Jennifer Garner‘s partner John Miller struggles with her relationship with Ben Affleck, according to insiders who claim he avoids talking about the actor where possible.
Garner, 52, had adopted the role of ‘marriage counsellor’ to her ex-husband, also 52, and Jennifer Lopez, 55, in the wake of their shock split last year, with some friends fearing she had been forced to ‘play mediator.’
The role did not sit well with Miller, 47, who understands they have children, but reportedly doesn’t like sharing her.
‘John is trying to deal with Ben and Jen’s relationship by mostly staying quiet, but it’s very hard to do that,’ a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘He knows that Ben has to be around as a father and he is more than OK with that, but he wants to be the man in the relationship.
‘John only talks about Ben when Jen talks about Ben or when their kids talk about him. He doesn’t bring him up unprompted.’
The Cali Group CEO, who is believed to have started dating Garner in 2018, is respectful of Affleck, but is said to struggle with the dynamic between his girlfriend and the actor.
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Jennifer Garner’s partner John Miller struggles with her relationship with Ben Affleck, according to insiders who claim he avoids talking about the actor where possible
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Garner, 52, had adopted the role of ‘marriage counsellor’ to her ex-husband (pictured), also 52, and Jennifer Lopez, 55, in the wake of their shock split last year
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‘John respects Ben, but less is more because John wants Jen for himself,’ the insider continued. ‘He still needs to figure out how to compartmentalise it all.’
DailyMail.com previously reported that Miller, who has two teenage children with his ex-wife and violinist Caroline Campbell, told Garner it was not her responsibility to help Lopez and Affleck fix their marriage when they hit the rocks last year.
‘He cares deeply for Ben and sympathises with what he is going through with Jennifer, but that doesn’t mean Jen should be the one to fix her ex-husband’s issues with his current wife,’ an insider said in June, just two months before the estranged spouses filed for divorce. ‘That makes no sense to anyone.’
Miller’s concerns about Affleck were no doubt heightened last week when it was reported that Affleck is ready and waiting to ‘drop everything’ should Garner need his support after friends voiced concern that she has been overdoing it in recent months.
‘To Ben, Jen is superwoman,’ an insider said. ‘She has saved him many times and there is nothing in the world he would not do for her.
‘He is not super concerned for her right now. But if that changes he would drop everything to make sure she is OK.’
Garner is reportedly being urged by friends to ‘relax’ and focus on her own well-being after months of supporting her ex-husband; juggling being a mother; volunteering after the devastating wildfires; and filming the second season of her AppleTV+ thriller The Last Thing He Told Me.
‘The fires came on the heels of Ben’s split from JLo which wore her out, [as she was] playing mediator,’ the insider continued.
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‘John respects Ben, but less is more because John wants Jen for himself,’ an insider said. ‘He still needs to figure out how to compartmentalise it all’ (Affleck pictured with Garner)
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DailyMail.com previously reported that Miller told Garner it was not her responsibility to help Lopez and Affleck fix their marriage when they hit the rocks last year
Jennifer Garner spotted chatting with boyfriend John Miller
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EXCLUSIVE
Ben Affleck prepared to ‘drop everything’ for Jennifer Garner over burn-out fears
‘Not having that whole mess to deal with has been a weight lifted. On top of this, she is also raising children and is an incredibly hands-on parent.’
Garner has continued to be hugely supportive of Affleck through his battles with alcoholism since they divorced in 2018. The exes are parents to Violet, 18, Finn, 15 (formerly known as Seraphina), and Samuel, 12.
In the wake of his break-up from Lopez Garner was said to be ‘keeping tabs on him’ over fears the stress of the split could prompt him to start drinking again.
Affleck previously admitted to drinking ‘more and more’ when his marriage to Garner was falling apart.
Speaking to The New York Times in 2020, he explained: ‘I drank relatively normally for a long time. What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart.
‘This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.’
The Argo star eventually did a stint in rehab in August 2018 after Garner staged an intervention with the help of a sober coach at his California home.
‘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 at the time.
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Garner has continued to be hugely supportive of Affleck through his battles with alcoholism since they divorced in 2018 (pictured together in 2014)
Ben Affleck spends quality time with son Samuel in Brentwood
In 2023 he opened up about his drinking, and told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘The idea that I was blaming my wife for my drinking. To be clear, my behaviour is my responsibility entirely. The point that I was trying to make was a sad one.’
He continued: ‘I was trying to say, ‘Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it’s your job, your marriage, it’s just that as your life becomes more difficult, if you’re doing things to fill a hole that aren’t healthy, you’re going to start doing more of those things.’ I think I was pretty articulate about that.’
Affleck was finally relieved of another marriage breakdown last week when his divorce from Lopez was finalised, six months after she filed.
The couple first got engaged at the end of 2002 but broke it off a year later before calling quits on their relationship for good in 2004.
In the intervening years, Lopez married and divorced Marc Anthony, with whom she has 17-year-old twins Max and Emme.
The couple, affectionately known as ‘Bennifer,’ reunited in 2021 before going on to tie the knot with two wedding ceremonies the following year.
But they sparked separation rumours early last year when they went 47 days without being seen together.
Speculation of a split was then heightened when they spent barely any time together over the summer.
Lopez then filed for divorce on the two year anniversary of their August 20 nuptials at Affleck’s estate outside of Savannah, Georgia.
