Ben Affleck made a candid confession about flirting after his divorce with Jennifer Lopez as it has been revealed exclusively by DailyMail.com that he has a ‘secret crush’ on a fellow A-lister.
The 52-year-old star shockingly admitted to not being smooth around women despite having previous relationships with stunners Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ana de Armas, Shauna Sexton, and the aforementioned J-Lo.
He – who finalized his divorce with the Waiting For Tonight hitmaker in January after a two-and-a-half of marriage – made the candid reveal during a press junket for his latest flick The Accountant 2 as he said that he relates to his character Christian Wolff’s lack of flirting skills.
Of his character, Ben told Page Six recently: ‘Here’s a guy who’s trying to figure out — he wants to have a relationship with a woman, he’s trying to figure out how to do that, like, how to put yourself out there.
‘You know, he’s not comfortable extending himself. He doesn’t really know how to flirt exactly. He’s not comfortable.’
Then he related the feeling to the general feeling that most people have – while shockingly including himself – as he said ‘like so many of us.’
Ben Affleck made a candid confession about flirting after his divorce with Jennifer Lopez as it has been revealed exclusively by DailyMail.com that he has a ‘secret crush’ on a fellow A-lister
He finalized his divorce with the Waiting For Tonight hitmaker in January after a two-and-a-half of marriage; as they are pictured together in February 2024
Ben went on to explain: ‘It’s not easy for anyone figuring out relationships, particularly at the very early part, where you’re trying to gauge, “What does this signal mean? Is this person looking at me? Do they like me? Am I going to humiliate myself if I go over there?”‘
He did go on to reveal that he was proud of his character for putting himself out there by line-dancing while on the date which he said was ‘kind of a lovely thing.’
Ben went on to joke: ‘I probably am not going to get a lot more demands for my line-dancing work [in movies]. I don’t know. The phone hasn’t rung yet.’
Meanwhile the A-lister is certainly single and ready to mingle as he apparently was recently by a friend who his ultimate movie star crush was, the Oscar-winner named another glamorous Oscar winner.
And he didn’t care that this brunette bombshell from Beverly Hills was once married to his old buddy, Brad Pitt.
The lucky lady is Angelina Jolie, who is also single, and hasn’t been seen with anyone since her acrimonious divorce in 2016.
She has said she would prefer to concentrate on being a mother to her six children.
However, a source told DailyMail.com that had not deterred his interest.
He made the candid reveal during a press junket for his latest flick The Accountant 2 as he said that he relates to his character Christian Wolff’s lack of flirting skills; he is seen right alongside co-star Jon Bernthal in the film
Of his character, Ben (pictured in Austin, Texas last month) told Page Six recently: ‘Here’s a guy who’s trying to figure out — he wants to have a relationship with a woman, he’s trying to figure out how to do that, like, how to put yourself out there. ‘You know, he’s not comfortable extending himself. He doesn’t really know how to flirt exactly. He’s not comfortable’
‘Ben said that he always thought that she was very hot and has admired how she has navigated her career, he has called her smart,’ the source said.
‘He also thinks it’s pretty cool that she has directed films too, something he has done many times with The Town and Argo.
‘They would certainly have a lot to talk about over dinner.’
Affleck also noted that it’s a good thing he and Jolie are around the same age: Ben is 52 and Angelina is 49.
Ben and Brad have previously overlapped on dating another movie star: Gwyneth Paltrow.
Ben dated her for three years from 1997 until 2000, while Brad was actually engaged to the GOOP founder from 1994 until 1997.
Brad now dates jewelry executive, Ines de Ramon, 32, with whom he is apparently smitten.
Ben and Angelina shared another bond: they are both family people.
Meanwhile, Ben is a single man and ready for a new Hollywood romance. When asked recently by a friend who his ultimate movie star crush was, the Oscar-winner named another Oscar winner: Angelina Jolie
Affleck has three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
Jolie has six kids with ex-husband Pitt: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.
Ben and Angelina have run into each other for years at awards shows and Hollywood events. They seem to light up when they come together.
In 2001, Ben was caught whispering in Jolie’s ear at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, with the actress dressed in a classic white suit with no shirt smiling warmly in return.
Then in 2014, they were pictured looking into each other’s eyes at the Hollywood Film Awards.
The news of Ben’s crush comes as the actor discussed his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, 55.
Affleck still has ‘a lot of respect’ for movie icon and singer Lopez.
They finalized their divorce earlier this year, but Ben has insisted there wasn’t ‘some major fracture’ behind their break-up.
In 2001 he was caught chatting up Jolie at the Vanity Fair Oscar party as she smiled while in a classic white suit
In 2014 they were seen looking at each other at the Hollywood Film Awards
The Hollywood star told the April issue of GQ magazine: ‘There’s a tendency to look at break-ups and want to identify root causes or something. But honestly … the truth is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting.
‘There’s no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue [about our divorce]. The truth is, when you talk to somebody, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, there is no, ‘This is what happened.”
Ben starred alongside Jennifer in The Greatest Love Story Never Told, her 2024 documentary.
But the actor acknowledges that his ex-wife ‘handled celebrity more adeptly and more adroitly’ than himself.
He explained: ‘My temperament is to be a little bit more reserved and private than hers.’
Ben was also keen to support Jennifer by appearing in the documentary.
The Oscar-winning star shared: ‘As happens in relationships, you don’t always have the same attitude towards these things.
‘And so I thought, Oh, this is interesting because how do you reconcile that? Because… I love and support this person. I believe in them. They’re great. I want people to see that.’
Ben insists the documentary didn’t have any role their break-up, either.
Brad Pitt and Jolie at the New York Premiere of The Normal Heart in May 2014
Ben and Brad have overlapped on another movie star: Ben dated Gwyneth Paltrow from 1997 until 2000, after Brad romanced the GOOP founder from 1994 until 1997
The star – who dated Jennifer in the early 2000s, before rekindling their romance in 2021 – said: ‘I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture.
‘It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, ‘Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.”
Ben believes their break-up also is much simpler than many people imagine. The actor explained: ‘It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do.’
Meanwhile, Lopez posted a sexy pinup photo on Tuesday while she listed what she is grateful for, proving that she is resilient and doing great as she films the movie Office Romance with Brett Goldstein in NYC this spring.
Last week she hailed her daughter as her ‘best date ever.’
The siren enjoyed a night on Broadway with her child, Emme Muniz, 17, as they attended the premiere of a highly anticipated new revival of ‘Othello’ starring Denzel Washington.
Alongside a series of photos Jennifer uploaded to her Instagram of their night out, she wrote the message: ‘Othello’ premiere with the best date ever (star emoji.)’
On Sunday, J Lo and her teen girl were photographed arriving at the Barrymore Theatre in New York City for the opening night of Othello, starring Denzel, 69, and Jake Gyllenhaal, 43.
The duo wore coordinating dark ensembles for the occasion, with Jennifer dressed in a navy two-piece outfit from Zuhair Murad’s fall-winter 2024 couture collection.
The ensemble featured a midriff-baring top and a floor-length skirt adorned with a sparkling pattern of bedazzled stones.
She completed the look with a black fur statement coat, silver circular earrings, and a sleek bun.
Meanwhile, Lopez posted a sexy pinup photo on Tuesday while she listed what she is grateful for
Last week she hailed her daughter as her ‘best date ever’. The siren enjoyed a night on Broadway with her child, Emme Muniz, 17, as they attended the premiere of a highly anticipated new revival of ‘Othello’ starring Denzel Washington
Lopez looked good with Brett Goldstein when on the set of Office Romance on April 7 in Hoboken, New Jersey
Emme opted for a black and white pinstriped suit paired with a printed tie, a grey button-down shirt, chunky black loafers, black eyeglasses and gold earrings.
J Lo, best known for her roles in ‘The Mother’ and ‘The Boy Next Door’, has frequently spoken about her role as a mother to twins Maximilian ‘Max’ David Muniz and Emme, who she had with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 55.
She told People: ‘It’s unconditional love. I know everybody feels this way about their kids, but I just feel like they’re super special. I can’t wait to see what they do.’
Jennifer recently marked her twins’ 17th birthday with a video tribute on Instagram, featuring photos and clips of their family over the years.
The montage included moments of them posing on a tire swing, embracing backstage, and dining together.
She captioned the post: ‘Seventeen. I love you beyond forever (two coconut emojis.)’
