BEN Affleck should be riding high right now – with fans going wild over his new film with childhood friend Matt Damon.
But The Sun has spoken to a well-placed insider who says the actor’s rocky love life is quietly crushing his soul.
Affleck’s highly publicised divorces from fellow A-listers Jennifer Garner, 53, and Jennifer Lopez, 56, have, according to the source, left him desolate and destroyed.
With both Jennifers gleaming at the Golden Globes last weekend, Affleck, 53, could be forgiven for reflecting on what might have been.
While he remains on good terms with Garner, with whom he shares three children, his split from pop superstar J Lo has reportedly hit him hardest.
The couple divorced last August and, although they remain cordial, Affleck is said to be struggling to come to terms with his new reality.
“He’s an idealist who has always dreamed of finding the ultimate love — not just a partner, but a best friend and life companion,” the insider exclusively told The Sun.
“He truly believes in that idea, and having it fall apart twice, with both Jennifers, has crushed him. He’s been heartbroken for a long time, especially since the end of his relationship with J Lo.”
Lopez, 55, filed for divorce on August 20 last year, with their official separation date listed as April 26.
The pair agreed to split the proceeds of their palatial £44million ($60 million) Beverly Hills mansion, with both relocating.
The breakup was said to be amicable — but public remarks have reopened old wounds.
During her Las Vegas residency at the end of December, the Waiting for Tonight hitmaker joked to fans: “Since I was last here, I have only been married twice. That’s not true — it was only once. It felt like twice.”
“Those jabs in public really hurt him,” the source says. “The end of that marriage was incredibly tough to take.”
CAREER CHOICES
Since the divorce, Lopez, who has now been married four times, has thrown herself back into the big time.
The Sun understands she is set to make a whopping £15million from just 12 shows for her Up All Night performances.
Similarly massive money from the Middle East is expected to roll in following the success of her Sin City stint.
Affleck, meanwhile, has also launched headfirst into work.
His latest collaboration with Damon continues a partnership that stretches back decades.
Produced through their company Artists Equity, the cop thriller The Rip recently premiered in New York, putting one of Hollywood’s most enduring friendships back in the spotlight.
The pair grew up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and changed each other’s lives with Good Will Hunting in 1997, which earned them an Academy Award and launched them into superstardom.
While Damon has been happily married to his wife Luciana Barroso for 20 years, Affleck has struggled to make his marriages stick.
Despite his packed schedule, insiders say there remains a gaping hole in his personal life.
“To cope, he prioritises work and family as distractions,” the source explains. “He’s a genuinely loving man who fully invests himself when he’s in love — and that’s also what makes it so painful.”
The insider adds that public encounters with either Jennifer are difficult. “When he’s around J.Lo especially, his body language gives everything away.
The way he looks at her, the gentle gestures, leaning in close — that’s deep love. But he also knows it’s impossible now, which makes it heartbreaking.”
While Affleck has gone on a few casual dates in the U.S., none have been serious. “He still misses her and feels a strong attraction, despite everything,” the source says.
The emotional toll, however, is beginning to show.
At this stage in his life, he feels the absence of a stable, long-term relationship very strongly — and that makes it hard for him to move on.
Insider on Ben Affleck’s love troubles
BRUTAL BATTLES
The Boston native has already been through the wringer battling addiction, which once threatened to destroy his career.
He first entered rehab in 2001 and has suffered highly public relapses over the years, particularly following his split from Garner.
Despite those struggles, Affleck is widely viewed as a guiding light for others battling addiction.
But insiders say the cumulative strain of those battles, combined with two failed marriages, is wearing him down.
“He looks more tired and worn down. He’s very aware that he’s getting older, which adds to the pressure. Ben is deeply romantic — someone who gives 110 percent in a relationship.
When it fails, he takes it as a personal failure, and that’s something he’s still struggling to move past.”
Affleck continues to play an active role in the lives of the three children he shares with Garner.
Their relationship, which ended in 2018, has evolved into a stable and cooperative co-parenting partnership.
Garner has spoken candidly about the pain of ending their 13-year marriage, while emphasising the importance of consistency for their children — Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13.
The pair regularly attend school events together and are reportedly aligned on parenting decisions.
There was slight tension in December when both exes attended a school play starring their son Samuel, although there were no public scenes.
While his relationship with Garner remains amicable, the source insists Affleck’s heart still lies with Lopez.
The insider says the “spark” is still there, even if the failure of that marriage continues to burn deep.
“He’s a deeply romantic person who is constantly searching for love, almost to the point of obsession,” the source concludes.
“At this stage in his life, he feels the absence of a stable, long-term relationship very strongly — and that makes it hard for him to move on.”
He may have beaten his demons, conquered Hollywood and seen his star rise once again – but when it comes to love, Ben Affleck still has a mountain to climb.
The Sun has approached Affleck and J Lo’s teams for comment.
