BEN AFFLECK: THE MOST A-LIST SQUATTER EVER
You Belong Together, and so do you, and you, and you…
Their marriage may be officially (nearly) over now Jen has filed for divorce, but it looks Ben Affleck is struggling to take the hint. The actor is still living at the family’s LA home, despite renting a place nearby, in a bid to stay close to Jen and their kids, Violet, 11, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, five.
A source close to Ben – who moved back into the main house in February during renovations to his guest house in the grounds – says he’s struggling with moving on and has barely transferred any of his stuff into his new bachelor pad.
“Ben and Jen have agreed that he can stay at the house whenever he wants, so he can see the kids,” our insider says. “However, Ben spends way more time there than in his new house, which he says is too quiet. He misses the noise and bustle of the kids. He’s left a bunch of things at theirs and he’s hoping that won’t change, even if she starts dating someone new – this is not about leaving a toothbrush there. He’s hardly moved anything into the new place.”
Jen, meanwhile, is turning a blind eye as she “doesn’t want things to get awkward” – despite her friends urging her to put stricter boundaries in place.
Ben recently revealed he’d completed a stint in rehab for alcohol addiction and Jen wants to support him. “It’s no secret Ben’s not coping well with being on his own – he really doesn’t know what to do with himself,” our source explains. “He just can’t let go.” n
We’ve all been there – you dump your hot toy boy and then two famous men start fighting over you. Speculation about a reunion between Mariah Carey and her ex-husband Nick Cannon went into overdrive last week, after they were seen getting cosy yet again. Nick added fuel to the rumours by later admitting that the pair hang out together “every day”. But heat can reveal that there might be a small obstacle standing in the way of this love reconnection: Drake.
“Nick and Mariah have been talking constantly lately,” says an insider close to the 47-year-old singer, who split from dancer Bryan Tanaka three weeks ago after six months together. “Nick wants her back and was straight in there after the break-up – he’s laying the charm on thick. Her team are pushing for the reunion, too, because she was so focused when she and Nick were together.”
The pair, who split in 2014, but only divorced in November, are parents to twins Moroccan and Monroe, five. They’ve remained close, regularly posting family pictures on Instagram, and Nick, 36, recently admitted Mariah is “always my dream girl”, adding, “I will always love her.”
But there is someone else the diva has her eye on – a certain 30-year-old playboy singer, who loves a hot, older, A-list lady. We’re told, “Mariah’s been texting Drake recently about a possible musical collaboration – she has an album out later this year and wants him on it. But this goes a lot further than just work, she’s been crushing on him for a while.
“Drake’s a little surprised by the sudden attention, but is more than ready to show Mariah a good time. He’s been renting a place in Beverly Hills since his tour wrapped, and it’s only a few blocks from Mariah’s mansion. They met up for drinks two weeks ago in LA, and Mariah said it got really flirty.
She’s been turning up at Drake’s favourite LA hotspot Catch in the hopes of ‘randomly’ running into him. She’s on a mission.”
There’s more to all this than just a crush, though. We’re told that Mariah also wants to make a point to Drake’s ex, Jennifer Lopez, who he dated for a few months over the New Year. Mariah and J-LO have a long-standing rivalry, dating back to the noughties, when Mariah declared, “I don’t know her,” and insiders say she would love to get the low-down on Jen.
“Mariah can’t wait to get in there and nab Drake,” says heat’s source. “She knows that will bug Jen. And Drake’s got a reputation for being gossipy, so he would give her the inside track on their fling. It will also make Nick jealous, but that’s part of the allure for Mariah.”
Can Nick compete with Drake’s beardy charm? Watch this space.