Ben Affleck Defends Jennifer Lopez as He Reveals What He Still Hopes to Do With Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck has made a surprising admission about his two famous ex-wives, fiercely defending one against Hollywood snubs while revealing why a planned on-screen reunion with the other fell apart.

The Oscar-winning actor has opened up about Jennifer Lopez's overlooked performances and his hopes of working with Jennifer Garner, whose real-life history with him nearly complicated his latest film.

And while Affleck has nothing but praise for both women, his revelations show just how difficult it can be to keep Hollywood business separate from personal relationships.

Ben Affleck Defends Jennifer Lopez After Hollywood Awards Snubs

Affleck did not hold back when discussing Lopez's acting career during an October 7 interview with Variety. The actor, who produced "Kiss of the Spider Woman," starring Lopez, was asked why his former wife continues to miss out on major awards recognition.

Variety pointed to her performance in the film and her failure to secure an Oscar nomination for 2019's "Hustlers," despite the praise surrounding her work.

Affleck immediately acknowledged his personal connection to Lopez but made his admiration unmistakable. "I'm biased. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for what she can do."

Why Affleck Believes Hollywood's Biggest Awards Don't Tell the Whole Story

Affleck went further, questioning whether awards truly reflect the quality of an actor's performance.

He explained that commercial success does not always align with his personal taste and argued that awards are ultimately subjective, shaped by individual voters and their opinions.

The filmmaker admitted he does not always believe the right person takes home the right prize, suggesting that even Hollywood's most prestigious honors are hardly definitive measures of talent.

His passionate defense of Lopez comes after the former couple endured a highly publicized breakup.

Affleck and Lopez married in 2022, but their relationship unraveled, with Lopez filing for divorce in August 2024, just two months after filming wrapped on "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

Despite their troubled marriage, their professional relationship survived. Lopez starred in the musical film, while Affleck's production company, Artists Equity, helped bring it to the screen.

Lopez later admitted she "barely" made it through filming but publicly credited Affleck and Artists Equity for helping make the project possible.

Affleck Breaks His Silence on the End of His Marriage to Lopez

The actor had previously defended his relationship with Lopez during a candid March 2025 interview with GQ. At the time, Affleck addressed the attention surrounding "The Greatest Love Story Never Told," Lopez's documentary chronicling the making of her album and film project "This Is Me... Now."

He acknowledged that he and Lopez approached fame differently, describing himself as more private and reserved while praising his former wife's ability to navigate celebrity. But Affleck pushed back against suggestions that their contrasting attitudes toward public life were responsible for their failed marriage.

He explained that he wanted his participation in the documentary to be honest and interesting and emphasized that he loved and supported Lopez at the time.

Concerned that his remarks might be interpreted as criticism, Affleck returned to the subject later in the interview, insisting he had "nothing but respect" for his ex-wife.

Yet Lopez is not the only former wife he spoke about during the Variety interview. Affleck also revealed how a promising Hollywood reunion with his first ex-wife nearly became reality before an unexpected casting shake-up changed everything.

Jennifer Garner Was Almost Cast in Affleck's New Thriller

Affleck's upcoming Netflix thriller "Animals" underwent a dramatic transformation before reaching its current form. Written by Connor O. McIntyre, Billy Ray, and Affleck, the film follows Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball, whose son is kidnapped during a bitter political campaign.

As the desperate father faces a terrifying family crisis, secrets and betrayals threaten his already crumbling marriage and political ambitions. Affleck now directs and stars opposite Kerry Washington, marking the fifth time the Oscar-winning filmmaker has directed himself.

But the original cast looked very different. When the project was announced in January 2024, Affleck's longtime friend and business partner Matt Damon was supposed to play Mark. And Affleck had a familiar face in mind to portray the character's therapist wife: his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.

During a September interview with Entertainment Weekly, Affleck recalled believing Garner would be perfect for the role. The arrangement also offered a personal advantage.

Because Affleck and Garner share children, working on the same production could have helped them coordinate schedules and spend more time with their family. Professionally, he believed the role would allow Garner to reveal a side of her acting abilities audiences rarely saw.

Garner had recently returned as Elektra in 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine," reprising the character she originally played alongside Affleck in 2003's "Daredevil." Her last leading film role had been in 2023's "Family Switch."

Affleck was convinced she could bring something fresh to "Animals." But just two weeks before cameras were set to roll, the production came to an abrupt halt.

A Rival Kidnapping Thriller Threatened to Derail the Entire Movie

Affleck discovered that Spike Lee and Denzel Washington were developing another film centered on a kidnapping. That project was "Highest 2 Lowest," the 2025 Apple and A24 thriller starring Washington as a music mogul whose son is abducted by a character played by A$AP Rocky.

The similarities immediately concerned Affleck. Although "Animals" was based on an original screenplay, he feared audiences might view it as a competing version of Lee's movie.

The situation reminded him of 1998, when he starred in the asteroid disaster film "Armageddon" during the same year that another asteroid thriller, "Deep Impact," hit theaters. Affleck initially considered postponing "Animals" to avoid another uncomfortable cinematic overlap.

Then came an even more unsettling discovery. Lee's film was actually a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic "High and Low," which Affleck admitted he had never seen. Learning about that connection "freaked" him out.

After discussing the situation with Damon and their producing partners, including Damon's wife, Luciana Barroso, Affleck made the difficult decision to abandon the version they were preparing to shoot.

"We were two weeks from shooting, and I was like, 'We're not doing it,'" he told Entertainment Weekly. Affleck reasoned that making a successful movie was challenging enough without inviting further complications.

But when "Animals" finally returned to production, another obstacle awaited. Damon was no longer available.

Matt Damon's Exit Created an Awkward Problem for Affleck and Garner

By the time "Animals" was ready to move forward, Damon had committed to "The Odyssey." Affleck jokingly mocked his longtime friend's decision, calling it a "lesser film" with a smaller director and role before teasing that Damon would regret the choice.

With his original leading man unavailable, Affleck needed a replacement. His solution was to take the role himself. But that seemingly straightforward decision created a deeply personal casting dilemma.

If Garner stayed, Affleck would find himself playing a husband opposite his real-life ex-wife, with their characters trapped in a deteriorating marriage. The potential for audiences to draw uncomfortable parallels with their actual relationship was impossible to overlook.

Affleck explained that he and Garner discussed the situation, and she ultimately decided against the pairing because viewers might struggle to separate the fictional couple from their real-life history.

During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", Affleck revealed that Garner had initially been willing to join the movie before his decision to replace Damon changed the equation.

He described Garner and Damon as performers he knows, likes, and respects, explaining that his familiarity with them allows him to recognize opportunities to show audiences something unexpected. But once he became the leading man, Garner reconsidered.

"She was like, 'Yeah. Great, but no, I'm not going to play your wife in a movie.' Probably for the best. That lesson's been learned," he shared. Affleck praised her judgment, adding that Garner was "very wise in many ways."

With Garner no longer attached, Affleck turned to Kerry Washington, an actress he had wanted to work with for years. Still, Garner's departure did not mean he had abandoned the possibility of sharing the screen with her again.

Affleck Makes a Surprising Admission About Working With Garner Again

During his Variety interview, Affleck was asked directly about the casting decision that prevented his reunion with Garner. He agreed that their history could have overshadowed the story. "In a movie, the illusion has to be the thing," he explained.

Then he made it clear that his hopes of collaborating with Garner were far from over. "And I still want to find something to do with her." It was a sentiment he had expressed just a month earlier. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Affleck was equally enthusiastic about his former wife's talent.

"She's fabulous." He described Garner as a good friend, expressed profound gratitude toward her, and emphasized their positive relationship. His desire to work with her had never disappeared. The problem was simply the prospect of portraying a troubled married couple when their own relationship was so familiar to audiences.

His remarks also echoed what he told GQ in 2025, when he praised Garner as a "really good co-parent and partner" and said they worked well together. Affleck has repeatedly made clear that he remains open to another collaboration, provided their personal history does not distract from the film itself.

Two Ex-Wives, Two Very Different Hollywood Relationships

Affleck's latest revelations offer a striking look at how his relationships with Lopez and Garner have continued to shape his professional life long after their marriages ended.

With Lopez, he has already demonstrated that divorce does not necessarily mean the end of a creative partnership. His company helped produce "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and Jennifer Lopez publicly acknowledged his role in bringing the project to life.

His praise also reinforces his earlier insistence that his comments about their personal differences should not be mistaken for bitterness or criticism. With Garner, however, the professional reunion remains unfinished business.

Affleck originally envisioned her starring opposite Damon in "Animals," believing the role could showcase her range while allowing them to better coordinate their family responsibilities.

Yet despite the unexpected casting drama, Affleck has left no doubt about his feelings toward either former wife.