Violet, the daughter of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, has reportedly decided to distance herself from her former stepmother Jennifer Lopez after feeling taken advantage of during her father’s divorce.
A source told the Daily Mail that Violet had proactively cut off contact with Jennifer Lopez and her family after witnessing her father’s suffering during the noisy divorce. “Over time, Violet saw that her father was very upset because his breakup became the focus of public opinion. Ben never said a word about Jennifer Lopez,” the source explained.
Violet (far left) in an appearance with her father and former stepmother in July 2022. Photo: GC Images
“Violet is very smart and will always be her daddy’s girl at the end of the day. That’s why you don’t see her in public with Jennifer Lopez anymore,” the source continued.
When Ben Affleck split from Jennifer Lopez last summer, Violet made headlines when she and her stepmother traveled to the Hamptons and posted about the singer’s sister, Lynda Lopez, visiting her at Yale University. The 19-year-old’s actions left her parents surprised and confused.
Violet also showed her support for Jennifer Lopez during that time, choosing to wear a Dolce & Gabbana dress that The Wedding Planner star wore on her Valentine’s Day date with Ben Affleck in 2023. Violet reportedly wore the dress as a statement of how close she was to her stepmother after being “heartbroken” over the split.
“Violet wished her dad had stayed with Jennifer Lopez,” the source said. “She didn’t live in their home and didn’t see the extent of the breakup, but she had grown extremely close to Jennifer Lopez over the past few years and was heartbroken when they split.”
Jennifer Lopez and Violet go out alone in November 2022. Photo: Backgrid
Violet’s mother, actress Jennifer Garner, has not put any restrictions on her daughter’s relationship with the Lopez family. “Jen has always been supportive of her daughter’s closeness to J.Lo because she has always put her children first,” the source said. “But as the divorce neared, Violet hanging out with J.Lo and wearing her clothes was strange to the family. Same with Lynda Lopez visiting Violet in college.”
“But Jen still let it go because she wanted Violet to be happy and respected that she, as an adult, could choose who she wanted to spend time with, even if Jen didn’t necessarily agree,” the source continued.
Sources revealed that in the months leading up to the divorce being finalized in January 2025, Violet began to question whether there was another motive for keeping her close. “Violet felt like a pawn in her father’s split with Jennifer Lopez,” the source told the Daily Mail .
The Gone Girl actor rekindled his romance with Jennifer Lopez in 2021, nearly 20 years after they called off their engagement. A year later, they had two weddings. But four years later, the couple settled their divorce and officially ended their short-lived marriage. The couple settled their divorce through mediation with attorney Laura Wasser. Each party will walk away with what they had during their marriage. Documents also show that Jennifer Lopez dropped her last name, Affleck.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez rekindled their romance in 2021 and got married in 2022, but their marriage only lasted two years. Photo: Jennifer Lopez’s Instagram
Before officially breaking up with Jennifer Lopez, the 1972-born actor was seen spending a lot of time with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner – who is said to have acted as a “marriage counselor” for the struggling couple.
Sources close to Jennifer Garner said she felt compelled to “play the middle man” to help her ex-husband and Jennifer Lopez resolve their issues in a way that would not jeopardize Ben Affleck’s sobriety. “Jen felt a little taken advantage of in Jennifer Lopez’s attempt to mend the marriage,” a source said at the time. “She doesn’t believe it was intentional. But when Jen realized her ex-husband’s marriage was beyond saving, her only concern was Ben’s health and sobriety.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were married for 13 years until their divorce in 2018. The couple are parents to Violet, 19, Fin, 16, and Samuel, 12. Jennifer Lopez is mother to 16-year-old twins Max and Emme from her marriage to Marc Anthony, 56, which lasted from 2004 to 2014.
