Love. It is the smallest of words but the greatest of all feelings. And if there was ever a Hollywood romance in which the term made sense, that was the love story between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Two of the loveliest, busiest, and most respected actors in the entire world, Affleck and Garner's dream marriage has unexpectedly turned into a bonafide nightmare! But are these two really done, or is there any hope down the line?

Recent shocking remarks from Affleck (more on that as you read on) seem to point out there are still some strong unresolved feelings to be dealt with. We don't know what the future holds for these two A-list celebrities, but we know how they got here. Now, let's take a closer look at why Affleck and Garner were once among the world's most inspiring items and explore the real reasons behind their controversial separation.

A Disappointing First Meeting

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's tale of love is one of the last two decades' top celebrity romances. However, the first-ever meeting between the two stars was more casual than steamy. It happened in the year 2000, during the filming of the epic drama-history movie Pearl Harbor.

Back then, Affleck was a bonafide Hollywood A-Lister, while Garner was still making her first steps into the major blockbuster industry. The two young actors didn't share the set very often, as their two characters rarely interacted. Additionally, Garner was recently married at the time, which may help to explain why she didn't pay much attention to her future husband.

Sorry Guys, She's Taken!

The first time Jennifer Garner laid eyes on Ben Affleck, she was a newly-wed woman with a big ring on her finger and a hunky husband waiting for her back home. The lucky guy was Scott Foley, an actor you may know from the TV series Scandal and the horror flick Scream 3.

While Garner and Foley looked like an exciting couple, they weren't making any huge headlines on the celebrity news. Meanwhile, Affleck was at the peak of his still-recent acting career, and he was making a splash in Hollywood next to a certain 'it' girl by the name of Jennifer Lopez.

The Other Jennifer

In 2002, Ben Affleck and movie star/singer Jennifer Lopez met at the set of the box-office hit Gigli, where they quickly fell for one another. Soon enough, the celebrity couple started being heavily targeted by the media. It was so extreme that it would end up damaging their careers.

While Affleck and J-Lo got dubbed as 'Bennifer' and started being recognized as the world's ultimate celebrity couple, Garner and Scott Foley's once-passionate love story was going through a rough patch. It was then that Affleck and Garner got a chance to work together once again in the 2003 Marvel flick Daredevil.

The Movie Didn't Click, But These Two Did

Close to two decades after its premiere, the super-hero movie Daredevil is still considered a failure by fans and critics alike. With a disappointing 5.3 IMDb rating, Daredevil is not the sort of movie you'd expect from a major production involving quality actors such as Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell.

But while Daredevil flopped terribly, it was also the stage of Affleck and Garner's very-first love spark. The two interacted in many scenes and developed some off-screen chemistry that probably topped their on-screen interplay. And things were about to get even steamier for the two young actors...

It's So Obvious It's Cringy

Dinner for Five was a TV series that aired between 2001 to 2005, featuring actor/director Jon Favreau and a revolving number of guest celebrities. And in 2003, guess who made it to the talk-show? That's right, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner!

In retrospect, Ben and Jennifer's Dinner for Five's episode is probably fun and endearing to watch. But to those who first saw it, it was a cringy and uncomfortable experience. While both were committed to other people at the time, Affleck and Garner couldn't keep their obvious romantic chemistry away from the cameras. But were they just being friendly, or was there something else going on?

Confirming the Rumours

If Jennifer Garner wanted to make people forget about her awkward romantic interactions with Ben Affleck in Dinner for Five, she did a terrible job at it! With some celebrity fans speculating about an alleged Garner-Affleck romance, Garner and Scott Foley decided to divorce after just three years of marriage.

The divorce process got completed in 2004, but Foley has since assured the press that infidelity wasn't the cause of the separation. In a 2013 interview with Allure, Garner commented on the subject, saying, "We didn't have a shot. He's a really good guy, and we just imploded."

Guess Who's Dating?

Meanwhile, the Bennifer craze was too much for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez to handle, and the power-couple also separated in 2004 for reasons that are still not completely clear. Some said the couple was tired of being followed around by the media, while others pointed out J-Lo was growing weary of Ben's gambling habits.

But could it be that Affleck was falling in love with another woman? In that same year, a recently-single Affleck and a recently-divorced Jennifer Garner were spotted together in public, getting cozy at a Boston Red Sox's game. It was the start of a celebrity love story, unlike any other.

Caught By The Paparazzi

Recently out of a relationship that was stormed continuously by the media, Ben Affleck found himself stranded in Vancouver while filming the 2016 dramedy Man About Town. But guess who showed up to visit him? That's right, Jennifer Garner!

The new celebrity couple was caught by the paparazzi sharing one or two intimate moments, and it was clear the two were an item. Judging by the fact Garner was taking time off her schedule to visit her new boyfriend abroad, things were bound to get serious! But was Affleck's new love interest going to be ruined by the ever-surveilling attention of the press?

Entitled To Love

Life is all about learning from your mistakes and making things better the second time around. Ben Affleck certainly didn't miss Bennifer's media craze, and he wanted to make sure his new relationship wasn't going to be affected by the press in the same way. That was not an easy task.

At the time, Affleck was still one of the world's top Hollywood actors, while Garner was starring in the hit-show Alias and movies such as 13 Going on 30. But somehow, these two were able to enjoy their first months together without becoming celebrity's press favorite new target. They even looked happier than ever!

If You Like It Then Put a Ring On It!

On April 21, 2005, Fox News announced that "Bennifer 2 might be making it official". And they were right! Not long after they first started dating, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner became engaged. Affleck proposed right after Garner's 33rd birthday party at her Brentwood, California home.

A big spender when it comes to engagement rings, Affleck reportedly decided to get Garner a $500K 4.5-carat beauty, and the bewitched actress said 'yes.' Now it was official! Two of the world's cutest actors were tying the knot, and it became clear this wasn't just another Hollywood fling.

A Beach Wedding With a Very Special Officiant

On June 29, 2005, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner got married in the most romantic way possible. Celebrating their love at the beach, right next to the ocean, two of Hollywood's biggest charmers were making it official while (almost) no one was watching!

Besides the two lovebirds, only two other people were present at the beautiful, private ceremony: actor Victor Garber and his husband. Garber was a close friend of Garner, who played Jack Bristow in the TV series Alias. But most importantly, he was also the wedding's officiant! Today, he still recalls the moment dearly and has recently told the press he has an "unbreakable bond" with Garner.

Wasting No Time

You know you have found the one when, weeks after getting married, you decide to start building a family. In 2005, Affleck and Garner's love story only grew stronger when, during a very special appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Alias actress announced she was having a baby.

Garner's pregnancy ended up being included in the script of Alias's season 5, but other than that, the new Hollywood mommy kept things as private as possible. By December of that year, the little Violet Affleck was finally born, and she was just the first piece of Affleck and Garner's perfect family puzzle.

Every Girl Needs a Sister

The two loving parents, Ben and Jennifer, were never going to let their daughter Violet play all alone. In 2008, Garner announced she was pregnant for the second time. At the beginning of 2009, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck was born, much to the excitement of her 3-years-old sister.

The best part was that Affleck and Garner were managing their relationship like pros, and they did an excellent job of keeping the cameras away! More and more consolidated as one of Hollywood's ultimate couples, the two major actors still found a way to get all the privacy they deserved.

Completing the Puzzle

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's pursuit for the perfect family did not end until 2012. Affleck was starting to feel like he lived in a girl's world with two daughters and a wife back home. Nevertheless, it all changed when Samuel Garner Affleck was born.

Little Sam was the last piece of his family's puzzle, and he's as cute as his charming parents and beautiful sisters! Affleck and Garner announced they were having a third child via Facebook, making the most out of the new opportunities that came with social media.

A Perfect Life

Was there ever a more perfect Hollywood dream romance than Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's love story? The two beautiful actors were sitting at the top of the world, sharing three beautiful children and making headlines with their excellent acting efforts.

Their personal life was going great, and in their professional careers, Affleck and Garner were also knocking down the competition as if they were nothing! It seemed like the ultimate American dream, but things were about to get worse for the power-couple. Affleck and Garner's happiness was about to be put to the test.

Universally Acclaimed

The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and back in 2013, Affleck had just received the biggest accolade of his career. His critically-acclaimed movie Argo, which he starred in and directed, won Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards and Best Director at the Golden Globes.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Garner was also getting some recognition from critics, especially after appearing in the 2007 indie classic Juno and the hilarious Ricky Gervais comedy The Invention of Lying. It seemed like there was no stopping Hollywood's most accomplished power couple. But then...

Vacationing With The Nanny

Once you reach the top of the world, you start to get overly confident and lose perspective over what matters the most. We like to believe that's what happened to Ben Affleck back when he decided to inexplicably take the family's nanny to a poker charity tournament outside of town in 2015.

The nanny's name was Christine Ouzounian and, to make it all worse, she was both young and beautiful! The press soon speculated about a possible extra-marital relationship between the two, and we can't blame them. After all, what kind of grown-up man requires the services of a nanny when there are no children around?

A Storm Is Coming

In what must've felt like a throwback to the Bennifer days, Ben Affleck suddenly found himself on top of celebrity news, and his out-of-the-blue nanny was right there next to him. There was no doubt a storm was coming in the life of the A-list actor, but few people could've guessed how abruptly it would all change.

Affleck denied he was having an affair with Christine Ouzounian, and he even threatened to sue the tabloids. However, there was no turning back now. Affleck and Jennifer Garner's seemingly perfect life was about to be shred to pieces with the scandal making news worldwide.

A Dream Turned Nightmare

We've seen them fall in love, get married, and have three beautiful children together. It seemed like there was no other love story as perfect in the entire world. But in 2015, shortly after the whole nanny scandal became public, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced they were separating.

They filed for divorce two years later. At the same time, Affleck was trying to deal with his addiction problems. After first entering a rehabilitation facility in the long-gone year of 2001, the actor got back to his bad habits. He got forced to get professional medical help twice, in 2017 and 2018.

Was It The Nanny?

An avid poker player, Ben Affleck is no stranger to making impulsive bad decisions. So was his seemingly-perfect marriage to Jennifer Garner ruined by his alleged affair with the family's nanny? While many speculated Christine Ouzounian was the reason behind the Affleck-Garner split, the truth is more complicated than it seems.

In 2016, Garner spoke to Vanity Fair about many of the personal issues tormenting her life at the time. At that point, it became clear that she was having problems with Affleck before the nanny got involved. What was the real reason behind the break-up, then?

"He Can Cast Quite a Shadow"

Jennifer Garner’s 2016 interview with Vanity Fair is perhaps the most illuminating article on the subject of her separation. Garner shared that they’d been separated for months before she ever heard about the nanny. Her statement ensured that the divorce wasn’t based on Affleck’s alleged infidelity case.

Later, she mentioned Affleck’s “complicated” personality. She said, “He’s the love of my life. What am I going to do about that?” and praised Affleck as “the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous”. However, she ended on a sad note, pointing out that, on his bad moments, the Argo actor “can cast quite a shadow.”

Single For Good

As dreamy as Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's romantic tale was, it seemed like there was no turning back for the two major Hollywood superstars. Sharing the custody of three young children, the two actors tried to reconnect in 2017, shortly before their divorce officially got completed, but the "test-drive" didn't work out at all...

While Garner continued to be a gorgeous, dedicated, and talented actress/mother, Affleck was going through a rough patch. His career wasn't the problem, but his drinking habit was taking over him. And in 2018, the Hollywood A-lister hit rock bottom.

That 2018 Moment

You can see it in his face: Ben Affleck has been through a lot in recent years. In 2018, only one year after committing himself to rehab, the actor was relapsing and drinking again. It was then that, in a now-infamous moment, his ex-wife Jennifer Garner picked him up and drove him to a rehabilitation facility.

The pictures, captured by the paparazzi, are shocking. An obviously nauseated Garner can be seen handing a paper bag to an overly-intoxicated Affleck, who's sitting in the back of her car. It was a rock-bottom moment for the Argo actor, who has since then worked hard to contain his drinking habit.

Making It Official

Even a legal process as simple as a divorce can take years to complete. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's separation took three years, and in October 2018, the former celebrity power-couple was finally able to put the last nail in the coffin.

The divorce was a lengthy process, but also a smooth one. Both actors agreed to pay for their own attorney's fees and decided to meet with a co-parenting therapist at least once a month for a minimum of 6 months. But what kind of effect was the divorce going to have on their three young children?

The Kids Come First

It's clear by Jennifer Garner's words and actions that she has no resentments when it comes to her divorce. She even helped her ex-husband to enter a rehab facility back in 2018. After the separation was legally completed, one might think there would be a legal battle for the kids' custody.

We know celebrities do have a habit of getting into complicated custody fights after a troubled divorce. But not these two. If there's something they care about, that's their children. Putting Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel first, Affleck and Garner decided to work together as co-parents and share custody of the kids.

A Rebound?

Years before the divorce was officially completed, Ben Affleck was seen getting cozy with another woman. Don't worry; this was after he and Garner publically announced they were separated. Still, Affleck's short but promising relationship with Lindsay Shookus had all the characteristics of a typical rebound.

Shookus is a producer best known for her work in Saturday Night Live, and it's hard to say if her relationship with Affleck was caused by genuine love or simply because the actor needed to find some solace in his life. Either way, the Hollywood A-lister and the gorgeous producer were an item for less than a year.

A Friendly Separation

Even though Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus’s love story wasn’t meant to last, the two have remained friends after the break-up. In 2019, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE magazine, “they will always have a love for each other.”

According to the same source, the reason for their separation was mainly practical. While Shookus lived and worked in New York City, Affleck spent most of his days in Los Angeles with his three young children. The source continued to say that “while they love and respect each other, they just realized it wasn’t going to work.”

Are You Ready For An Emotional Rollercoaster?

Directors need to know all about taking the best out of their actors, and American director Gavin O'Connor knew precisely who he needed to play the leading role in his 2020 drama/sports movie The Way Back.

The Way Back tells the story of Jack Cunningham, a man who was once a high-school basketball superstar but who failed to deliver on his potential. Years later, he went back to his alma mater to work as a coach. There, he is forced to deal with many of his issues, including a troubled relationship and alcohol addiction. Sounds familiar?

Bleeding On The Set

You'd typically want your drama movie to feel as touching and intimate as possible. But one of the scenes of The Way Back was so powerful, the director Gavin O'Connor decided to remove some of its critical moments from the theatrical release, saying, "it would be too hard for an audience to watch."

In a scene where Affleck's character is supposed to apologize to his wife (played by Janina Gavankar), the actor reportedly had an on-set breakdown, probably because his life felt so similar to Jack Cunningham's life at the moment. According to Gavin, "it was like the dam broke" and "everyone was frozen, watching him [Affleck] bear his soul."

A Regretful Man

Ben Affleck's not entirely over his divorce, and that's abundantly clear. However, nobody expected the actor to come public and call it "the biggest regret of my life." Those are big words coming from the A-list actor's mouth, so we can only imagine how deeply sorry he must feel about his past mistakes.

In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, a still-in-recovery Ben Affleck spilled it all out and mentioned that he "made mistakes" but that he's trying to "move forward." In the same interview, the regretful actor also said that his "impulsive behavior most likely caused his alcohol addiction," along with a "kind of basic discomfort" that he tries to water down with the liquor.

"Proud of him"

Ben Affleck's shockingly honest remarks got a lot of attention online, and guess who was also watching the celebrity news? That's right, Jennifer Garner! Even though she's moved forward after the divorce, the Alias actress has said she is "proud" of her ex-husband and "impressed" by his braveness.

A source close to Garner told In Touch Weekly that the actress believes Affleck "made huge progress" and that he's "finally on the straight and narrow." It goes to show that, years after their separation, Garner still sees Affleck as a friend and cares deeply about his well-being.

A New Shot At Love

It doesn't take much to realize Jennifer Garner wasn't going to be single for long after the divorce. A gorgeous, talented woman, she found love in the arms of the businessman John C. Miller back in 2018, and the two dated for about two years before calling it quits.

He's a divorced man with two children, so it's likely Miller related to Garner's personal struggles and family life. Besides being an accomplished CEO, working for CaliBurger and CaliGroup, Miller is an attorney, author, and entrepreneur, not to mention a very good-looking man!

A Private and Healthy Relationship

Jennifer Garner is exceptionally skilled at dealing with fame and keeping her private life away from the spotlight. And when it came to John C. Miller, things were not different. The high-interest item rarely made it to the celebrity news, which is impressive considering the fans were still not over Garner's controversial divorce.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Garner and Miller focused on living a "healthy lifestyle," spending time with each other's kids and doing outdoorsy things. It sounds like a dream, so why have the actress and the businessman broken up after just two years together?

Commitment Issues

The reason behind Jennifer Garner and John C. Miller's break-up was advanced by Us Weekly, and it had all to do with... commitment issues. According to the celebrity news magazine, Garner just wasn't ready to take her relationship with Miller to the next level.

While Miller wanted to marry the actress, Garner wasn't ready to commit to the author/businessman, which led to their early 2020 break-up. But was that the only reason behind their separation? After all, Garner was seen in the company of another hunky man not long after the break-up was made public.

A New Love On The Horizon?

While John C. Miller's looks and talents are not to be snubbed, it takes something extraordinary to get the undivided attention of Jennifer Garner. And if there's a man out there on the actress's radar, that man is Bradley Cooper!

The hunky Hollywood A-lister and the Alias superstar were spotted together on the beach, having a flirty afternoon together shortly after Garner and Miller's break-up. There's been a ton of speculation in the celebrity media ever since, but it turns out the two are not dating, at least not officially. Still, they would make a lot of sense as a couple.

Friends Forever, or Something More?

Despite their flirty evening at the beach, Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper have known each other for years, and they've never been anything other than friends. They met in the TV series Alias almost 20 years ago and shared the set on multiple different occasions, including award ceremonies and the romantic movie Valentine's Day.

All that you read are some of the reasons why they would make so much sense as an item. It's just impossible to ignore their chemistry and how good they are together. And to make it even more blatant, this may be the first time in ages Cooper and Garner are single at the same time!

A Womanizer or a Man Looking For The One?

Besides a special connection to Jennifer Garner, what else do Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper have in common? For starters, a brilliant Hollywood career. But that's not all. They've both dated the one-and-only Jennifer Lopez in the past. Plus, they've both been through a major break-up in recent years.

But while Affleck's dating history is impressive, Cooper's even more notorious. Over the years, he's been seen in the company of ladies like Zoe Saldana, Renée Zellweger, and Suki Waterhouse. Most recently, he dated the bombshell supermodel Irina Shayk, with whom he had a daughter. In 2020, the two called it quits after Shayk reportedly decided she got enough of Cooper's crazy working schedule.

What About Ben?

While Garner was spotted enjoying the company of John C. Miller and long-time friend Bradley Cooper, what's Ben Affleck been up to these days? It turns out that, despite everything that's been recently said about his divorce, the Hollywood actor has found himself a new love!

He's been enjoying the company of Ana de Armas, one of Hollywood's most promising actresses, who is about to star in the upcoming James Bond flick No Time To Die. They met while filming the 2019 psychological thriller Dark Water, and the two seem to be getting along extremely well.

Happy Again?

It's not hard to smile when you're spending your days with a beauty like Ana de Armas. But Ben Affleck's been through a lot lately, and it's refreshing to see him happy after so many years of somber paparazzi photos and addiction-related scandals.

While only time will tell what will become of these two, Affleck and de Armas have been enjoying each other's company a lot. They're recently filming a movie in Ireland, and they even quarantined together amid the Coronavirus pandemic! But is Affleck truly recovered from his afflictions?

Shocking Revelations

In 2018, a troubled and recently-divorced Ben Affleck briefly got involved with the bombshell Shauna Sexton. The 24-year-old Instagram model had some shocking things to say about the Hollywood A-lister. Sexton said Affleck was "in bad shape" and that he "had barely been eating and did not shower." She also admitted that "he knew he needed help and was vocal about it."

Shortly after being involved with Sexton, Affleck got himself checked into a rehab facility for the third time. After being blamed for Affleck's relapse on social media, Sexton answered by rightfully pointing out that "blaming a 22-year-old [her age at the time] for someone's 3rd time in rehab is just ridiculous."

Shauna Sexton Was "Scared" of Ben Affleck

There's no doubt Shauna saw the worst in Ben Affleck. She reportedly said she was scared of the actor's behavior, which was too volatile and unpredictable at the time. She commented that one day he was all about having fun, drinking, and meeting girls... And on the other, he was all about staying sober and even attending church!

This type of undiscernible behavior is common in recovering addicts and alcoholics in particular. However, Ben Affleck has been a lot better ever since, right? Well, not exactly. According to the actor himself, recovering from addiction is a fight you never really win.

"The Next Drink Will Not Be Different"

In his whole-telling interview with New York Times, Ben Affleck mentioned that you never truly recover from addiction, even admitting blatantly to be "an alcoholic." It's a brave confession, but one that makes us feel uncertain about the actor's future.

Even though he's been happy in recent months, next to his new girlfriend Ana de Armas, Affleck's struggle is one that will continue. Fortunately, the actor's personal issues have not been standing in the way of his brilliant Hollywood career. Both Affleck and Garner have been incredibly busy in recent times.

Always On The Top

Married or divorced, happy or unhappy, one thing's for sure: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner continue to be two of Hollywood's busiest and most successful actors. Garner is preparing to appear in the upcoming movies Yes Day, My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, and Fantasy Camp.

On the other hand, Affleck is enjoying his post-The Way Back glory and is currently working on numerous upcoming projects, including the blockbuster DC Comics production The Flash. He's also set to appear in the TV series Zach Snyder's Justice League and the thriller Deep Water, also starring Ana de Armas!

Is There Any Hope Down The Line?

Yes, it's officially over. And, by the looks of it, both Garner and Affleck have moved on. But Affleck has recently said that divorcing Garner was his biggest regret, while the Alias superstar has found it hard to commit with another man.

Does that mean there's any hope down the line for these two? Friends and responsible co-parents, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, have shared one of the most vibrant and inspiring Hollywood love stories. But if their romantic paths are going to cross again, only time will tell. For now, all we can do is look back to those early-2000's days and celebrate one of the world's most-touching celebrity romances.