The recent video of Ben Affleck cosying up to ex Jennifer Garner sent the showbiz world into a tailspin, but no-one was more shocked than Jennifer Lopez, according to insiders. And after being left furious from seeing the intimate moment caught on camera, a source tells Closer that she has turned to a mutual friend for comfort.

The singer, 55, was reportedly left reeling when footage surfaced of Jen and Ben at their son’s birthday paintballing party showing them in a close embrace. Now looking for a shoulder to cry on, an insider tells Closer that another showbiz friend has had to step in to play peacemaker between the exes.

Enter movie star Matt Damon, who is Ben’s long time best pal, and who has also known JLo for decades.

An insider says, ‘Matt is always careful to have Ben’s back all the way, but he’s also not going to ignore JLo. He’s spent several years working with her, and they are close. He really likes her and he’s maintaining their friendship. He thinks it’s a shame if Ben throws away the chance to have a good friendship too. He reckons that with a bit more effort, he could smooth things over with her.’

JLo, 55, and Ben famously dated back in 2002, after meeting on the set of movie Gigli. However, they dramatically postponed their wedding just the day before the big day, blaming excessive media for the shock decision. Four months later it was revealed they had split, and it wasn’t until 2021 that they rekindled their romance. Fans were thrilled when the pair tied the knot the following year, with not one but two weddings. They ‘ran off’ to Vegas and married in quiet in July, before throwing a wedding party Ben’s mansion in Georgia the following month. 

However, the fairy tale quickly floundered and it has since been claimed that Ben’s moods drove a wedge between the pair. JLo finally filed for divorce last August, citing irreconcilable differences, and their divorce was finalised two months ago, in January. However, recent reports allege that JLo has been left feeling humiliated as Ben spends an increasing amount of time with ex Jennifer Garner, 52.

While Jennifer has moved on with partner John Miller, she and Ben, 52 have remained famously close since their separation in 2015. They spent last Thanksgiving volunteering together with their three children Violet, 19, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 13. Then, earlier this month, they sparked romance rumours when a video surfaced of them on a paintball outing for Samuel’s birthday. The exes were spotted smiling happily while walking side by side, and Ben hugged Jennifer round the waist while she aimed her paintball gun.

Although sources close to the pair deny they are rekindling their romance, JLo was reportedly left feeling ‘betrayed’ by the footage, and now an insider says Matt, 54, is doing his best to diffuse the fallout. ‘Ben insists that he and Jennifer are not getting back together and that there’s nothing going on,’ says an insider. ‘Of course, Matt passed on that message. He isn’t for one moment suggesting that Ben stop spending time with Jennifer, that’s not even an option. But he’d love Ben to pick up the phone and put JLo’s mind at ease. That way he doesn’t have to be the go-between.’

Over the last few months, Matt has been spotted supporting both Ben and JLo in public. Although he’s been friends with Ben for over 40 years, he has also known JLo through several ups and downs, including a broken engagement, three marriages and now divorce. Just weeks after she filed for divorce from Ben, she was snapped clasping Matt’s hand and having what looked like a heart to heart with the star, at the afterparty for their film, Unstoppable. As they sat deep in conversation at Toronto Film Festival, Matt bowed his head.

And just last week, Matt was snapped supporting pal Ben, at the premiere of his film The Accountant 2 in Austin, Texas. The pair posed for photos on the red carpet, and Gone Girl star Ben talked touchingly about why the pair make such a dream team. ‘It’s a beautiful thing. You know, I don’t have very many — none of us really have very many friends,’ he told People magazine. ‘You don’t need a million friends. You need a few good ones. And I’m really lucky to have had a friend in Matt. … I’m lucky to have friends like that in my life.’

Of course, Matt is no stranger to managing relationships. He has been married to his wife Lucia Barroso for 19 years, and the pair share three daughters. However, they tend to keep their marriage well out of the limelight and were allegedly not entirely impressed with how Ben handled his recent divorce.

‘Matt has had a lot of experience when it comes to maintaining a relationship,’ says a source. ‘Of course, he and his wife have faced ups and downs, so he knows a thing or two about compromising and he’s advising Ben to do a little more of it. He thinks with a bit more effort Ben could easily smooth things over with JLo.

‘JLo talks to Matt about her career and of course she slips in questions about Ben too. Matt would never break the bro-code, his loyalty is to Ben first and foremost. But he’s also one of the few people that can call Ben out when he’s not acting right. Matt has always been something of a moral compass for Ben, he looks up to him and respects his opinion, so what he says carries a lot of weight. Luciana isn’t close to JLo, but she does share Matt’s view that this is an opportunity for Ben to keep his side of the street clean.

‘They both feel that in the long run Ben will be a much happier man if he doesn’t look back and regret how he acted. The thing with Ben is he’s a lot more sensitive than most people realise. He’s got a tough exterior and he’s good at pushing away his feelings. Matt doesn’t want him to wake up one day and feel remorse.’