Ben Affleck Prioritizes Family Amidst Post-Divorce Life
The actor states his children are his top priority, with romantic relationships taking a backseat.
Ben Affleck has shared a rare update on his personal life, stating that his children are his primary focus following his divorce from Jennifer Lopez. The 54-year-old actor spoke about his priorities while attending the premiere of his new film, "Animals," in Los Angeles.
"There's not a lot of room. I'm not running around. It's just not a big priority in my life," Affleck told Entertainment Tonight when asked about dating. He added that he is content being single while concentrating on other aspects of his life. "I know what my priorities are. You can't have two things that are the most important in your life. For me, that's the kids. So that's what that is. And then I have my work, which I love."
Affleck shares three children—Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14—with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. The former couple was married from 2005 to 2018.
He and Lopez rekindled their relationship in 2021, marrying in Las Vegas in July 2022, followed by a larger ceremony in Georgia in August 2022. Lopez filed for divorce on the two-year anniversary of their Georgia wedding, with the divorce finalized in early 2025.
Despite their separation, Affleck stated that Lopez maintains a positive relationship with his children. "For the record, Jennifer Lopez is spectacular. Great to my kids, great ongoing relationship with them," he said. "I love her kids. They're wonderful. She's [an] enormously important, tremendous person of a lot of integrity who I adore and am grateful to."
Affleck also acknowledged that his children do not seek relationship advice from him, recalling a moment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where his 17-year-old son responded to his advice by saying, "Oh, like you're the expert on relationships?"
"I'll kind of launch into something at the dinner table and I'll catch them giving each other looks and I realize I'm the caricature in this story," Affleck remarked, noting that his children often offer sarcastic remarks.
Affleck was initially set to star alongside his ex-wife Jennifer Garner in "Animals," but Kerry Washington was later cast in Garner's place. Affleck explained that Garner felt the project would create unwanted baggage due to their past relationship. However, he expressed a desire to collaborate with Garner in the future, calling her "fabulous" and a "great friend."
"Animals," a crime thriller directed by Affleck and produced in part by Matt Damon, is set to be released on Netflix on October 9. The film's synopsis describes a mayoral candidate and his wife resorting to extreme measures to pay their son's ransom, uncovering dark secrets.
