Jennifer Garner remained a supportive friend and co-educator to her ex-husband Ben Affleck, but at the same time maintained her notoriously private relationship with businessman John C. Miller.
Garner and Affleck were in high spirits last week as they sent their eldest child off to college in Connecticut, a day before his now-estranged wife Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce after two years of marriage.
Although they are often hard to find and rarely seen together, Miller and Garner went out for a night out in Malibu after returning home, but celebrity matchmaker Alessandra Conti warned that Miller may be uncomfortable with what lies ahead for Garner now that Affleck may be going through a new crisis.
JENNIFER LOPEZ SHOWS BEN AFFLECK IN A GAY REVENGE PHOTO WHAT HIM IS MISSING AFTER THE DIVORCE
Ben Affleck’s divorce could affect Jennifer Garner’s relationship, a celebrity matchmaker tells Fox News Digital. (Getty Images/BACKGRID)
“There were reports that he was uncomfortable with the nature of the relationship between Ben and Jen,” Conti told Fox News Digital exclusively. “And often when anonymous sources come to light in these reports, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I think we’ve learned that time and time again: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“We don’t know who these anonymous sources are. However, it is a warning sign that many insiders have come forward and expressed their lack of support for Ben and Jen’s very special relationship.”
Jennifer Garner and John C. Miller enjoyed a rare evening together in Malibu on Friday. (BACKGROUND)
She added: “But I would hope that he rises to the occasion and realizes that Jennifer needs him now more than ever because she plays an important role in Ben Affleck’s life in so many ways.”
“However, it is a warning sign that many insiders have spoken out about his lack of support for Ben and Jen’s very special relationship.”
BEN AFFLECK’S ‘IRREGULAR BEHAVIOR’ AND ‘HUGE MOOD SWINGS’ WERE FACTORS IN JENNIFER LOPEZ’S DIVORCE: REPORT
Conti hoped Garner was “not pouring from an empty cup” when she helped Ben. “She’s a very strong woman. She’s shown that time and time again,” she said. “She’s a mother. She’s won so many awards for her acting. She’s kind … all the media appearances that Jen makes, it’s like she’s helping the homeless, you know, in a spontaneous way. So this is a woman with a very strong value system, a strong head on her shoulders. And, you know, she’s just an incredible partner. Ben is so lucky to have her.”
Garner and Affleck met on the set of Pearl Harbor in 2000, but their relationship remained professional as she was married to actor Scott Foley at the time. They reconnected after his failed first engagement to Lopez in 2003, when Affleck and Garner (who was also single by then) began working together on Daredevil.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner spent last week in Connecticut to send their eldest child, Violet, to college. (BACKGROUND)
Jennifer Garner supported Ben Affleck even after the separation. She was the catalyst that got him help for his alcohol addiction in 2018. (Jon Kopaloff)
They made their relationship public in 2004 and married the following year. In 2015, the former couple, who have three children together, announced their separation and divorced in 2018 after nearly three years of dating.
Weeks later, the “30 Going on 30” star began a relationship with Miller, who was previously married to violinist Caroline Campbell, with whom he has two children.
LIKE WHAT YOU READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Conti noted that the romance between Garner and Miller was “one of the most elusive relationships in Hollywood.”
WATCH: CELEBRITY MATCHMAKER ALESSANDRA CONTI QUESTIONS JOHN MILLER’S INTENTIONS BEHIND HIS SECRET RELATIONSHIP
“He hasn’t posed publicly with her at any of the events they’ve been to. Frankly, as a matchmaker and as a matchmaker who works with celebrities, I would say I’m not a fan of conducting a relationship that way when you’re with an A-list celebrity,” Conti said. “Of course privacy is wonderful, it’s a wonderful goal, but it almost makes a female celebrity feel ashamed or apologetic about her career and the level of success she’s achieved.”
She added: “It kind of shows that someone who makes a relationship so secretive is not supportive, even if they don’t show on the outside that they are not a supportive partner. That is not supportive.”
Conti compared Garner’s secret relationship with Miller to Taylor Swift’s six-year romance with actor Joe Alwyn.
“It kind of shows that someone who makes a relationship so secretive is not supportive, even if they don’t show on the outside that they are not a supportive partner. That is not supportive.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn started dating in 2016 and kept their relationship top secret. (Getty Images)
“Even though he never openly said anything negative about Taylor, it was such a stark difference between the way Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce … their relationship blossomed and they have a very private relationship. No one knows what actually goes on in their private conversations,” she said.
“However, they give people what they want and he celebrates their success, unlike someone as media-shy as a John Miller or a Ben Affleck, even though Ben Affleck is an A-lister himself. I’m not a fan of approaching a celebrity relationship that way.”
WATCH: JENNIFER GARNER SEES BEN AFFLECK AS FAMILY, SAYS EXPERT
While Lopez appears to be abandoning her blended family with her recent divorce filing, Garner and Affleck have built an unwavering bond for the sake of their own children.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I think Jennifer (Garner) sees Ben Affleck as a member of the family. Jennifer, regardless of their divorce, Ben is family,” Conti noted of Garner’s view of her ex.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck married in 2022, 20 years after calling off their first wedding. Lopez filed for divorce on August 20, 2024. (Johnny Nunez)
“Jennifer has, as has been shown time and time again, a very strong value system and that family comes first for her. If you look up ‘how to co-parent’ in a dictionary, you will find Jennifer Garner and also Ben Affleck in there, despite the various issues that have arisen over the years. You could say they are an incredible co-parenting couple.”
