Unless you having been living under a rock, you will know that Ben Affleck is single. His whirlwind second run with Jennifer Lopez came to a drawn-out close last August, with Lopez filing for divorce on what would have been their second wedding anniversary.

As a newly single, twice divorced, A-list man, Affleck seems to be embroiled in a new relationship rumour every other week. The latest of which involves Jessica Alba, who is also newly single after announcing her separation from her husband of 16 years, Cash Warren, earlier this month.

A friend of both Hollywood stars tells Grazia that the latest rumour might have legs, saying it’s a well-known secret that Affleck had ‘the major hots’ for Alba back in the day.

‘It’s no secret in Jessica Alba’s world that Ben Affleck has been interested in her for about 20 years, but there has never been a period in all that time where they were both single and open to a new relationship, until now.’

Following his split from Lopez, Affleck has been tied to a number of people including, somewhat ironically, his first wife Jennifer Garner. However, Garner has been in a relationship with John Miller since 2018 and remains close friends with Affleck, with whom she shares three children.

The first was post-divorce rumour involved Kick Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who Affleck had reportedly been ‘hanging out’ with at the Polo Lounge. However, The Accountant 2 star’s representative was quick to shut down the idea by saying there was ‘no truth to any rumour’ and the pair were ‘not hanging out’, ‘not dating’ and that ‘no outing’ had taken place. Well, that settles that one then.

In December, a source close to Affleck attempted to shut down further speculation by saying he has ‘no interest in jumping into another relationship at the moment’. Adding that, ‘Ben’s divorce from Jennifer hasn’t even been finalised, but even if it were, dating is just not where his head is at.’

The former couple has, however, already reached a settlement and their divorce is set to be finalised on 20 February. It seems as though, despite months of unrelenting media attention and speculation surrounding the breakdown of their marriage, Lopez and Affleck have ended on amicable terms. They have agreed to split the legal fees equally and have divided their assets privately and amicably, so perhaps they will both be ready to move on soon.

Enter Alba. News of her divorce only started circulating in January, but it’s thought that her relationship with Warren had been coming to an end for a while. ‘I’ve been on a journey of self-realisation and transformation for years,’ Alba wrote on Instagram, confirming the news, ‘both as an individual and in partnership with Cash.

‘I’m proud of how we’ve grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and it’s now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals. We are moving forward with love and kindness and respect for each other and will forever be family,’ she wrote, adding that their children remain their ‘highest priority’.

Like most Hollywood couples, Warren and Alba faced their fair share of speculation over the years too, albeit not on the same scale as ‘Bennifer’. They have also spoken candidly in the past about the tougher parts of being in a long-term relationship.

‘I would say it’s all rosy for two-and-a-half years, but then after that you become roommates,’ the actress told Katherine Schwarzenegger on her BDA Baby podcast last April. ‘You’re just going through the motions, the responsibilities. It’s a lot of like checking the boxes.’

Warren, for his part, had previously described his marriage as ‘hard work’. During an interview with Us Weekly in July he said, ‘We roll up our sleeves and we do it. It’s wild. It’s the longest relationship I could have ever imagined.’

It seems in both instances, the relationships had run their course. According to Grazia’s insider, the stars have aligned for Affleck and Alba to pursue something together. ‘They know each other pretty well and during the few times over the years that they’ve actually hung out together, you can just feel the chemistry,’ the source tells us. ‘Especially now that they’re both out of their marriages and their kids are all young adults, the timing is finally right for them.’

Affleck and Alba have been pictured together a handful of times over the years, and Alba starred alongside Affleck’s brother Casey in The Killer Inside Me in 2010, but they have otherwise never been closely linked.

Whether the latest rumours are a product of wishful thinking or a match that could go the distance is unclear, but an Alba Affleck romance would certainly give a lot of people something to talk about.