Before the Bennifer reunion, Ben Affleck, 49, was dating Cuban actress, Ana de Armas, 33, who's recently been earning praises for her performance in No Time to Die — Daniel Craig's final James Bond film. It was a pandemic romance where most paparazzi snaps of the couple were of them wearing masks, walking their dogs around their Los Angeles neighborhood.
The two began dating a month after the Batman v Superman star said in a February 2020 interview that he was looking for a "healthy, stable, loving, committed relationship," following his 2018 divorce from Jennifer Garner, 49. Obviously, it seems like Affleck has found that in Jennifer Lopez, 52, instead.
But how come it didn't work with the Blade Runner 2049 star? And that phone breakup... Here's the full story of their short-lived relationship.
How They First Met
Affleck first met De Armas on the set of Deep Water in 2019. They played a married couple in the thriller, but despite having "great chemistry right from the start," a source told People that "at the time there were no signs of romance." The insider added that "Ben always seemed very relaxed and happy around Ana" but "was very focused on making a fantastic movie."
On February 18, 2020, the Gone Girl actor made headlines when he said: "The biggest regret of my life is this divorce," referring to his split from Garner, his wife of 10 years. A few days later, he opened up about his struggles with addiction in an interview with Diane Sawyer. There, he said that "five years from now, Ben Affleck is sober and happy and sees his kids three and a half days a week." He also said that he'd finally like to be in a steady relationship.
The next month, he was spotted with de Armas in Havana, Cuba, and Costa Rica. They were seen kissing in the airport and were overheard speaking in the Cuban actress' native tongue. The actor was visibly happy in the paparazzi photos from the trip.
What Their Relationship Was Like
De Armas made a subtle confirmation of the relationship on Instagram, a few days after her romantic getaway with Affleck. She posted a series of solo shots taken from the trip, and despite not following each other on the 'Gram yet, the actor commented, "Photo credit pls." The same day, they were spotted having a casual coffee date in Los Angeles with the actress' dog, Elvis.
A few days later, a source close to the couple revealed that "Ana is very happy with Ben" and that "she loves spending time with him and they have great chemistry and a lot of fun together." They also said that Garner was supportive of her ex-husband's new relationship. "Jen has completely moved on from Ben in a romantic sense. She considers him a friend, thinks he is a good dad to their children and respects him," said the insider.
"She is happy in her own life and supportive of him and happy for him and his relationship." They also sang praises about de Armas' good influence on Affleck, saying: "Ben is sober and in a really good place and Ana respects him for the process he's going through."
The following week, the couple were reportedly self-quarantining in Affleck's home. "They have a simple daily routine which includes walking Ana's dog and ordering food, which gets delivered by Postmates," said the insider. "Every other day, Ben has been visiting his kids and Ana stays behind at the house."
Eventually, the Knives Out actress went on to meet the actor's mother and kids — Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 9 — who also placed a cardboard cutout of de Armas out in Affleck's yard. Everyone was getting along well that at one point, the couple went on a tour of a residential property in L.A. together. In August 2020, they had a double date with Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso in Malibu.
The Truth About Their Phone Breakup
On August 15, 2020, de Armas bought Affleck a custom BMW motorcycle for his 48th birthday. In November, they went back to filming Deep Waters, which was temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic. But just when fans were starting to think they were getting serious, news of their split broke out just two months later. "Ben is no longer dating Ana," said a source in January 2021. "She broke it off" over the phone.
"Their relationship was complicated," the insider continued. "Ana doesn't want to be Los Angeles based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles." Despite ending things virtually, the source revealed that the breakup was "mutual" and "completely amicable." They explained that the ex-couple was simply "in different points in their lives" but that "there is deep love and respect there."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiroZ1dqb%2B2wMdmmJunpal6o7HNZpifnpyasKx5wKebZpmelnqlsYyaqaaZo2K9qbvNnmSbqpWWuLa8jKucpZmknryvv8eip2g%3D