Ben Affleck beamed during a phone call when he surfaced in Los Angeles this week amid his divorce from Jennifer Lopez.
The Hollywood couple spent months trailed by feverish speculation that their marriage was on the verge of collapse, culminating in Jennifer finally filing for divorce on their second wedding anniversary,
August 20.
On Friday night, Lopez could be seen flashing the flesh at the Toronto premiere of her new film Unstoppable, produced by Affleck and his best friend Matt Damon.
Although Damon was on hand to pose in group shots with Lopez, Affleck notably skipped the star-studded event and remained at home in California.
He was spotted hours before the premiere taking a phone in call in his car, grinning broadly during what appeared to be a lighthearted conversation.
That night, Jennifer showed him what he was missing in a sizzling silver dress that featured dramatic slits up both sides, flaunting her legs and hinting at her derriere.
She enjoyed a cheeky chat at the afterparty with her co-star Bobby Cannavale, whom she was heard telling: ‘I’m a bad picker.’
Loud music was playing and Cannavale seemingly did not catch what she was saying the first time, so she had to repeat the phrase twice.
Once he finally cottoned onto her meaning, she started laughing and added: ‘It is what it is,’ in footage obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. Lopez is in the midst of her fourth divorce, having previously been married to model Ojani Noa, backup dancer Criss Judd and pop star Marc Anthony.
Meanwhile, Damon had a ‘long, deep conversation’ with Lopez at the premiere afterparty for Unstoppable, it is claimed.
Damon and Lopez proudly posed together at the premiere earlier that evening during the Toronto International Film Festival.
Affleck, 52, who co-produced the film with Damon, did not attend the star-studded event on Friday amid his ongoing divorce from Lopez. Now Damon – who has reportedly been a major source of support for Affleck during the collapse of his marriage – is said to have had a 20-minute tête-à-tête with Lopez.
They were seen sharing a laugh at the afterparty, as well as having a more somber chat and even taking each other’s hands, a source informed People.
‘Jen and Matt began talking and had a long, deep conversation,’ shared the insider, revealing that they held hands while talking for several minutes. The interaction began when Damon joined Lopez at her alfresco table, where she was seated with Damon’s wife Luciana Barroso and her co-star Don Cheadle.
At the premiere, held at Roy Thomson Hall, Damon and Lopez were seen proudly gathering together for a glamorous group shot.
They happily mingled with Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, and Don Cheadle — Lopez’s co-stars in the film.
Both Damon and Lopez — who sizzled in a revealing gown — seemed to be enjoying themselves, with Damon even flashing a smile in the group photo. Damon looked dapper in a grey suit with a black button-up shirt underneath. He completed the outfit with black shoes.
The Massachusetts born star sported a salt-and-pepper scruff, adding a rugged charm to his appearance. Matt was also joined by his wife Luciana Barroso, 48, who looked sensational in a skintight plunging black gown. Her brunette tresses were pinned up in an elegant updo, with a few strands left to frame her face.
She accessorized with a black clutch and golden jewelry.
The pair have been married since 2005. They met in Miami while she was working as a bartender. They have three daughters together: Isabella, 18, Gia, 16, and Stella, 14. Barroso is also mom to Alexia, 26, from a previous relationship.
Damon and Affleck have been friends for over 40 years. They grew up together in Boston, Massachusetts, and went to school together.
They both broke into Hollywood through their work on the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. They wrote the screenplay together, with Damon also starring in the film, which was a critical and commercial success, earning them an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Meanwhile Lopez had all eyes on her at the premiere, wearing a sultry gown that was completely open down the sides, and secured with just three black bows.
She paired her silver, disco ball-inspired dress, from Tamara Ralph, with a pair of open-toed high heels and Hassanzadeh jewelry. The Hustlers actress wore her waist-length, light brown hair down in loose waves that cascaded down her back.
Her appearance comes just two and a half weeks after she filed for divorce on her and Affleck’s two-year wedding anniversary.
Despite navigating the end of her fourth marriage, a source told DailyMail.com that the Let’s Get Loud hitmaker was happy to ‘head to the Toronto Film Festival to promote this film because Unstoppable means a lot to her, she wants to support it.’
‘It is a true life story that is very inspirational and she is proud to be a part of it. Acting in the movie was a high point for her,’ the insider added.
‘The movie has been getting a lot of attention and Jennifer wants it to do the best it can. She is very professional and always works hard to give her movies their best opportunities.’ Lopez has a supporting part as a wrestler’s mother in the movie, which already has Oscar buzz.
The source noted that it will be a ‘quick trip’ for the performer ‘as she has other matters to attend to.’
Certain producers on the movie were trying to ‘pushing the two to appear together at the premiere in Toronto to create buzz on the film,’ DailyMail.com reported earlier this week.
But those producers did not get their way as now only one of them will be there. The project is from Ben’s production company Artists Equity, which he co-founded with Damon. Affleck and Damon are among the 14 producers on the film.
The film will be shown in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by a limited theatrical release in December 2024, by Amazon MGM Studios.
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Source: Los Angeles Times1
