A-list couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are reportedly struggling with a relatable aspect of co-parenting as they merge their families into one, happy unit.
Co-parenting is a constant struggle. Many merged families experience the same ups and downs as they integrate into each other's lives and the struggles are universal.
So many celebrities have spoken out about the experience, helping to normalise and shine a light on the ups and downs. Just this year, Gwen Stefani’s ex husband opened up about the geographical struggles of co-parenting, Love Islander Jack Keating revealed he will be co-parenting with his ex to give his newborn 'the best support system,' and, most recently, Shakira shared how she's struggling to work without another parent in her household. Whether you're an a-list celeb or an average family trying to navigate the journey, it seems that co-parenting will always have its drawbacks.
Now, Hollywood's favourite couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are in the co-parenting spotlight. The couple have often been spotted out with their new merged family, made up of Ben's children Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, and Jennifer's kids, 15-year-old twins Maximilian "Max" David Muniz and Emme Maribel Muniz.
But a source has now revealed that Jennifer is struggling to see her husband be so close with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, who is the mother of his children, as they co-parent the kids.
“The honeymoon phase is over,” a source close to the couple told In Touch. “Of course, they’re still madly in love, but they’re under a lot of pressure with work obligations, being in the spotlight and blending their families.
"Ben and Jen [Garner] are extremely close. In fact, there have been a lot of photos of them together lately where Ben looks so happy, happier than he usually looks when he’s with J. Lo. That’s not lost on J. Lo. She doesn’t think Ben wants Jen back — J. Lo even likes Jen very much — but what woman wouldn’t be a little jealous?”
However, another source revealed that the couple, alongside Affleck's ex, are 'learning and growing together as a new, extended family' and that they're 'looking forward to connecting their families further together.' They said, "They [Affleck and Lopez] couldn’t be more thrilled about this new chapter.”
The source also told ET that Affleck and Garner 'have open communication and both are working to make this transition the best it could possibly be,' for their kids, before adding that their co-parenting style is 'healthy.'
Affleck and Garner split up in 2015 after ten years of marriage. Ben then went on to rekindle his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, whom he married in July 2022 nearly two decades after first meeting and falling in love with her.
Speaking last year about how merging the families was going so far, Lopez told Vogue of their kids, “They have so many feelings. They’re teens. But it’s going really well so far.
“What I hope to cultivate with our family is that his kids have a new ally in me and my kids have a new ally in him, someone who really loves and cares about them but can have a different perspective and help me see things that I can’t see with my kids because I’m so emotionally tied up."