Ben Affleck continued wearing his wedding ring when he surfaced in Los Angeles this Friday, despite rumors he and Jennifer Lopez are on the brink of divorce.
Trailed by claims that his marriage has been over for ‘months,’ Ben, 51, was spotted this Tuesday with his left hand completely bare.
However by the time he was seen on Thursday, his wedding band had reappeared on his finger – and he steadfastly kept it on this Friday.
The Argo director wore a powder blue dress shirt and charcoal suit, pulling his jacket off before he stepped out into the sweltering July heat.
His sighting comes after it emerged he and Jennifer have put their marital home on the public market, pouring fuel on the conjecture about their relationship.
The couple snapped up the Beverly Hills property last year for $60.85million after two years of house hunting in Los Angeles’ most expensive neighborhoods.
Amid speculation of a split, Jennifer and Ben attempted to quietly offload the 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom mansion for $65 million in June.
But they seemingly failed to find a buyer and have now listed the property publicly on the MLS system for a whopping $68 million, as reported by TMZ.
The new listing claims that the 38,000-square-foot abode was renovated within the last four months – which may explain the $3million price hike.
The renovations and improvements to the home were reportedly completed in the last four months.
TMZ also noted that California’s mansion tax – an extra transfer tax applied to home sales over $5million — may also be a factor in price.
For homes sold for $10million and above, an extra 5.5% charge is applied to the sale.
Bennifer’s listing is being held by Santiago Arana of The Agency – the real estate brokerage owned by reality TV star Mauricio Umansky.
The home is now listed as ‘for sale’ on Zillow at the reported $68million price point.
Jennifer and Ben have reportedly been living apart for ‘months’ amid speculation that they’re headed for divorce.
Ben — who is still wearing his wedding ring — has been residing in a $100,000-per-month rental home near his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52.
He was reportedly seen moving his belongings out of the Beverly Hills house that he once shared with Lopez in late June, as per PEOPLE.
‘Ben continues to live at the Brentwood rental. He’s been there for about two months now,’ a source told the outlet at the time.
‘He seems okay. He’s been at his office every day and seems focused on work. He’s also spending time with his kids.’
Neither Jen nor Ben wanted to keep their marital dwelling for different reasons: she felt it was too big and he thought it was too far from his kids.
A source previously dished to PEOPLE: ‘Ben never liked the house. It’s too far away from his kids.’
The Gone Girl star co-parents his three children Samuel, 12, Fin, 15 and Violet, 18, with his ex-wife Garner, who lives in the Pacific Palisades.
Meanwhile, Lopez, who shares 16-year-old twins Emme and Max from prior marriage to Marc Anthony, feels the 12-bedroom house is simply ‘way too big for her.’
DailyMail.com previously reported that photographs – which JLo’s rep pointed out are not new – of the couple’s marital home’s lavish interior recently popped up on realtor websites after being removed following the property’s sale to the couple last year.
DailyMail.com determined that these photos were uploaded to real estate site Zillow.com on June 1 and June 5. At the time, the house was still listed as ‘sold.’
A description of the property was also uploaded describing the Wallingford estate, on which the property sits, as an exclusive 6-acre promontory. The lot includes not only the main building but an adjacent additional house providing 10,000 square feet of guest accommodation along with a caretaker house.
There are garages for 15 cars and parking for 80 and an outdoor sports complex with basketball, pickleball, gym and boxing ring and bar as well as a 150 degrees zero edge pool.
Jennifer and Ben bought the mansion and paid for it with cash after a two-year-search for their dream home in what was supposedly a fairytale ending to their decade’s long love story.
But the couple have been leading separate lives for the last few months after tying the knot at Ben’s Georgia estate on August 21, 2022.
The Atlas actress has been in Europe with pals then the Hamptons, while Ben has been hitting his office in Los Angeles.
Their children, who used to spend a lot of time together, have also been split up.
Now DailyMail.com has learned that the combined five children have been working behind the scenes to get Jennifer and Ben ‘back together,’ said a source.
‘The kids think Jennifer and Ben are really, deeply in love, like soul mates and they don’t want them to divorce,’ said the insider.
‘They want them to work it out for better or for worse, like their vows said. And they do feel that the two should continue counseling and talking it out, even if it is painful.
‘They feel like if they do and say the right things that there could be more peace.’
The kids want Ben and Jennifer to get back together before her 55th birthday, which falls on July 24, added the insider.
‘There is hope they could all celebrate together for a mellow family party in Los Angeles,’ added the source.
So what are they doing exactly to help the movie stars to get back to peace? ‘They highlight the positive attributes each have.’
And the insider said there is a general feeling like Ben could lighten up.
‘He is a prickly one, he can be grumpy, that is true for sure, he is not a happy go lucky kind of dude, even if he is very intelligent and funny. The kids are trying to get him to lighten up and let stuff go,’ added the insider.
Turns out Lopez has her flaws too: ‘She needs to work less and relax more.
‘The twins’ dad Marc Anthony has always said that: Jenny needs to relax and enjoy her life more, he told her for years and years to do this.
‘Now Max and Emme are doing the same,’ the source added.
The kids have another motive: they all like each other and want to stay family.
‘The kids get along great, especially Emme and Fin, they are best friends and talk every day,’ said the insider.
‘They tell Ben and Jenny, hey don’t give up, don’t lose this.’
The family has not been all together in one room since June when Samuel graduated from school.
The source added that there was supposed to be a divorce announcement on the 4th of July weekend but it never came. And that is why they are both still wearing their wedding rings.
‘There might be a delay or plans to split for good may be called off, no one is really sure now, not even her close friends really know,’ said a pal.
‘Everyone has been waiting for the bombshell news they have lawyered up and are ready to split but it has not come,’ said the source.
As far as how Ben’s ex-wife Garner feels, she is up for whatever is best for the kids.
‘She is a supermom and always put the kids first so if the kids want Ben and Jennifer to get back together, she is on board with that,’ said another source.
Meanwhile, Us Weekly claimed on Wednesday that there is a ‘sliver of hope’ that Ben and Jennifer could get back together.
‘Jennifer suggested they just take time to figure it out,’ the source said.
It was also added that Bennifer 2.0 ‘still haven’t made a decision’ regarding splitting.
‘They are going through so much individually and as a couple,’ another source told Us. ‘They may take some time to see if this complicated moment can resolve itself and they come back to each other [as] better people.’
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Source: CNN
