Grumpy Ben.
A source revealed that Ben Affleck’s “erratic mood swings” contributed to his split from Jennifer Lopez, who recently filed for divorce from her husband after two years of marriage.
“The truth is there was a great deal of love but also unfortunately what became clear were Ben’s erratic mood swings that he couldn’t hide from the press, as much as he tried to,” an insider told People in a report published Saturday.
“You could see the erratic behavior, the giant mood swings,” the source continued, claiming that the “Argo” actor/director, 52, would go from “being incredibly happy and warm — the best light that emanated from him” to “the deepest, darkest behavior.”
“I think he was signaling a message to the press,” the insider went on about Affleck.
During his marriage to Lopez, 55, it was clear that Affleck wasn’t enjoying the public attention that heir relationship was getting.
Lopez, meanwhile, seemed to embrace the cameras following her and Affleck. She even created a new album and accompanying documentary about their romance.
The source said the exes – who were initially together in the early 2000s and then reconnected two decades later — couldn’t move past Affleck’s unpredictable mood.
“They were trying to work through it,” said the insider, “but when the mood swings and the big highs and big lows informed a toxicity that was pervasive, no one can help you — you have to help yourself.”
“But I would not be so bold to say there isn’t love — of course there is,” the source noted. “The world was rooting for them, but who he said he was and who he turned out to be were two different people.”
The Post has not heard back from reps from Affleck or Lopez.
The “Hustlers” actress officially filed for divorce from Affleck on August 20, on the anniversary of their second wedding ceremony.
She listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024, confirming they were no longer a couple when she celebrated her 55th birthday without him or on their second anniversary when they were on opposite coasts in July.
The pair reportedly did not sign a prenuptial agreement — meaning all the earnings, profits, and assets they made during their union are considered community property. Lopez also chose not to request spousal support and asked the judge not to award Affleck support either.
Over two months before their split, Lopez admitted in her documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” that Affleck was hesitant to divulge details about their lives to the public.
“I don’t think he’s very comfortable with me doing all of this,” she admitted in a segment of the documentary. “But he loves me, he knows I’m an artist and he’s going to support me in every way he can because he knows he can’t stop me from making the music I made and writing the words that I wrote. That’s going to happen and he doesn’t want to stop me.”
“He wants to do that [for me], but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable being the muse,” the mom of two added.
Affleck explained his fears of speaking of their rekindled romance before their 2022 marriage and subsequent divorce.
“One of the harder lessons that I have learned is that it’s not wise to share everything with the world,” the actor told the Wall Street Journal in December 2021.
“I know that I feel more comfortable having those healthy boundaries in my life around which, in a friendly and straightforward way, I tell you, I just don’t want to be talking about my personal relationship in the newspaper,” he stated.
