Signs Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner's Marriage Was Never Going To Last

For many years, it felt like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were one of those rare Hollywood power couples who just might make it for the long haul. They enjoyed an adorable courtship, they both seemed happy, and they were supportive of each other's careers and philanthropic efforts. Affleck and Garner also welcomed three kids together and appeared to be locked in when it came to their romance.

However, there were a few cracks in the facade of their perfect marriage. Over the years, those cracks began to multiply, adding pressure to the couple. This all seemed to culminate in February 2013 when Affleck delivered an acceptance speech at the Oscars with an honest but divisive message about marriage. "I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases," Affleck said. "It's good, it is work, but it's the best kind of work, and there's no one I'd rather work with."

Many viewers felt that Affleck's comments about marriage being "work" — as opposed to simply saying something sweet and adoring — was a sign that there was trouble in paradise. However, it was only the latest sign in a long list that included Affleck staying in touch with his exes, Garner being expected to put her career on hold to raise kids, and Affleck turning to alcohol. Throughout their relationship — even from the very beginning — there were a few signs that Affleck and Garner's marriage wasn't destined to last.

When speculation began to swirl regarding Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's marriage falling apart, certain scandals from Affleck's past began to surface — including his alleged fling with an exotic dancer named Tammy Morris back when Affleck was engaged to Jennifer Lopez (the first time). While Affleck staunchly denied claims that he and Morris had sex at a house party, Morris reportedly passed a polygraph test regarding her account, which she shared in 2003.

In June 2015, shortly before Affleck and Garner announced their separation, Morris spoke with The National Enquirer about the news of their impending split. "No, I can't say I'm surprised," Morris said. "I believe, 'Once a cheater always a cheater.' My advice to Jen is: 'Run!'"

After their split, rumors emerged that Affleck began having a relationship with the family's nanny, Christine Ouzounian. However, Affleck has denied the speculation. Garner, meanwhile, told Vanity Fair in 2016, "We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes. It's not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives."

While there's nothing wrong with being mature and not having an acrimonious relationship with your exes, some might find it a little odd to still stay in touch with your former fiancée a few years after you've gotten married to someone else and started a new family. Especially if your current relationship came right on the heels of your split from said ex. This appeared to be the case with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.

As Affleck explained to The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, he and Lopez still kept in touch long after they called it quits and Affleck married Jennifer Garner. "We don't have the kind of relationship where she relies on me for advice. But we do have the kind of relationship where there'll be an email saying, 'Oh, your movie looks great,'" Affleck said at the time. "I touch base. I respect her. I like her. She's put up with some stuff that was unfair in her life, and I'm really pleased to see her successful." 

Affleck told the outlet that he also was on good terms with exes Gwyneth Paltrow and Cheyenne Rothman, his high school sweetheart. Of course, after his split with Garner, Affleck wound up rekindling his romance with Lopez, which led to their short-lived marriage.

Years before they began dating and tying the knot, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner forged a friendship on set. The pair first met in 2000 while filming director Michael Bay's big budget war drama "Pearl Harbor." They became friends, and their friendship only solidified when they co-starred in the 2003 comic book movie "Daredevil," which filmed the year before. However, as they got to know one another, Affleck was in a high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez, and Garner was married to Scott Foley — whom she met on the set of the WB series "Felicity."

Affleck and Lopez called off their 2003 wedding just days before they were to walk the aisle, and wound up calling it quits altogether in early 2004. Meanwhile, Garner filed for divorce from Foley in May 2003. The papers were signed and the divorce finalized in March 2004, and Garner had a brief relationship with "Alias" co-star Michael Vartan. She and Affleck then began dating the following August and the pair went public with their burgeoning romance in October 2004, when they attended the World Series together. Affleck and Garner then got married in June 2005 — less than a year and a half after her first marriage officially ended.

Throughout their marriage, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck both worked steadily, but it seemed that Affleck's star and Hollywood profile rose dramatically as he began to take on more respected projects and stepped behind the camera to direct. This seemed to be especially true when Affleck was basking in the success of his 2012 historical thriller "Argo" — which earned him massive awards season accolades and success. During that time, some outlets reported that Garner had taken on the primary duty of taking care of their three children and had set her career aside to support his.

The problem is, Affleck apparently just expected this of Garner. In 2013, an unnamed source close to the couple told People that Affleck is has an early-1960s view of family values and roles. "Have you ever seen 'Mad Men?' That's how he approaches [marriage and kids] — providing for your family is your priority, and raising the kids day-to-day is the wife's priority."

Ben Affleck has been to rehab three times. After his split from Garner, the world discovered that he'd started drinking heavily as they struggled to work on their marriage. The pair announced their breakup in June 2015, but didn't officially file for divorce until April 2017, and their divorce was finalized in October 2018.

During their separation, Affleck completed treatment in March 2017, and explained in a Facebook post (via People) that he had "completed treatment for alcohol addiction" which was something he's had to deal with before in his life and is an issue he "will continue to confront" as he works to stay sober. "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do," Affleck wrote.

However, Affleck also seemingly said he turned to alcohol because of his marriage when he appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" in December 2021. "I probably [would] still be drinking. You know, like, it was just part of why I started drinking alcohol was I was trapped. You know, I was like, I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy. What do I do?" Affleck said. "And what I did was, like, drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."