Matt Damon Feels ‘a Lot of Sympathy’ for Jennifer Lopez Amid Ben Affleck Divorce
Matt Damon is still on good terms with Jennifer Lopez despite her split from his good friend Ben Affleck, which they recently proved when they reunited at the Toronto premiere of their new movie, Unstoppable. However, an insider exclusively tells In Touch that their friendly relationship is causing major awkwardness as Matt finds himself stuck in the middle as the warring pair go for each other’s throats.
“Matt feels pretty bad for J. Lo. He's been liaising with her on the roll out of the movie so he’s on calls with her all the time and she has opened up to him about how much she’s hurting,” the source tells In Touch. “He's been trying to reason with Ben to be a little bit more compassionate to the fact that she's humiliated right now.”
After noting that Matt’s “loyalty is always going to be to Ben,” the insider points out that “he’s known the guy for long enough to know he has his demons and is by no means perfect.”
“He can’t help but feel a lot of sympathy for J. Lo,” the source continues about Matt, 53. “He’s trying to play Switzerland and smooth things over on both sides, but Ben is not taking it well at all. To even suggest that he was somehow at fault really rubs him the wrong way. He says if Matt, or anyone, were in his shoes they would have run from that marriage ten times faster.”
The insider adds that Ben, 52, “feels like no one understands the hell he went through” during his marriage to Jennifer, 55, “and he bristles at being reprimanded by his friend, who he thinks should have his back no matter what.”
“It’s a really tough spot for Matt because of course he wants to support his buddy, but he’s also got to maintain this relationship with J. Lo and when he hears her side of things he just feels awful for her,” the source concludes.
Just weeks after Jennifer filed for divorce from Ben after two years of marriage in August, she and Matt attended the Unstoppable premiere on September 6. While Jennifer stars in and coproduced the film, Matt and Ben served as coproducers. Ben was noticeably absent from the event, which allowed Matt an opportunity to chat with the Wedding Planner actress.
Matt and Jennifer “talked for over 20 minutes at the afterparty” and were eventually joined by his wife, Luciana Barroso, and Unstoppable costar Don Cheadle, an insider told People at the time. “Jen and Matt began talking and had a long, deep conversation.”
The source added that they appeared in good spirits, noting that “the two friends laughed and spoke more seriously, and for several minutes, they clasped hands as they spoke.”
Despite seeming to be in a good mood at the premiere, an additional insider exclusively told In Touch that Jennifer is struggling amid her divorce. “J. Lo has been through a lot in her life, but this year has really tested how much pain she can withstand,” the source shared, adding that their split “devastated her.”
“She wanted to try to work on their marriage, but Ben checked out, and it was hopeless. When she realized that, she filed,” the insider continued. “Though she’s putting on a brave face in public, behind closed doors she’s been in tears. It’s the worst year of her life.”
