Ben Affleck Reportedly Ditches Wedding Ring for Outing With Daughter

Ben Affleck was photographed without his wedding ring on Saturday night amid escalating rumors that he is divorcing Jennifer Lopez. Affleck was out to dinner with his daughter Violet this weekend in Los Angeles, California when photographers noticed he was not wearing his wedding band. However, Affleck has taken the ring off before, so it’s hard to tell if this was a public statement or not.

Affleck took 18-year-old Violet to the restaurant Tasty Noodle on Saturday night for a casual dinner. He wore jeans and sneakers, with a plaid shirt over a white t-shirt. He acknowledged the paparazzi with a tight-lipped expression, as you can see in photos published by Entertainment Tonight. However, Affleck was reportedly wearing his wedding on Sunday when he was seen commuting to his office. The actor has been seen with and without a wedding band many times, both before and after the rumors of divorce began to plague him and Lopez.

Violet is the eldest child of Affleck and Jennifer Garner, followed by 15-year-old Seraphina and 12-year-old Samuel. Affleck and Garner separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018, taking their time with the process as Garner helped Affleck through a relapse in his sobriety. The two remain friendly, and are often seen together as co-parents.

Lopez, meanwhile, dramatically broke her engagement to MLB player Alex Rodriguez in 2021 – the same month she was reported to be dating Affleck again. Their history as the celebrity couple sensation “Bennifer” made them headline news, and Lopez helped elevate the story with her latest work. Her album This Is Me… Now was accompanied by a musical film This Is Me Now: A Love Story, both with semi-autobiographical references to her love life, including her reunion with Affleck. Her documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told was more direct, and even included an interview with Affleck where he summed up the issues between them. He said that he and Lopez were each learning to compromise between his preference for privacy and her tendency to share freely on social media and in her work.

Many reports about Lopez and Affleck’s alleged breakup in recent weeks have said that this dichotomy is the main reason. Sources close to the couple have told several news outlets that they argue about their professional goals and their public image. Still, the latest report by ET emphasizes that Affleck and Lopez are not completely resigned to divorce, and are still hoping to salvage their relationship.

“Ben and Jen don’t want to get divorced,” an insider said. They added that the couple “are saying they won’t, but their relationship is simply not working at this point. They aren’t done yet and want to fix things because they love each other, but they are also both unhappy.”

There’s no telling how things have changed since that report came out, as Affleck and Lopez have still not commented directly on all this speculation. They have been seen out and about together – usually with their wedding rings on. Right now, Lopez is on a solo trip to Italy while Affleck remains in L.A.