Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner shocked Hollywood with news of their separation a decade ago, announcing in 2015 that they were splitting up after 10 years of marriage. Their divorce was eventually finalized in 2018, with both having since moved on (Ben married and then divorced former flame Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer is in a relationship with John Miller). Their marriage birthed three kids, Violet, Finn and Samuel, and a host of discourse around their dynamic as co-parents.
In the face of ups and downs in their own relationships, the pair have been spotted together frequently over the past few years, enjoying baseball games together, doing school pick-ups, supporting their kids at birthdays, and more. Reports have circled even suggesting that one or the other party still has feelings of loss over their divorce, but it's clear that they've at least found an amicable middle ground as parents and friends.
Celebrity body language expert and psychic Inbaal Honigman analyzed their body language over the years on behalf of https://www.casino.ca/, noticing how the perennially newsworthy couple's demeanor toward each other has shifted from the throes of romance to now, having gone in opposite directions. "When Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck first got together, the most evident body language proof of their love was Jennifer's unbelievably enormous smile."
"In their wedding photos, red carpets and every time that they were seen together, Jennifer would smile such a wide grin, that her whole face would join in the party," she said. "Her eyes would squeeze shut, her dimples would achieve maximal depth and all her teeth would show," explaining that the 13 Going on 30 star wore her joy on her face, clear to see.
"Here and there we'd see a slightly smaller grin, but her shining eyes and dancing dimples would reveal the truth – that she was smiling widely on the inside, and trying to hide it on the outside." With Ben, though, it was a whole other story. "In contrast, back then during their first flush of love, Ben would often flash a 'cool guy' look, which was a neutral facial expression."
Inbaal noticed: "Even when sitting or standing right next to Jennifer, his facial expressions were not joyful. Gazing slightly away from his beautiful partner, his lips would be pressed thin, indicating tension. Whether it was the relationship that made him tense or the tension was brought on by the rest of his life, is hard to say."
She told HELLO!, though, that things switched between them after the end of their marriage and into their new relationship. "Since their divorce, we see the co-parents together often enough, and their body language is very different now. Jennifer's smile of carefree joy may be missing in action, but so is Ben's aloofness."
"When they stand together, Jen and Ben are seen side by side, or at times, facing each other, both are sympathetic ways to stand together. We don't see one of them standing facing away from the other, there are no signs of antipathy or resentment." She noted that Jennifer's smile is now "smaller and reserved" with him compared to before.
"It is usually present, her moderate smile revealing that she's happy to have him around, and happy for his support, but she's no longer in love with him. Ben's lips tell a whole story with his current facial expressions compared with way back when," detailing his ability to be more "at ease" around Jennifer than before.
"Totally unlike his formerly tense lips, nowadays the Oscar winner is more likely to be seen with slightly parted lips around Jennifer," she concluded. "His parted lips indicate a desire for closeness, he wants to listen to her and understand her point of view. The Cool Guy may be gone, but instead we have an attentive, supportive co-parent."