Jennifer Lopez’s inner circle is reportedly expressing their distaste for her husband Ben Affleck as the couple wallows in rumors of an impending divorce.
Though the 55-year-old Hustlers star (who recently wore her wedding ring again) and the 51-year-old Argo filmmaker initially exuded affection after meeting for a second attempt at love, some of Jennifer’s closest friends and advisers are said to have had a bone to pick with Affleck, dating back to their first attempt at romance in the early 2000s.
Among those who aren’t Affleck fans is reportedly Jennifer’s longtime manager Benny Medina, a source said Page Six.
“These two can’t stand each other. They don’t get along and there’s still bad blood,” they claimed.
Benny had worked with Jennifer during her early successes, but their partnership ended in 2003.
Jennifer Lopez’s inner circle is reportedly speaking out about their long-standing dislike for husband Ben Affleck, as the couple wallow in rumors of an impending divorce; JLo pictured in LA in February
Sources who spoke to Page Six claimed that several of her close friends still have a bone to pick with Affleck, dating back to their first relationship in the early 2000s; seen in LA in November 2023
According to multiple sources, Affleck played a role in Lopez’s decision to leave Medina.
However, she brought Benny back as her manager just a few years after she and the Armageddon star broke off their engagement in 2004.
Since then, he has remained one of her closest advisors and she has often been seen with him while staying in the Hamptons, away from Ben, who remained in Los Angeles.
Another source told Page Six that Benny tried to keep his “mouth shut” in favor of a more diplomatic approach to Jennifer’s second romance with Ben.
His attitude was, “I’m not going to say anything.” [There] was no, “Good for you”, but also, [he] “was not negative,” they claimed.
The source said there was no point in protesting as he would be convinced Jennifer would marry Ben regardless of his input.
Another person whose ties with Jennifer were temporarily severed due to her relationship with Ben was her good friend Leah Remini. However, the Gone Girl star does not appear to have played a direct role in the end of that friendship.
It was previously reported that Jennifer had ignored Leah and even refused to invite her to her wedding, after the King Of Queens star urged her to consider whether the aspects of Ben that were reportedly the cause of their split the first time around were still a factor.
However, the former friends managed to put their differences behind them earlier this year and Leah is said to have spent time with Jennifer and comforted her when she claimed to be having marital problems with Ben.
According to the second source: ‘Nobody, except [Lopez’s] mother, loves Ben Affleck. He’s a triple-A a**hole.’
As evidence, they pointed to recent reports that Affleck had postponed divorce proceedings in the hopes that Jennifer would not be present.
Jennifer’s longtime manager Benny Medina reportedly ‘can’t stand’ Ben — and vice versa. Multiple sources claimed Affleck played a role in Jennifer’s 2003 firing; pictured in LA in February
But she rehired him after her first breakup with Ben, and Medina was reportedly neither congratulatory nor negative when she announced she was back with Ben
Leah Remini, one of JLo’s best friends, was reportedly kicked out of her inner circle after she voiced concerns that Ben hadn’t changed enough since their last split; pictured during the filming of Second Act in 2017
Lopez was said to have been so angry that she cut ties and didn’t invite Remini to her wedding. But while she was away from Affleck, her old friend reportedly spent time with her and comforted her
A second source claimed that an alleged impending divorce was “certainly not on the cards.” [Jennifer’s] bingo card’, and she had no idea they would break up ‘within two years’; pictured at a happier time in 2021 in NYC
But an insider previously told the publication that it was far too late for that and that Jennifer already felt “humiliated” after Ben “took the initiative to get back together” in a relationship that had lasted such a short time.
“That was definitely not on her bingo card,” the second source said. “She would have clawed someone’s eyes out if they told her that.” [they’re] ‘We broke up in less than two years.’
Ben was spotted working in Los Angeles on Thursday. A recent report from In Touch indicated that he has reportedly delayed his divorce filing to avoid embarrassing Jennifer, as he is producing the upcoming film Unstoppable, in which she plays the lead role.
Ben and his good friend Matt Damon, who is joining him as a producer, are reportedly ‘interested’ in the success of the film, which is why he is said to have postponed a divorce in order not to damage the film’s box office revenue and Jennifer’s image.