Jennifer Garner is ‘proud’ of Ben Affleck amid his marital woes with Jennifer Lopez.
The exes met up for a friendly dinner in New Haven, Connecticut on Saturday, with body language expert Judi James revealing the pair were completely comfortable in each other’s presence, despite their ups and downs as a couple.
The pair split in 2015 after 10 years of marriage but have remained close as they continue to amicably co-parent Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.
In the Mail’s exclusive photographs, the exes were seen reuniting to send Violet off to college alongside Fin, with Garner gazing lovingly at her ex-husband.
Yet the pair’s relationship is platonic, with Garner happily loved-up with businessman boyfriend of six years, John Miller.
Affleck’s current wife Lopez was nowhere to be seen amid their marriage turmoil, yet it seems J Lo’s absence was a positive for Affleck, with Judi explaining: ‘Ben seems to be “safe-harbouring” here, pulling into what could seem like the safe, familiar harbour of his ex-wife and his children while his current marital problems blow over around him.’
Body language expert Judi James has revealed what Jennifer Garner’s ‘look of love’ towards Ben Affleck really means after the pair were photographed with their children on Saturday
The exes met up for a friendly dinner in New Haven, Connecticut on Saturday with daughter Violet, 18, and son Fin, 15, ahead of sending their eldest child off to college
Affleck’s current wife Jennifer Lopez was nowhere to be seen amid their marriage turmoil and spent her Saturday shopping in Los Angeles (pictured)
Judi explained: ‘This is common behaviour when there’s problems in a second marriage and the first family unit can suddenly seem like a comfortably familiar and seemingly non-judgmental refuge where a partner can often “be myself” more.
‘Jennifer’s body language seems to send out signals of approval and even pride in her ex Ben here.
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‘As she watches one child talking her cheeks are rounded as she performs a beaming, dimpled smile with a narrowed, softened eye expression.
‘When she turns her gaze to Ben that facial expression seems to remain the same, with none of the kind of chameleon changes to revert to anything cooler or tinged with any bitterness that you can get when exes reunite to spend time together with their kids.
‘Jennifer seems to be like-minded with Ben, suggesting they form a united bond as parents. Their body language here shows up some subliminal mirroring.
‘She also looks totally comfortable in conversation with Ben. The pair appear to chat in an engaged and relaxed way here, still chatting when the children are distracted by a phone and a menu.’
Judi also noted that the wholesome family day out appeared to have lifted Affleck’s spirits amid his personal turmoils of late.
It seems J Lo’s absence was a positive for Affleck, with Judi explaining: ‘Ben seems to be “safe-harbouring” here, pulling into what could seem like the safe, familiar harbour of his ex-wife’
Judi explained: ‘This is common behaviour when there’s problems in a second marriage and the first family unit can suddenly seem like a comfortably familiar’
The pair split in 2015 after 10 years of marriage but have remained close as they continue to amicably co-parent their three children (pictured in 2014)
She reasoned: ‘The way all three gaze at Ben with expressions of non-judgmental pride, warmth and fondness here must feel like the kind of emotional “stroke” he desires right now and his own body language appears to undergo a dramatic change as a result.
‘We’ve seen him looking surly, bored, frustrated and irritable recently but here he is finally seen grinning, laughing and performing some authentic hugs on his children or engaging in what looks like some relaxed and immersive conversations.
‘Their casual outfits and their laid-back, natural vibe and his “dad” rather than “husband” role seems to suit Ben so much more right now than some of his formal and “perfect” A-list-looking poses and appearances did over the past year.
‘This doesn’t look anything like any romantic return for Ben and his ex but his children seem to provide a space where he can show affection and joke and have fun in a relaxed and playful way.’
Despite the ups and downs in their marriage and their eventual split, Garner has described Affleck as ‘the love of my life’ even after their divorce.
The couple married in 2005 after meeting on the set of Pearl Harbor five years earlier. At the time they met, Jennifer was already married to Scott Foley.
In 2002, the actors met again when they starred together in Daredevil. Ben told Playboy he ‘fell in love’ with Jennifer during filming for Daredevil – but a few months after its release, he popped the question to JLo.
The following year, when Garner was still married and Affleck was still engaged, the pair met once again as they made an appearance on Dinner for Five, a talk show where celebrities get together to eat, drink and chat.
Judi shared: ‘Jennifer’s body language seems to send out signals of approval and even pride in her ex Ben here. ‘When she turns her gaze to Ben that facial expression seems to remain the same’
She added: ‘The pair appear to chat in an engaged and relaxed way here, still chatting when the children are distracted by a phone and a menu’
One of the production staff on the show, Jesse David Fox, claimed in a Vulture op-ed that he witnessed Garner ‘fall in love’ with Affleck during filming for the talk show.
He recalled watching the Elektra actress laugh along with Ben while smiling and listening intently when he spoke. Shortly after the episode aired, Garner and Foley announced they were divorcing. And just short of a year later, Affleck and Lopez called off their engagement.
Finally, in October 2004, Garner and Affleck went public with their romance at a Boston Red Sox game. It soon became clear that the couple, despite being Hollywood royalty, liked to keep their relationship under wraps, and even their wedding was a tiny, private ceremony with just two people invited.
In 2015 the couple announced they were divorcing, just weeks after US Weekly reported Ben had flown the family nanny, Christine Ouzounian, to Las Vegas and quoted anonymous sources who said the pair were dating. (Ben’s representatives strenuously denied the reports).
In the statement announcing their split, the couple said: ‘We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.’
Since they separated, the pair have remained true to their statement; never speaking ill of the other in public, attending events at their children’s schools together and being there for the other person when times are tough.
This was clear to see when they spent the weekend together to give Violet her college sendoff.
Violet is rumored to be attending Yale University, and the Ivy League school is located in New Haven.
Affleck shares Violet, Fin, and son Samuel with Garner but his youngest child was not pictured
The happy occasion came amid rumors Ben’s marriage with Lopez is in trouble. He was not wearing his wedding ring during the outing.
Despite her close bond with Violet, Lopez , 52, was also absent from the milestone occasion.
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The four enjoyed dinner al fresco at the restaurant South Bay before going for a relaxing walk in the area. At one point during the outing, a beaming Ben embraced Fin.
Ben, clad in a button down, slacks, and Nike trainers, was spotted pulled Fin in for a sweet hug as the four gathered along the sidewalk.
Garner, meanwhile, sported a striped top, jeans, and smart black glasses.
The four appeared truly relaxed and at ease as they enjoyed a summer evening together ahead of Violet’s milestone moment.
Violet graduated from high school earlier this year and her mother shared an emotional post marking the moment to her Instagram.
In her Instagram post, the actress was seen breaking down in tears over her daughter’s milestone moment.
‘Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate,’ Garner penned in the caption of her photo series.
In the carousel, Garner could be seen crying in a multitude of different locations, including what appeared to be Violet’s graduation ceremony and during a flight.
Violet suggested she would be attending Yale after she was seen wearing a sweatshirt with the Ivy League’s name in a snap shared by her high school’s Instagram page.
The sighting comes amid a whirlwind of rumors that Affleck and Jennifer are skidding towards an ‘imminent’ divorce.
Lopez, 55, and Affleck are said to be living separately, and DailyMail.com previously reported they have prepared divorce documents to file at a later date.
Lopez, 55, and Affleck are said to be living separately, and DailyMail.com previously reported they have prepared divorce documents to file at a later dat (pictured in 2023)
This Thursday, she quietly paid a visit to his house on his birthday – then spent that night enjoying her girlfriends’ company at a Bruno Mars concert for the opening of the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Affleck notably purchased a $20.5 million home in the Pacific Palisades last month in July – after residing in a $100k-a-month rental in Brentwood.
The Atlas actress has been staying at their lavish mansion in Beverly Hills – which has been listed on the market for $68 million.
Earlier last week, a source told People that Lopez ‘is trying to find a new home to start fresh’ and added the pair are ‘moving on separately.’