It’s not been a great year for Ben Affleck. A reluctant celebrity if there ever was one, the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez is arguably the biggest pop culture story of 2024.

Until Lopez filed for divorce on 20 August, on what would have been their second wedding anniversary, both Lopez and Affleck faced relentless media speculation about their relationship and had their every move scrutinised on social media. Affleck, for one, appeared to be seeking solace in the company of his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their three children.

As we know, celebrity gossip knows no bounds, so the fact Affleck and Garner have been spending more time together recently has sparked a new influx of rumours. The fact they spent Thanksgiving together did nothing to quieten them.

Whenever the exes are spotted chatting on the street, visiting each other’s houses or spending time with their children, it gives rise to various stories and social media posts suggesting they are headed towards a reunion.

After spending Thanksgiving together, one such headline reads, ‘Ben Affleck wants Jennifer Garner back but she is not having it’, while other posts suggest the exes ‘looked cosy’ and that their meet up was a ‘snub’ to Lopez. One headline encompasses all of the speculation to say, ‘Jennifer Lopez beams as she poses with a turkey – while Ben Affleck puts on a cosy display with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.’

The man can’t move for rumours that he is reuniting with one or both of his ex-wives – and they are often unnecessarily pitted against each other in the process. Something that is especially ridiculous given that the two Jennifers are said to have a good relationship and their children all remain close friends.

As for the Thanksgiving story, it is, of course, nowhere near as juicy as it sounds. In fact, the exes were volunteering with Midnight Mission to help feed 2,000 homeless people in downtown LA, along with their three children. They were also joined by thousands of other people, including American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson and Something’s Gotta Give actress Amanda Peet.

Let’s be honest, the ‘I love the Midnight Mission’ aprons and hairnets lightly pressing into their foreheads hardly scream ‘lustful Thanksgiving affair with my ex’.

It’s worth remembering that while their ‘reunions’ have gained more traction this year in light of Affleck and Lopez’s divorce, but he and Garner have always co-parented.

They were married between 2005 and 2015 and have spoken affectionately about each other and their marriage in the years that followed. It is also not uncommon for ex-partners to spend the holiday season together, especially when children are involved.

They have also both supported The Midnight Mission for several years. Affleck previously told People that he found out about the charity through a parent at one of his children’s schools.

‘I found that I get a lot out of giving a little bit of my time to other people. I don’t know that it helps them or not, but I know it’s helpful to me. It’s easy to sort of throw up your hands and say there’s nothing you can do,’ he continued. ‘But the truth is there are people who want to make their lives better, who are struggling, who need help and who you can benefit by even doing a little bit, giving a little bit of money or a little bit of time.’

After volunteering for several hours, Affleck and Garner were seen leaving in the same car with their children. It’s thought that they were headed to Garner’s house for their own Thanksgiving meal.

To make matters even less scandalous, they were also joined by Garner’s ‘off-again-on-again’ boyfriend, John Miller, who she has been seeing since 2018. While little is known about their relationship and they are rarely seen together in public, Miller was very much present at the table.

In November last year, a ‘source’ told Us Weekly that Affleck and Miller have a positive relationship too. ‘Ben is super down-to-earth, and so is John,’ the source revealed. ‘They have a mutual respect for each other and are always very friendly with one another.’

Unfortunately for all involved – namely Affleck, Garner, Lopez, Miller and all their respective children – they cannot seem to move for rumours about their personal lives. You’d have thought serving homeless people at a charity event along with hundreds of other volunteers and their children would help curb them for now, but alas.

Sometimes we all need a friendly reminder that, unless anyone is in obvious harm or distress, how people conduct their relationship following a divorce is none of our business. It’s as true for Affleck and Lopez as it is for Affleck and Garner.