Ben Affleck is more entwined with his ex-wives than ever.
The iconic Hollywood star may be a twice-divorced man, but it seems there has never been a man so tied to his ex-spouses.
He was previously married to Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children: Violet, Fin, and Samuel.
Affleck later married Jennifer Lopez, who has twins, Max and Emme, from her previous marriage to Marc Anthony.
While Affleck did not adopt Lopez’s twins, he has a close relationship with them. The Lopez twins and Affleck’s children have grown close as well.
Despite the difficult divorce between Affleck and Garner, all five children are now inseparable as blended step-siblings.
That is great for the children, but it has caused many headaches for the adults in the story, especially when it comes to holiday plans.
According to sources who spoke to Yahoo, the Affleck, Lopez, and Garner trio have been butting heads over holiday planning because they cannot reach an agreement.
Conflicting Holiday Visions
Garner has mapped out a wholesome Thanksgiving and Christmas in sunny California — if the rain ever stops — featuring delicious meals, family traditions, fun games, family bonding, and sharing old memories while creating new ones.
However, Jennifer Lopez is hoping for something more luxurious and exotic, such as a private plane trip to a tropical island where they will be waiting on hand and foot during the holidays. And as always, Ben Affleck is stuck in the middle, not knowing how to please his ex-wives and the children.
The Compromise That Failed
According to the insider, Ben Affleck faced the same situation last year and reached a compromise in which the children split their time between the Lopez and Garner mansions.
The person stated: “Ben had the exact same issue last year, but wound up finding a solution by splitting his time in L.A. between J.Lo and Jen.”
Ben Affleck attempted the same approach this year but was unable to achieve the same compromise.
The insider shared: “That’s what he’s suggested this year, but J.Lo’s got her heart set on them doing something special as an extended family. She’s offered to fly Ben and the kids somewhere tropical, so they can enjoy some R&R in the sunshine, let the kids properly catch up and put an end to any lingering awkwardness between her and Ben.”
Garner Defends Her Traditions
Of course, the five children have ganged up on their parents to convince them to accept Lopez’s much more fun-filled and adventure-infused holiday treat.
The insider claimed: “The kids are all for J.Lo’s plan. They love hanging out with their old step-siblings, and Jen’s now got a tough choice to make.”
Jennifer Garner maintains her stance. While it would be enjoyable to have some alone time with her boyfriend, she wants to uphold her traditions with her children and is therefore maintaining her position.
The person claimed: “On one hand, she’d welcome the chance to enjoy a romantic time with John. But giving J.Lo her blessing to take the kids away isn’t sitting comfortably with her. She’s telling Ben he needs to find another solution.”
Insiders confirm that Affleck is frustrated by having to go through this tug-of-war every holiday. He is caught perpetually in the middle, a situation that only grows more complex as the children get older.
