Ben Affleck’s habit of dropping by Jennifer Garner’s Los Angeles home unannounced — and sometimes staying for several days at a stretch — has created friction with Garner’s boyfriend, John Miller, according to a report published June 4.
Affleck, 53, and Garner divorced eight years ago after a decade of marriage, but the two have remained closely intertwined while raising their three children together: Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 13. That bond has apparently grown even tighter since Affleck finalized his divorce from Jennifer Lopez in January 2025, with sources saying the former couple has been spending more time together than at almost any point since their split.
Affleck’s Visits Raise Eyebrows
Photographs published May 22 showed Affleck and Garner sharing lunch at a Los Angeles restaurant without any of their children present, adding fresh fuel to ongoing speculation about the nature of their relationship. Those images followed a March 2025 outing in which Affleck was photographed with his arms wrapped around Garner during a paintball celebration for Samuel’s 13th birthday — and Garner, focused on her shot, made no move to pull away.
Sources familiar with the situation describe the dynamic between the former spouses as “undeniably codependent,” a characterization that has reportedly put pressure on Garner’s relationship with Miller. Affleck is said to frequently frame his visits around the children, which makes it difficult for Miller to raise objections without appearing unreasonable. Plans are even reportedly in discussion for Garner and Affleck to spend a portion of the upcoming summer holidays together, with Miller invited to join — though insiders suggest that arrangement could leave the CaliBurger CEO, 47, feeling more like a guest than a partner.
Miller Walks a Delicate Line
Miller was photographed pulling up to Garner’s house in Brentwood, California on Sunday — his first sighting there since reports broke about Affleck’s interest in rekindling things with his ex-wife. The CaliBurger CEO arrived in a fitted T-shirt, dark jeans, and boots, projecting a calm exterior even as reports swirled around him.
According to sources, Miller would prefer clearer boundaries around how often Affleck appears at the home he has visited regularly since he and Garner began dating in 2018. Some of Miller’s friends have reportedly pushed him to force a definitive choice, but Miller is said to believe that pressing the issue head-on could backfire and damage his own standing with Garner rather than resolve anything. Previous attempts to address the situation directly with Affleck have apparently yielded little, with sources saying Miller finds the pattern frustrating because prior conversations produced polite assurances but no real change in behavior. “John says he’s tried that before and Ben has said all the right things and then nothing has changed,” the source said.
Where Garner and Affleck Really Stand
Sources close to the situation paint a picture of two people who have gradually leaned on each other more heavily in the wake of Affleck’s high-profile split from Lopez. He is said to harbor feelings that go beyond co-parenting, with one insider suggesting he would welcome another chance at the relationship — while simultaneously acknowledging that Garner does not feel the same way and that he respects her commitment to Miller.
Garner, 52, is described by those around her as content with where things stand. A source said she has a great co-parenting relationship with Affleck, and that is where her focus remains. Miller, for his part, is said to harbor no serious fear that Garner will leave him for her ex-husband. Sources describe him as someone who feels the weight of Affleck’s constant presence — not because he doubts Garner’s loyalty, but because the closeness between the two former spouses is simply hard to ignore.
A Cordial Front for the Children
Despite any private tension, the three adults have managed a composed public face. On January 31, 2023, Miller and Affleck shook hands and exchanged pleasantries outside Garner’s home while Garner walked out to join them, the pair having arrived hand in hand. The cordial exchange came not long after Lopez, then still married to Affleck, publicly praised Garner’s dedication to her children and said the two former spouses collaborated effectively as parents.
None of the three principals — Garner, Affleck, or Miller — has made any public statement addressing the reports. For now, the situation appears to be one that all parties are navigating quietly, with the children’s stability seemingly the shared priority even as the boundaries around everything else remain, by most accounts, frustratingly undefined.
