Jennifer Garner has been nothing but supportive of her ex-husband Ben Affleck and his now-ex wife Jennifer Lopez, even when the going got tough between the two and reached a breaking point in their marriage.
An insider familiar with the dynamics among the three recently disclosed to Page Six that before JLo, 55, filed for divorce in August, Garner, 52, “encouraged” Affleck, 52, to work things out with the singer.
“When things started getting rocky between Ben and Jennifer [Lopez], Jen was very supportive of their relationship and encouraged Ben to work on their marriage,” said the insider. “At the end of the day, she just wants Ben to be happy.”
The main reason for Garner’s desire to help the couple resolve their issues was her friendship with the “Jenny From the Block” hitmaker. The two have gotten really close amid the blended family setup they had when Lopez and Affleck were still together.
Sources told the outlet that it reached a point where the 13 Going On 30 actress found a confidant in JLo and that they started “communicating on a regular basis.” Sadly, things quickly changed when Lopez and Affleck separated.
According to the outlet’s insiders, Garner “hasn’t been in touch” with Lopez since the latter decided to put an end to her marriage to Affleck, who shares three children with Garner — Violet, 19, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.
In November, rumors swirled that there had been a falling out between the two Jennifers in the Hollywood actor’s life. Allegedly, Garner had grown so tired of putting up with Lopez’s antics that she decided to ban her latest album, This Is Me…Now, from her household because she found the lyrics “cringe” and too provocative to be heard by her children.
“Jen thinks the whole thing is cringe. The kids don’t need to hear about Ben ‘climbing on top’ of their stepmom and their ‘bodies aligning.’ It’s embarrassing,” a source said at the time.
Then, there was a bit of betrayal when Garner chose not to invite JLo to the Thanksgiving dinner she hosted at her Brentwood farmhouse even though Affleck, who reportedly remains cordial to Lopez post-split, was there.
However, an insider insisted at the time that it was not Garner’s idea to not have Lopez come over during the holiday. It was allegedly Affleck who did not want her to be there because he wanted Thanksgiving to be as “drama-free” as possible.
Despite all the signs that things are no longer as friendly as before between Garner and Lopez, Page Six’s insider maintained that Garner “has no problem with” the Maid in Manhattan star whatsoever.
Meanwhile, when Garner and Affleck reunited on Thanksgiving, they grabbed the chance to celebrate it in a meaningful way by volunteering at Midnight Mission, a nonprofit that helps feed the over 2,000 homeless people in downtown LA. The two stayed close as they handed out meals with the help of their children.
On the other hand, JLo kept herself busy by going out with her pals on Thanksgiving, and she also shared a solo photo of her standing behind a perfectly prepared Turkey to greet her fans on the special day.