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Mindy Kaling Shouts Out Ben Affleck During DNC After J. Lo Filed for Divorce: ‘Hang in There’
Mindy Kaling sent Ben Affleck a shout-out amid his divorce from Jennifer Lopez while taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention.
“I love you, Massachusetts!” Mindy, 45, told the crowd in Chicago on Wednesday, August 12. “Everyone is always hating on us. But they just don’t get it. Go Sox! … Ben Affleck, hang in there! Dunkin Donuts, you’re the best coffee in the world.”
Mindy and Ben, 52, are both Massachusetts natives, with the Mindy Project star portraying the father of three early in her career in an off-Broadway play called Matt and Ben, which she cowrote with her college schoolmate, Brenda Withers. The play was a fictional retelling of how Ben and longtime friend Matt Damon wrote the script for the Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting.
The Gone Girl actor is also known for his ties to Dunkin’ Donuts, notably appearing in a Super Bowl advertisement alongside his estranged wife in Feburary.
Mindy’s special mention of Ben during her speech comes days after In Touch confirmed Jennifer, 55, filed for divorce from Ben after two years of marriage on Tuesday, August 20.
The New York native made a statement by filing pro per, without an attorney, and coincidentally on the same day that marked the estranged couple’s second wedding anniversary of their lavish Georgia ceremony. Jennifer listed their date of separation as April 26, 2024.
Days later, sources exclusively told In Touch on August 21 that Ben allowed his ex to take the lead in filing for the legal separation because he had already moved on emotionally from the relationship.
“Ben left the filing and the divorce in Jen’s hands, almost like a parting gift,” said the insider. “He really doesn’t care and gave up long ago.”
In Touch first exclusively reported on May 15 that Ben and Jen’s relationship was on the rocks, with the A-listers heading for a divorce. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the pair hadn’t been seen publicly for months, with Ben notably skipping the Met Gala — where Jennifer was handpicked to serve as co-chair.
“He’s focusing on his work and his kids now,” an insider said at the time, adding that Ben was not to “blame” for their issues. “They’ll never stop loving each other, but she can’t control him, and he can’t change her. There’s no way it could have lasted.”
In addition, In Touch revealed Ben moved out of their shared $60 million dollar mansion and into a $100,000 per month rental home in Brentwood, California, near ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their three kids. The couple later recruited realtor Santiago Arana from The Agency to privately show their home to prospective buyers in June. The stars eventually publicly listed the home for $68 million on July 11.
Jen and Ben got together in the early 2000s and were headed down the aisle in 2003, before abruptly canceling their wedding. The pair rekindled their romance nearly twenty years later in 2021, first being spotted together in Big Sky, Montana. The pair later tied the knot in an elopement ceremony in July 2022, and they exchanged vows again during a formal wedding in Georgia that August.
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