Ben Affleck Reportedly Initiated Separation from Jennifer Lopez to Avoid ‘Self Destruct’

Ben Affleck is making serious moves. When Affleck, 51, and wife Jennifer Lopez, 54, reunited two decades after their initial romance, fans enjoyed Bennifer 2.0. Now, sources have told In Touch that Affleck, who has been in rehab three times, initiated the separation – partly out of self-preservation – by moving from their shared home to a $100,000-per-month rental close to his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, and their children.

“At the end of the day, Affleck has to protect himself, and that’s why he initiated the separation,” an insider told the outlet. “He’s scared if they stay together, he could seriously self-destruct.”

The pressures mounted from the onset, and Affleck had apprehensions about making the same mistakes again. As he explained in Lopez’s February documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, “When Jen and I broke up before, the catalyst for that was this massive amount of scrutiny around our private life. I had a very firm sense of boundaries around the press, while Jen, I don’t think, objected to it the way I did.” Yet, convinced he had found his soulmate, the Oscar winner set aside his concerns, and the couple indulged in public displays of affection while gushing about each other on red carpets.

“He was happy and convinced he’d finally gotten what he wanted at long last,” the source revealed. However, while the chemistry with Lopez ignited sparks, so too did the glare of the spotlight’s scrutiny. “For a while, Affleck got swept up in it,” the insider added. 

Soon, though, he recognized that he and his new wife weren’t as compatible as he had envisioned. “Her obsession with the limelight and need to parade their love around really didn’t sit right with Affleck.” Tellingly, he seemed annoyed when J.Lo unveiled love letters he had written her for the documentary’s cameras.

In fairness, Affleck is no stranger to courting attention himself. Early in the pandemic, for instance, he and then-girlfriend Ana de Armas would take daily walks, clearly posing for waiting photographers. The issue lies in the “On the Floor” singer’s excess. “It was just too much to deal with,” said the insider. “Especially for a guy in recovery.”

The Argo star has been candid about the toll his alcoholism took on his marriage to Jennifer Garner, leading to divorce. “What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart,” he confessed to The New York Times, adding, “My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.”

The source revealed that in addition to self-preservation, Affleck is determined not to subject J.Lo to the same pain. “There’s a side of Affleck that feels guilty and sorry that he didn’t identify their issues sooner,” the insider disclosed. “J.Lo deserves better too. He feels badly that she’s dealing with this and that he’s not been able to give her what she wants either.”