Ben Affleck’s Rep Denies New Girlfriend Rumors Amidst Jennifer Lopez Divorce

Ben Affleck is not dating Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, his rep told multiple news outlets over the last week. Affleck was linked to the Kennedy family socialite in a report by PEOPLE in the days after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce last month, but Affleck’s rep quickly responded to say the story wasn’t true. On Tuesday, sources told TMZ that Affleck is “annoyed” by this story, and that he and Kennedy don’t know each other at all.

Lopez filed for divorce on Aug. 20 – their second wedding anniversary – and on Aug. 26, an anonymous source close to Affleck told PEOPLE that he has been “getting to know” 36-year-old Kennedy. They said that Affleck has always been Kennedy’s celebrity crush, but emphasized that they did not know how the two first crossed paths or what was going on between them. A rep for Affleck reached out to the outlet at once, saying that he and Kennedy were not dating, but on Sept. 3 TMZ’s sources went further by saying they don’t know each other at all.

Affleck has made it clear over the years that he does not like to share his personal life as a celebrity, and he wants more privacy from the press in general. That might be reason enough to be angry at this persistent rumor, especially given the current circumstances of his divorce and his focus on fatherhood. On top of that, there’s the implied connection to Kennedy’s father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who just recently conceded a contentious campaign for President of the United States.

Affleck has never hidden his politics during his career, often participating in campaigns for or against specific policies and agendas including increases to the minimum wage, reproductive health rights, LGBTQ+ marriage and other rights, and American intervention in foreign wars. He also supported specific candidates for various offices, including presidential candidates. He campaigned on behalf of Sen. John Kerry in 2004, former President Barack Obama in 2008 and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.

It seems Affleck never commented directly on RFK Jr.’s campaign, which lasted from April of 2023 to August of 2024. Kennedy officially dropped out of the race on Aug. 23, and at the same time announced his endorsement for former President Donald Trump. Affleck has been a very outspoken critic of Trump. RFK’s policy plans and stated positions on various issues also clashed with Affleck’s stated positions over the last few decades.

Affleck still has not commented directly on the rumors about him and Kick Kennedy, though he has not commented publicly on his split from Lopez either. Lopez made her divorce filing with no attorney, so it’s unclear how the split will play out and what she and Affleck have planned.