How Jennifer Garner has remained Ben's grounding force and 'mediator' amid his rocky marriage with J Lo

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When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner divorced in October 2018, it certainly didn't mark the end of their relationship - as the couple have remained close friends ever since.

Even during the Gone Girl actor's recent split from pop star Jennifer Lopez, the mother-of-four, who separated from Ben in 2018 after a 10-year marriage, has remained a constant force of support.

As Ben spent Thanksgiving without his estranged wife yesterday, the mother of his children Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12, was by his side, with the former couple reuniting to volunteer with Midnight Mission to help feed homeless and near-homeless people in Los Angeles.

It wasn't just the photographs of Ben with his ex-wife proving their closeness, but also the eyewitnesses that saw them whispering to one another and wearing matching aprons as they served their community with a smile.

Ben, 52, will no doubt appreciate the support this year after his split from Lopez in April. The Jenny from the Block singer, 55, officially filed for divorce on August 20, the day of their two-year wedding anniversary.

Unlike the former couple who regularly spend time together, Lopez seemingly did not receive an invitation to the festive meetup. Instead, she shared a solo photograph on Instagram with a Thanksgiving turkey.

As Jennifer and Ben spend time together, fans may be wondering if the other Jen is really the 'one that got away' for the actor. Here, Femail reveal the ins and outs of the pair's relationship.

Ben Affleck spent his first Thanksgiving without Jennifer Lopez with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner (pictured) - who has been is rock throughout the years

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez shared a solo photograph to Instagram with her Thanksgiving turkey yesterday

Ben and Jennifer married in 2005 after meeting on the set of Pearl Harbor five years earlier. At the time they met, Jennifer was already married to Scott Foley.

In 2002, the actors met again when they starred together in Daredevil. Ben told Playboy he 'fell in love' with Jennifer during filming for Daredevil - but a few months after its release, he popped the question to JLo.

The following year, when Jennifer was still married and Ben was still engaged, the pair met once again as they made an appearance on Dinner for Five, a talk show where celebrities get together to eat, drink and chat.

One of the production staff on the show, Jesse David Fox, claimed in a Vulture op-ed that he witnessed Jennifer 'fall in love' with Ben during filming for the talk show. 

He recalled watching the Elektra actress laugh along with Ben while smiling and listening intently when he spoke. Shortly after the episode aired, Jennifer and Sean Foley announced they were divorcing. And just short of a year later, Ben and JLo called off their engagement.

Finally, in October 2004, Jennifer and Ben went public with their romance at a Boston Red Sox game. It soon became clear that the couple, despite being Hollywood royalty, liked to keep their relationship under wraps, and even their wedding was a tiny, private ceremony with just two people invited. 

Over the next 10 years, the couple went on to have three children and constantly gushed about the other in public - with Ben dedicating a portion of his Golden Globes Best Director winning speech to his then-wife.

As he collected the award for his film Argo, he said: 'I adore you, I love you. You're my everything.'

Jennifer wrote a gushing tribute post on Father's Day 2018 to Ben, saying: 'Our kids are lucky to have a dad that looks at them the way you look at them and loves them the way you love them'

Pictured: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, 2007

However, in 2015 the couple announced they were divorcing, just weeks after US Weekly reported Ben had flown the family nanny, Christine Ouzounian, to Las Vegas and quoted anonymous sources who said the pair were dating. (Ben's representatives strenuously denied the reports).

In the statement announcing their split, the couple said: 'We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.'

And since they separated, the pair have remained true to their statement; never speaking ill of the other in public, attending events at their children's schools together and being there for the other person when times are tough.

Speaking to the Today show back in 2016, Jennifer discussed how she and the children had flown to London to be with Ben during the filming of Justice League.

She said: 'He and I are great friends, and we just all went en masse.'

That same year, she revealed how the former couple had reunited once more to celebrate Samuel's birthday party. 

'We all dressed up, I dressed up as a ninja, and Ben dressed up as Batman for Sam, which was the best dad moment in history,' she told Extra at the time.

But perhaps Jennifer's compassion and affection for her ex husband was best displayed during Ben's addiction battle with alcohol.

Pictured: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck watching the Boston Red Sox in their first public appearance as a couple, in 2005

Jennifer and Ben share three children together, Violet (left), Fin (centre) and Samuel (right). They have continued to co-parent the children since their split

After first undertaking a stint in rehab back in 2001, he also checked back into clinics in 2017 and 2018.

When he completed treatment in 2017, Ben released a statement confirming he had been to rehab in which he thanked Jennifer for sticking by him. 

'I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do,' he wrote. 

His most recent stay in rehab was provoked by Jennifer and their three children, who turned up at his home with a sober coach following a wild partying stint with a Playboy model after he split from his TV producer girlfriend.

Ben appeared emotional as he left his house in a car driven by Jennifer. The actor reportedly arrived at The Canyon live-in rehab facility, in Malibu, that same evening.

At the time, Ben was said to have been off the wagon for 'a while' and knew he needed help before Jennifer stepped in and 'read him the riot act', according to Radar Online. 

'She doesn't want her kids to grow up without a dad,' a source said, adding that she told him to stop acting 'selfish and childish.

'She believes he needs to start acting more like a dad and less like a kid.' 

Ben is seen hugging Jennifer after landing in Florence by private jet back in August 2023

The pair remain close despite their divorce which was finalised in 2018 and Ben has previously expressed his 'regret' over the split

Pictured: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck at the Vanity Fair Oscars after party in 2014

Once Ben had completed his stay, he released another statement in which he thanked his loved ones, including Jennifer, for their support. 

'The support I have received from my family, colleagues, and fans means more to me than I can say,' he wrote. 

As Jennifer and Ben continue to co-parent and remain in each other's lives, both have been vocal about their affection for one another. 

In 2020, Ben told the New York Times: 'The biggest regret of my life is this divorce.' 

Meanwhile, Jen has continued to pay tribute in public to the father of her children. In 2018, just a few months before she took Ben to rehab, the actress dedicated a Father's Day Instagram post to him.

'Our kids are lucky to have a dad who looks at them the way you look at them and loves them the way you love them,' she wrote.

And when Ben's relationship to J Lo hit the rocks, Jennifer stepped in to try and help, reports suggest. Insiders told Dailymail.com that Jennifer not only helped her ex-husband; but also his new wife J Lo amid reports their marriage is on 'shaky ground'.

Sources have claimed Lopez turned to Garner for help as she is one of a few people who can fully relate to her current predicament. 

'JLo has been confiding in Jen because she knows that she is one of the only people in the world who would understand what she is going through,' the source told DailyMail.com exclusively.

J Lo and Ben split in April and she filed for divorce on August 20 (pictured together in December) 

'She has been through it with the same man herself and although the circumstances were quite different it is still the same man and they both dealt with some of the same issues.'

Ben and Jennifer - affectionally dubbed 'Bennifer' - split in April and she filed for divorce on August 20, which was also their two-year wedding anniversary.

The Hustlers star hinted that she needed to be alone again after leaving Ben in conversation with Interview: 'You have to be healthy. You have to be complete, if you want something that's more complete.'

'You have to be good on your own. I thought I learned that, but I didn't. And then, this summer, I had to be like, "I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that."'

But the entertainer has no regrets: 'Not one second. That doesn’t mean it didn't almost take me out for good. It almost did.'

While J Lo works on herself and future projects, Ben has seemingly sought guidance from his ex-wife, with the pair spotted together at Thanksgiving. 

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The newly single actor took a break from shooting his new film with Matt Damon to spend the day with Garner, their three children, and her boyfriend John Miller.

Garner made sure the holiday is as 'easy as possible' to allow her ex to focus on their  kids Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.

'Ben and Jen are looking forward to today and Ben is anticipating a relaxing day full of food and football before he has to get back to work on the film,' a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. 

'Thanksgiving is all about being drama free when it comes to Ben, it is going to be low key, only good vibes and Jen is on board to make today as easy as possible.'

A second insider said he was adamant that nothing would get in the way of the 'meaningful holiday' which will be celebrated at Garner's house with Miller, whom she has been dating on-and-off since 2018. 

The businessman had previously aired grievances about her involvement in Affleck's marital struggles with Lopez, but there is now 'nothing but love and appreciation' between them all. 

'Thanksgiving is such a meaningful holiday for them to spend together before the chaos of Christmas season hits,' the source said.

'Jen’s boyfriend is often included and there is never any issue whatsoever as they all have nothing but love and appreciation for each other.

'And yes, Jen Garner and the kids cook Thanksgiving dinner without any outside help.' 

Despite Affleck spending Thanksgiving last year with J Lo, the singer this year marked the holiday with a solo post on Instagram. 

Captioning the picture of her posing next to her festive turkey, she wrote: 'I hope everybody had a beautiful and Happy Thanksgiving. I am so incredibly grateful for all of you.'