Ben Affleck ‘Truly Wants’ Ex Jennifer Garner ‘to Be Happy’ With Her New Boyfriend John Miller

Their divorce may be his biggest regret, but Ben Affleck still hopes Jennifer Garner is “happy” with John Miller. A source close to the Way Back actor exclusively tells In Touch that he is rooting for his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Though his feelings about the relationship are “very bittersweet,” he knows Jen “deserves happiness more than anyone.”

“It was very hard for Ben at first, even though he’s the one that pretty much walked away from the marriage,” the source says. “It was a reality check that he wasn’t prepared for.” According to the insider, seeing Jen “moving on with her life [and] dating John” was what “pushed Ben to move on with his.”

It’s taken work for Ben, 47, to get to a point where he’s OK with his ex-wife’s new relationship. “Knowing that his kids now had a potential father figure in their lives wasn’t easy to accept,” the insider continues. “That hit him hard, but it also helped him reevaluate and commit to his sobriety. Ben likes John now. He truly wants Jen to be happy. … It wasn’t always like that. It took Ben a long time to look at the situation differently. … Now, he says his kids and Jen are lucky to have John in their lives.”

Despite that, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the two men in Jen’s life. After Ben opened up about his split from Jen in a February 2020 conversation with the New York Times, Us Weekly learned John, 41, was starting to become “uncomfortable with Ben’s interviews.” Though he was trying to be “empathetic” about the Deep Water actor’s struggle with sobriety, he was concerned about how it was affecting Jen.

The businessman felt protective of his flame as the spotlight focused on her once again. Though he understood Ben was speaking only about his own experiences — and that giving interviews is part of the celebrity life — he wanted the other man to “consider” how those actions would affect the 13 Going on 30 star. While Ben was speaking out, John was doing his best to keep his own relationship with Jen private. Staying out of the limelight has helped John and Jen focus on their feelings, and a source told In Touch that the couple is “doing great.”

“He loves Jen and she loves him,” the insider said. “[John]’s very independent and likes to take things slow. He has a young daughter that he’s also coparenting, so he’s not trying to insert himself in Jen’s public life. … He’s got a separate life from Jen’s Hollywood world, so it works for them.”