Garner and Affleck were together for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, and their divorce was finalized in 2018. They have three children together: Samuel, 16-year-old Fin, and 19-year-old Violet.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner—seen here at the 2011 Critics' Choice Awards—were together for 10 years.
Affleck seeming "extra giddy" is obviously not concrete evidence that he and Garner are going to get back together. Also throwing a wrench in this idea? Garner has reportedly been dating John Miller, an investment company CEO, since 2018.
Responding to the claim that Affleck is interested another shot with Garner, a different source told Page Six , "The feeling is not mutual on Jen’s side. She’s happy with John and that’s just not where her head is at. She has a great co-parenting relationship with Ben, and that’s where things stand on her end at the moment.”
An insider also told Us Weekly that Affleck and Garner getting back together is "ridiculous" and that they are simply "good friends."
So, a lot from sources and insiders out here, but what have Affleck and Garner said? Not much, recently. In a 2020 interview with The New York Times the Tender Bar star talked about his divorce and his struggles with alcohol.
"The biggest regret of my life is this divorce," Affleck said. "Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing."
As for Garner, she keeps pretty private when it comes to her personal life, but a comment she made on a November 2024 episode of the Lipstick on the Rim podcast made a second Bennifer reconciliation sound very unlikely. Asked about the best advice she'd ever received, she said her mother told her, "Never expect a man—don’t marry a man thinking you can change him. She joked that she was "really gonna work on that one."