Casey Affleck Says Ana de Armas 'Won't Have Any Problems' Dating After Ben Affleck Split

Casey Affleck is opening up about his brother Ben Affleck's split from actress Ana de Armas — and whether he was the one who threw out her cardboard cutout.

"The reality is, I think that this year has been really hard on people in relationships," the actor told Entertainment Tonight while promoting his new movie Our Friend.

"I wouldn't know because I've been single, but I bet there are a lot of people that have, you know, it's been challenging to relationships," Casey, 45, said.

He continued, "I think that Ana is just the sweetest, funniest, smartest, most charming person. I think she won't have any problems meeting somebody else."

The actor also expressed high hopes for the 32-year-old actress' career, who so far has starred in Knives Out, Blade Runner 2049 and the unreleased films No Time to Die, Blonde and Deep Water, also starring her ex-boyfriend, Ben, 48.

Stephane Cardinale/GETTY IMAGES; Stefania M. D'Alessandro/Getty Images

"I saw her performance as Marilyn Monroe in this movie called Blonde, which hasn't come out, and I would bet a lot that she's gonna pick up every single award," Casey said. "She's gonna have a good year. I'm not too worried about her."

He added, "I think she's a catch in every way. And I'll be there to carry Ben through it, but I don't think he'll have any problems [either]. My advice to them would be like, 'Yes, think long and hard about it, because quarantine is not fun if you're single.'"

As for whether he was the one who threw out the actress's lifesize cardboard cutout from his brother's home, which was photographed earlier this week, Casey said, "No, that's not me."

RELATED: Ana de Armas' Life-Size Cutout Thrown in Ben Affleck's Trash After Split

"A bunch of people sent that picture to me and I was gonna tweet some, like, joke, response or something. And then I couldn't think of one and a joke didn't seem appropriate," he said. "And I don't have Twitter so that wasn't going to work. But it definitely wasn't me."

The cutout — which Ben's kids played with last summer — features de Armas lying on her stomach with her feet crossed in the air behind her and a huge smile on her face. PEOPLE previously reported that Affleck's three children with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, 8, had been spending time with de Armas in June and used the cutout to play a prank on their dad.

ana de armas/instagram Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck

In photos obtained by Daily Mail on Monday, the same life-size cutout was seen being thrown in a large garbage bin outside of Ben's home. It took two people to stuff the cutout into the trash.

PEOPLE confirmed on Monday that the  and de Armas had agreed to go their separate ways.

"Ben is no longer dating Ana," a source tells PEOPLE. "Their relationship was complicated. Ana doesn't want to be Los Angeles based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles."

RELATED: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas 'Decided Together to Break Up' Over the Phone: Source

"This is something that was mutual and something that is completely amicable," another source adds. "They are in different points in their lives; there is deep love and respect there. Ben continues to want to work on himself. He has three jobs lined up and he's a solid father at home. They are both happy with where they are in their lives."

"Ben and Ana's friendship has not ended. They still talk regularly."

The duo was first romantically linked in March 2020 after meeting on the New Orleans set for Deep Water. De Armas confirmed their relationship the following month when she shared photos with Affleck in celebration of her 32nd birthday.