We always kind of hoped they’d end up back together – after all, it felt like Jennifer Garner was the only woman who could make Ben Affleck happy. The often grumpy actor was even prone to spontaneous outbursts of laughter and smiles when his first ex-wife was by his side.  

And in March, after Ben’s second marriage – to superstar Jennifer Lopez – officially ended after two years, speculation about a possible reconciliation between Ben and his first Jen started up again. The rumours kicked off when Ben, 52, was seen beaming and hugging Jennifer, 53, during a family day out paintballing with their kids.

The pair, who were married for a decade after first meeting on the set of Pearl Harbour in 2000, have three children – Violet, 19, Seraphina [Fin], 16, and Samuel, 13. They’re often photographed together during family gatherings, such as a recent visit to see a Boston Red Sox game.

Over the years since their marriage ended – and as Jennifer has forged a new relationship with business executive John Miller, whom she began seeing in 2018 – the two have remained closely connected. Insiders say Jen even supported Ben after his split from JLo.

Back in January, reports claimed that Ben, who has described splitting with Jen in 2015 as the ‘biggest regret of my life,’ would ‘jump at another chance with her – but that Jennifer did not feel the same way.

Now it seems Ben must finally let go, as Jen is ready to move forward – and nothing says ‘I’m moving on’ like getting married to someone else…

As heat previously reported, a usually reserved Jen seemed to address the speculation about her and her ex-husband back in April when she was seen sharing a very public and affectionate kiss with John. Sources say the Family Switch star wanted to draw a clear line with Ben and show that John is the most important man in her life.

John is now said to be living at her LA home much of the time – and the couple are ready to take the next step in their relationship and make things official. Jen was spotted at work in LA sporting a sparkling engagement ring, and friends say plans for their wedding are in full swing.

According to a source telling heat, the development has left Ben devastated. “Jen has long gone back and forth on marrying John but now she’s telling friends it’s really happening, and that he’s her soulmate. She’s already looking at venues and thinking about the details,” they explained.

“For Ben, this is incredibly tough. He’d been clinging to hope she might change her mind but, seeing how serious she is, he has to come to terms with her moving on for good.”

Ben’s heartbreak runs deep – Jennifer once publicly described him as ‘the love of my life’ even after their breakup.

In the aftermath of their divorce, amid rumours involving Ben’s alleged affair with their nanny, struggles with his career, and issues with alcohol, Jennifer gave an emotional interview to Vanity Fair about their 2005 Turks and Caicos wedding, lamenting, ‘I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can’t have these three babies and so much of what we had. He’s the love of my life. What am I going to do about that?’

But she also hinted at what had gone wrong in their marriage, adding, ‘He’s the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He’s just a complicated guy. I always say, ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold. He can cast quite a shadow.”

Insiders say that meeting John in 2018 helped Jen to heal and move on – and she’s no longer downplaying her happiness for Ben’s sake.

One insider shares, “Jen and John are thrilled to be taking the next step and she’s finally told Ben directly that her future is with John. She’s very much in love with him and there will never be anything romantic with Ben ever again.’

They add, “She will always care for Ben, but he’s like family now. He has no real choice but to let go, but it’s been extremely hard for him – he still considers Jen his one true love and realises too late how much losing her hurt.”

Despite all this, their commitment to co-parenting remains strong, with Ben calling Jen an “amazing” mother.

Just in March, Ben described his working relationship with Jennifer: I’m really lucky that I have a really good co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids’ mom, who’s wonderful and great and we work together well.’ 

But now, Ben has to cope with John having a more prominent role in his family’s life – and that’s difficult for Ben to accept, according to friends who are encouraging him to move forward too.

“He’s focusing on the positives, reminding himself Jen is a fantastic mom and that he has time to find happiness again,” the source continues. “He appreciates John treats the kids well, but Ben is still hurting and not used to this kind of emotional setback. He never expected Jen to move on completely, and deep down is still hoping things might change. For now, he’s having to accept the reality and move on.”