Ben Affleck is ready for a fresh start — and he believes he’s on his way to one after buying himself a new home.
To some, buying a house is just about square footage and commutes, but in the context of the Air director’s rumored divorce from Jennifer Lopez, this purchase has been a big deal emotionally. Not only does it suggest they really are moving toward a divorce — though that seems to be moving slowly AF behind the scenes — it also shows that Ben is putting himself first in this drama. A source told Us Weekly on Wednesday:
“Ben needed new energy in his life.”
The couple previously lived in a $68 million mansion in Beverly Hills, which he never liked. They’re currently trying to sell it.
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Addressing the former estate, this source continued:
“This one is more his speed. He’s in a better mindset and is pushing forward.”
The real estate purchase reportedly caught the Let’s Get Loud singer off guard, though she had her suspicions “[because] he had been living in a rental,” a source closer to her acknowledged. A confidant close to the Good Will Hunting alum doubled down on the significance of this move — claiming it marks the end of the marriage! They said:
“Ben moving into a new home was the closure of the relationship.”
Oof!
As for what tore them apart, a J.Lo source claimed it had nothing to do with their personal issues or conflicts over fame and instead was due to their schedules, arguing that they “both have demanding careers that often require them to be in different cities.” A second insider said they were on “different pages” and “don’t have a lot of common ground, and the honeymoon phase has worn off.” Damn. They don’t have a lot in common?? Shouldn’t they have realized that?? Were they so blinded by the sheer beauty and magnetism of… eh, who are we kidding, who wouldn’t be?
Oh, and they’re seemingly not on the same page about the divorce, either. A third insider said Jenny from the Block would keep fighting for her romance — if she could:
“In a perfect world, Jen would like to make it work with Ben. It’s heartbreaking to her and she tried very hard to make it work.”
Aw!
Jaime Bronstein, a licensed relationship therapist — who has not worked with Bennifer — suggested a reason things failed a second time around. She figures the lovebirds may not have put in the necessary work to make their relationship different this time. The MAN*ifesting author explained:
“[You have to] learn how to communicate better and talk to each other about what went wrong before so you don’t do the same exact thing. Maybe Ben and Jen returned to the same patterns after some time.”
Yup, that seems about right. Sad!
As for the divorce, a fourth source insisted “neither of them want this to be dragged out and contentious” while noting that they have a prenup in place to make it easier:
“Ben and Jen are in agreement that they want it to be seamless.”
Uhh… not so sure we’d call any of this seamless. But OK! A fifth source said:
“Behind the scenes they have been finalizing what that will look like if they pull the trigger. Their main goal is to remain amicable.”
They’ve also got their kids to think about, who reportedly are trying to Parent Trap them back together. Oh, yeah, and there are also reports that they aren’t speaking to each other and haven’t seen each other in weeks — something that has slowed down the divorce proceedings. Not so amicable then? Well, an Affleck source actually says they are in communication but didn’t offer further details. Hmm.
The first source went on to say that the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star, who has struggled with addiction, is focusing on himself and his well-being in this difficult time, sharing:
“Ben feels like he’s been weighed down this year. He will always care for Jen, but he knows the marriage is done, and he wants to focus on himself right now.”
Keeping busy with work and leaning on his pal and colleague Matt Damon has helped a lot, the fifth source opened up:
“Matt has been so supportive throughout this ordeal. […] Matt’s a great distraction, and he makes Ben laugh.”
Meanwhile, J.Lo has spent much of her summer in the Hamptons and “taking care of her kids,” Emme and Max, who “are her priority.” The insider added that “getting out of L.A. has helped a lot,” though she was spotted back in Cali over the weekend looking for her own new house. She’s gotta start her next chapter, too, after all.
Ultimately, it sounds like there hasn’t been any hopeful progress made in this estrangement. Not shocking but still a bummer to hear! And BTW, one last surprising Ben tidbit. Despite not liking attention, the 51-year-old Gone Girl alum could care less about his separation being so high-profile, a sixth confidant concluded:
“Ben doesn’t care about the negative attention.”
Just goes to show he’s really over this relationship, otherwise, we’d think he’d care a little bit more about the headlines or protecting J.Lo from any criticism! Reactions?? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]