Ben Affleck's ex-wife, actress Jennifer Garner, has reportedly taken responsibility for protecting his mental health during the ongoing public divorce from Jennifer Lopez. Affleck has struggled with alcohol and mental health issues in the past and reportedly feared a relapse given the stress of the ongoing divorce proceedings. (Also read: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are “still moving forward” with their divorce despite their recent kiss.)

Jennifer Garner's clemency command for Ben

In Touch magazine reports that Jennifer Garner leads a “mercy squad” that constantly monitors Ben and ensures his well-being. “You see Jen going there almost every day to make sure he's OK. His mother, brother and close friends like Matt Damon also help out. They are all in contact with him and with each other. They are a real team and act as a de facto support group for him. If they see something to be concerned about, they notify each other immediately. “Ben knows they are all in contact, but he doesn't know the extent of it,” the report quoted a source as saying. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck were married from 2005 to 2018 and have three children together – Violet (18), Fin (15) and Samuel (12).

Ben and JLo's complicated relationship story

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez met on the set of the 2002 film Gigli and began dating shortly after. By the end of the year, the two were engaged and were the “it couple” of Hollywood. However, she postponed her wedding in 2003 and then separated the following year. They rekindled their relationship in 2021 and finally married in a lavish ceremony in 2022. However, last month Jennifer filed for divorce, saying they had been separated since April.

Although they have since been seen together, most notably at a family brunch earlier this month, reports state that the divorce proceedings are still ongoing.