Ben Affleck Skipped the Premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s New Movie

By Mike Redmond | Celebrity | May 21, 2024 |

By Mike Redmond | Celebrity | May 21, 2024 |

Let me go ahead and put my cards on the table for this post: Because Netflix is constantly squeezing out a mound of forgettable garbage, I had absolutely zero idea that Jennifer Lopez is starring in a new movie called Atlas. Thanks to the Ben Affleck divorce rumors, I do now! (“But, Mike, what is the movie about?” … Maps?)

To bring everyone up to speed, on Monday night, Lopez noticeably walked the red carpet premiere of Atlas without Affleck. Naturally, that spawned a sea of headlines like the one that foolishly brought you to me, you fool. The couple are supposedly in the midst of some relationship drama that could very easily be real. Most of us are old enough to remember the first Bennifer circus and how Affleck could be found wallowing in strip clubs, grousing about how he hates his life. It would not surprise me at all that these two burned out, again, after breathlessly shoving their rekindled love in our faces.

That said, this whole spectacle is starting to feel a little forced and shamelessly calculated. Case in point: The “Jennifer Affleck” phone screen. If you don’t know what this is, God, how I envy your rich, full life that isn’t day after day of mucking through raw internet sewage. In a nutshell, Ben and Jen tried to shut down the divorce rumors (or more likely fan them) by being papped together. While sitting in his car, Affleck made it a point to make sure the paps could see his phone screen as he received a call from “Jennifer Affleck,” which was strange considering Jennifer Lopez was in the seat next to him. If you’re thinking, well, maybe their relationship is so strained they can only talk over the phone, everyone knows that rapid-fire text messages are the bedrock of marital squabbling.

After the whole Kate Middleton debacle, it would probably be wise to pull back on celebrity conspiracy theories, but I’m a natural-born idiot, so here we are. (Plus I don’t think this one will end with another princess having cancer, but I’ve been very wrong before.) Seeing way too much of one topic is how the celebrity click sausage is made, and Affleck bailing on the Atlas premiere is already paying dividends on that front. Every news site is blanketed with JLo standing on the red carpet by herself and scrutinizing her Monday night appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where she made a very brief mention of the first engagement ring that Affleck gave her.

What we’re not talking about is JLo’s failed tour that had to cancel dates from lack of interest or her widely panned documentary. But, again, these two fizzled out before, and as an old-school clickhound, nothing would benefit me more than watching a haggard Ben Affleck rustle through a sea of Dunkin wrappers to let his next surprising pull in the door.

“I drink 18 cups a day. You will pour them in my mouth in the cah. Kids, say hello to Taylah Swift. She’s your new ma now.”