Jennifer Lopez may have talked publicly about Ben Affleck in the wake of their shock split, but the actor doesn’t want to know – and has even taken measures to avoid all mention of her.
Affleck, 52, rekindled his romance with the On the Floor singer, 55, in 2021, but fans were heartbroken when she filed for divorce in August after months of speculation that their two-year marriage had crumbled.
As the pair continue to hash out the terms of their divorce, they were forced to forge ahead on a professional level to promote his new film, Unstoppable – which starred Lopez in a lead role.
But outside of work, Affleck has installed a filter on his phone to block any stories about Lopez and their split as he has ‘no interest’ in anything she may have to say about their second short-lived shot at love.
‘Ben doesn’t look at the internet – especially anything about his divorce from JLo,’ an insider told DailyMail.com. ‘He avoids social media and does not click on anything to do with her.
‘In fact, he has a JLo filter on his phone so that the browser doesn’t allow anything that contains her name in it.
‘Ben has not said one word about her or their split and he doesn’t want to know what she is saying about him.’
DailyMail.com previously revealed how Affleck was taking care to ensure that their failed marriage would not impact their movie – or prevent his ex from getting the praise she deserves for her performance.
On November 4, the actor broke his silence in the wake of their split to praise Lopez’s ‘spectacular’ performance as Judy Robles in the sports drama because he is ‘adamant’ about keeping things civil.
The two-time Oscar-winner made his comment in an interview with Entertainment Tonight where he was joined by fellow producer Matt Damon and reigning Best Actor Cillian Murphy, 48, who stars in Small Things Like These, another Artists Equity production.
Released in theaters on December 6, the film also stars Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle and Jharrel Jerome, who plays champion Arizona State University amateur wrestler Anthony Robles, who was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 with one leg.
‘Ben wants Unstoppable to be a major hit, and for JLo to receive as many accolades as she deserves for it,’ a source said at the time.
‘Ben doesn’t want their relationship ruining any buzz for the movie and her performance. He wants it to stand on its own.’
The insider continued: ‘He knows that he is going to be asked about Jen during media appearances. He is adamant about keeping it very civil.
‘He truly believes she 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed it. Ben is a filmmaker, and an Oscar winner himself, he knows what works, and he always thought JLo would be incredible.’
A second source claimed Affleck, whose daughter Violet, 18, is still close with Lopez, is aware that any comment he makes about his ex would undoubtedly make headlines in the coming weeks, but he has no plans to elaborate.
Jennifer Garner, who was married to Affleck for 13 years, has also distanced herself from Lopez.
The 52-year-old, who shares three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren with the actor, felt like she was used as a ‘pawn’ during the breakdown of his marriage to Lopez.
In the months before the singer officially filed for divorce, Garner had adopted the role of ‘marriage counsellor’ to the struggling couple, with some friends fearing she had been forced to ‘play mediator.’
‘Jen no longer wishes to have communication with JLo unless it is do with the kids,’ a source told DailyMail.com last month.
‘Her friends feel she shouldn’t have allowed herself to get so involved in helping JLo to fix her marriage to Ben.’
The source continued: ‘Especially considering Jen felt pitted against JLo at times during their own marriage. Jen is too nice and truly wanted to help, so she tried.’
Garner and Affleck share Violet, 18, 15-year-old, Fin – formerly known as Seraphina – and Samuel, 12.
Lopez is mother to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, 56, which lasted from 2004 to 2014.
Lopez and Affleck made headlines in 2021 when they rekindled their romance, nearly 17 years after calling off their original engagement and postponing their September 2003 wedding.
In April 2021, reports surfaced that the musician and the Oscar-winning director were reconnecting after Lopez’s breakup with former MLB star Alex Rodriguez.
The couple confirmed their relationship on Instagram that July and made their red carpet return at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, and subsequently exchanged vows at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022.
They are currently gearing up to promote their second film together, Kiss of the Spider Woman, which will have its world premiere at the 41st annual Sundance Film Festival early next year.