Aloha, exes! Ben and Jen reunite in Hawaii
The exes turn up the heat
It looked like a pictureperfect family vacation as a smiling Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck enjoyed some fun-filled days off with their three children in Honolulu, Hawaii, over the Easter holidays.
But while the former couple are said to have moved on, their closeness on the trip – even enjoying a private walk and catch-up together – made many wonder if Mr and Mrs Affleck could be back on track.
“Jen was planning to only spend a few days in Hawaii with Ben and the kids, then leave them with the nanny so that he could have quality time with them,” a source explains. “Easter has always been very important to Jen and they typically go to church as a family.”
But the insider reveals that Jennifer, 45, changed her mind at the last minute and decided to extend her break in Hawaii, where Ben is filming his Netflix action movie Triple Frontier.
Since the couple split in June 2015, finally filing divorce papers in April last year, they have both spoken of the importance of continuing a normal family unit for their children, Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and six-year-old Samuel.
“A few weeks before the kids’ spring break, Jen decided along with Ben that she’d spend a bit more time on the island than she had originally planned,” the source explains. “This was only done because of the kids.”
However, there’s one woman who is less than impressed by the actress’ last-minute decision – Ben’s current girlfriend Lindsay Shookus, a TV producer he has been dating for the past year.
In the days before Easter, Lindsay, 37, and Ben, 45, were spotted kayaking in Hawaii, looking all loved-up. But when ex-wife Jennifer arrived, Ben’s girlfriend vanished into thin Honolulu air.
“Lindsay hadn’t seen Ben in months because he was spending time with his family and focusing on his sobriety,” an insider tells us. “Ben finally made time for Lindsay in Honolulu, but it was a short trip. She only got to spend
a few days with him, and then she had to leave because Jennifer and the kids were coming. While Lindsay wasn’t thrilled about it, Jennifer was happy that she has control over the situation.”
Our insider explains that despite the unusual set-up,
Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay is looking at a “longhaul” romance with the star, adding, “Lindsay is madly in love with him.”
In fact, a friend of the divorced mum-of-one, who is based in New York, says she “is starting to feel her biological clock ticking and doesn’t want to wait around”.
Our insider adds, “She sees what a fantastic dad Ben is and has been fantasising about starting a family with him.”
Gone girl
However, JusticeL eague star Ben sure comes with baggage and just last month, Woman’s
Day revealed that despite his romance with Lindsay, he has “begged” Jennifer to take him back several times since their split.
Jennifer has definitely moved on, though, and her involvement with Ben is only for the sake of their children.
“Jennifer did let Ben have private time with the kids on the break,” says our insider. “She went and did her own thing. She wants him to see how important they are to him.”
The holiday weekend came after a rough run for Ben. Last month, The New
Yorker magazine took aim at the star with a fat-shaming article titled “The Great Sadness of Ben Affleck”, in which it talked in great length about his paunch and his extensive phoenix-rising back tattoo.
However, the actor seems to have taken it all in good spirits, responding on Twitter, “I’m doing just fine. Thick skin bolstered by garish tattoos.”