A long history. Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper are super close and “go way back,” a source exclusively tells In Touch of the pair’s tight friendship. “They’ve always been at ease with each other, but now it’s deeper.”

The pals were spotted spending time together in Malibu in photos published by TMZ on Thursday, August 6, just hours before In Touch broke the news of Jen’s split from boyfriend John Miller.

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While Jen, 48, and Bradley, 45, have a strictly platonic relationship, the source notes “this is a great time for them to be together.” The Hangover star and the mother of three have been “close friends forever and have been there for each other through their ups and downs.”

In fact, another source tells In Touch Jen was one of the first people Bradley met when he moved to L.A. and was just starting out as an actor. “They’ve remained close ever since,” the source shares.

Although “Jen sees Bradley as a brother,” that could change now that they are both single. “There’s always a possibility that their friendship could turn into more but right now they’re just friends.”

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Jen and John called it quits “before L.A. went into lockdown” after less than two years of dating, a source previously told In Touch. “Jen and John remain on friendly terms so there’s a possibility that they could rekindle their relationship in the future, but right now it’s over.”

Before Jen started seeing John in 2018, she was married to Ben Affleck before they split after 10 years of marriage. The exes do their best to coparent their three children — Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, 8.

As for Bradley, he was previously in a four-year relationship with model Irina Shayk but the pair split in June 2019, In Touch confirmed at the time. During their time together, they welcomed their 3-year-old daughter, Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper. Although they tried to make it work for the sake of their little girl, they decided it was best to go their separate ways.

Considering how much the A-list actors have in common, the first source says Brad and Jen would be “perfect for each other.” Whether it’s written in the stars or not, “they deserve all the happiness in the world.”

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