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Ben Affleck Has an ‘Open-Door Policy’ for Jennifer Lopez’s Kids in His New Home Amid Marital Strain
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez might be living separate lives, but they are “not cutting ties” with each other’s kids, an insider exclusively tells Closer of their blended family.
On July 27, TMZ reported that the Batman actor purchased a new home without the “On the Floor” singer for $20 million in Los Angeles. He’s hoping that their children all feel welcome in the five-bedroom home, despite the issues he and Jen have reportedly been going through in their marriage.
“The biggest casualty of their breakup are the kids, of course,” the insider says. “Ben’s children love Jennifer, and her kids adore Ben. The new home is bittersweet because the kids see it as an end of their blended family. All the kids have bonded.”
While Ben, 51, and Jennifer’s marital woes have been under a microscope lately, they’re both determined to put their children first. The Oscar winner shares kids Violet, Fin and Samuel with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, while the Grammy winner is a mom to twins Emme and Max, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
“They’ve vowed to stay supportive, which is why you see Jennifer and Violet still spending time together,” the source adds, alluding to Jen’s recent outing with Violet, 18, in the Hamptons ahead of her 55th birthday celebration. “Ben says his home has an open-door policy for Emme and Max, and I’m sure Jennifer will do the same when she finds her new home.”
Ben and Jen, who got married in July 2022, officially listed their marital home in Beverly Hills for $68 million earlier this month. They had initially purchased the property in May 2023 for around $61 million. The news of the public listing came two months after In Touch reported that the dad of three had moved out of the marital home and was “headed for a divorce” from J. Lo.
In June, a source told the outlet that Jen was still “clinging to the possibility” that she and Ben would be able to “turn things around.” However, our insider now reveals the pair are still facing marital issues a month later.
“Ben and Jennifer really tried to make it work, and looking back, they realize that they were both caught up in the whirlwind of rekindling their romance after all these years,” the source tells us. “There was a lot of unfinished business between them, 20 years’ worth, but clearly marriage wasn’t the best idea.”
A few days before Ben’s house purchase was revealed, an insider opened up to In Touch about how close Emme, 16, and Fin, 15, had gotten after their parents got married.
“The kids are old enough to know what’s happening,” the insider told the outlet. “Obviously, they’re very sad about it. In a perfect world, they’d love it if there was a way that Ben and J. Lo could work things out, but they’re all pretty well resigned that’s not happening.”
“To say they’re meddling and trying to get them back together is just not accurate. Most of all they just want them to be happy,” the source added. “What is true is that they’re vowing not to let this affect their bond. They’ve all been in touch throughout this split and Emme and Fin especially are staying super close.”
