Did Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have a “showdown” over Ana de Armas meeting their kids? One tabloid claims so this week. Gossip Cop looked into the claim.
Affleck and de Armas have been self-isolating together since lockdown began in Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, they took another big step in their relationship when they stepped outside for a walk with Affleck’s three children that he shares with ex-wife Garner. This week’s Star is now claiming that the meet-up required “serious behind-the-scenes negotiations” with Garner. An unnamed “insider” says that she wasn’t happy about it, but it “wasn’t something she could block forever.”
The tabloid goes on to say that Jennifer Garner issued “some major ground rules” before the walk, including requiring everyone to wear masks and follow social distancing, as well as “no junk food and no bad language” and “certainly no talk about Ben and Ana’s love life.” Garner, the suspicious tipster says, was “watching over [de Armas] like a hawk.” The article finishes up by discussing the “ruby promise ring” Affleck supposedly gave de Armas that supposedly heralds their engagement. “It’s only natural she’d harbor some reservations about Ana,” the source says of Garner. “But for Ben, it appears Ana’s the real deal. Jen will just have to accept the inevitable.”
So, a few things. First, it’s been reported by Us Weekly that Jennifer Garner is actually happy for Affleck’s new relationship and glad to see him in a healthy place, though that has yet to be confirmed by other outlets. She’s also been dating her own boyfriend for about two years, so there’s no reason for her to be territorial about Affleck. Second, Affleck and de Armas have been regularly wearing masks when they go out for their near-daily walks so it’s doubtful Garner would need to tell them to have the kids wear masks.
Third, as Gossip Cop has explained before, Ana de Armas has been spotted wearing that ruby ring the tabloid’s referring to as early as this February. So unless the outlet’s trying to tell us they’ve been talking marriage as early as month before they even went public with their relationship, that’s not a promise ring. (And she doesn’t wear it all the time, for the record.) Last but not least, we reached out to Affleck’s spokesperson for comment, who told us that the story was “not true.” Whatever this tabloid’s shady anonymous sources say, a rep qualified to speak on the actor’s behalf says the story is false.
It is clear that Star would rather just print nonsense about Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas than actually find out the facts of their relationship. Back in April, the tabloid incorrectly claimed that Affleck was showering de Armas with lavish presents for her birthday, including a sports car. Gossip Cop checked in with a source close to the couple, who assured us the claim was false.
More recently, there was that claim about the promise ring we mentioned earlier. Last month the tabloid insisted that the diamond-encrusted ruby ring de Armas is often spotted wearing is actually a “placeholder” engagement ring, which Affleck will supposedly replace with a traditional one once stores open back up. Gossip Cop noted that de Armas has been wearing the ring for months, and, indeed, before lockdown even began. They haven’t secretly been engaged since February.
Sources
Brooke Blumberg, Spokesperson for Ben Affleck, 5 June 2020