Some celebs love a bit of PDA – and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are no exception. The only difference is, they prefer to engage in Public Displays of Animosity. Since getting back together in 2021, and getting married the following year, the pair have become known (and have become memes) for their publicly terse and heated exchanges, which they’ve exhibited on numerous occasions – on the red carpet, at awards dos and, most frequently, in their car.

And last week the fiery duo were snapped, yet again, having a tense moment behind the wheel. As they parked up their car to chat, photographers caught Ben, 51, gesturing with his hand and speaking intensely to his wife, who looked none too pleased with what he had to say. Indeed, she seemed – at times – to grit her teeth and tense her jaw in apparent frustration. Now, we’re told, the couple are reaching the end of their rope and are strategising ways to combat their very up-and-down relationship. They obviously love each other but – given that they both also love the drama – they often end up winding each other up when they’re in such close quarters. So, they’re apparently considering a trial separation – not as a way to end the marriage, but rather as a way to strengthen it.

“The honeymoon phase is completely over,” says an insider close to the couple better known as Bennifer, who delighted us all when they go back together two years ago – two decades since they ended their first engagement. “They still love each other and want to make it work, but all their issues are coming up and they’re both very stubborn people, so they’re clashing all the time. They’ve been trying for months to find a solution, but so far nothing has worked – it just seems to be one argument after another. They desperately need to do something to get back on track, and they’ve decided that the best thing they can do is start spending more time apart. They’re not breaking up, but they’ve agreed to give each other more space.”

The couple’s recent public spat is just the latest in a litany of apparently tense moments, which – as well as their car-based exchanges – have included an apparent run-in on the red carpet at Jen’s movie premiere for her film The Mother, and an infamous moment at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. The latter saw Ben looking bored and fed-up at the awards ceremony – with lip-readers claiming they saw Jen tell Ben, “Look more friendly. Look motivated” – to which he shot back, “I might.” Ben himself has since referenced the moment, laughing it off as “a husband-and-wife thing”, but that hasn’t done much to quell reports that their marriage isn’t always the fairytale ending that they, and we all, hoped.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to their tempestuous public displays, Ben has been pictured looking consistently happy and comfortable in the company of his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, 51. The pair have a famously close relationship and are constantly praised for their exemplary co-parenting techniques, often showing up together to support their children, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 11. Jen has also been credited with unfailingly supporting her ex-husband, both in his former battles with addiction, as well as his romance woes. She’s now said to be offering him guidance and advice when it comes to ensuring his second marriage goes the distance.

Recently, the former couple, who were married for 10 years before splitting in 2015, were pictured giving each other a hug in a parked car – which, given Ben’s love of a car spat, seemed all the more noteworthy. J-lo – who shares twins Maximilian and Emme, 15, with her ex-Marc Antony – was away at the time and, rather than getting mad when she saw photos of the interaction, she was apparently glad to see Ben looking so relaxed. What’s more, we’re told that, while she was away, he was attentive and affectionate over the phone, and they got on even better when she returned. According to our source, they’ve reached the conclusion that distance could sometimes be a good thing and, if their relationship is going to work long-term, it could do with a bit of space every once in a while.

“They’ve realised that taking time apart is actually when they need to feel more connected,” says our source. “Hopefully, it will be the answer they’ve been searching for, because something’s got to give. Neither of them wants to live this way anymore. Their fights can get very nasty – they both say hurtful things they don’t mean, and a big part of the problem is that they become so co-dependent straight away. They were rushing to get to the finishing line.”

What that space means remains to be seen, but our source says they’re considering all options. Now that the writers’ and actors’ strike is over, Ben will be busier again, which should naturally have a better effect on their relationship. However, they may decide to make the space between them even more extreme, for the sake of staying close. We’re told that Ben is even “looking at rental options in LA, while J-Lo may head back east and hang with her mum and sisters.” Our source adds, “They need to clear their heads, then reassess where they’re at.”

Let’s hope, for their sake, that distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Then again, this is the couple who split for the first time in 2004, and waited another 17 years to rekindle the romance. Fingers crossed that’s not the kind of space they’ll be needing this time around.