JLo’s love for Ben Affleck, his kids could lead to blended holiday celebrations

As Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck stand knee-deep in divorce proceedings, they’ve been struck with their first major family holiday. Tabloid reports repeatedly continue to emphasise how the Marry Me singer-actress shares immense love for the Oscar winner’s kids despite their personally estranged ties.
HT.com previously reported that Affleck, who’s currently working with his best buddy Matt Damon on their upcoming crime thriller RIP, is taking his days off in the spirit of the Turkey Day festivities. A source told PEOPLE that the chirpier-than-ever Hollywood actor is enjoying his work, but the “family man” side to his personality will be back to celebrate Thanksgiving with his kids.
Also read | Inside Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez’s 1st Thanksgiving apart since divorce filing
Lopez, on the other hand, is also known to go all out during the holiday season, surrounded by family and friends. At this time of the year, she reportedly has major plans to reunite with Ben and his children and break bread by blending their families together. It’s no shocker as the famous exes were pictured at a September brunch together with four of their children. Despite revealing the April 26 separation date from Affleck in her personally filed divorce papers, the “On the Floor” songbird even took the Air actor’s eldest child, Violet, shopping in the Hamptons in July.
“Jen loves the holiday season and she always goes all out,” a source told InTouchWeekly, as per a Thursday report. The insider spilling alleged details of a JLo-Ben Affleck reunion dug into how ‘Jenny from the Block’ is “determined not to let the pain of the divorce dictate her actions.” By prioritising peace and maintaining the “friendly exes” status with The Accountant star, she presumably hopes to strike a dynamic similar to his amicable relationship with Jennifer Garner despite their preceding 2015 split.
“Even though she and Ben aren’t together, she’s still planning to treat him and his kids like family. That means loads of extravagant presents and big gatherings with home-cooked meals,” the insider added.
“She has so much love for Ben and his kids, and her kids feel the same way, so she really wants to have a celebration with all of them together. She wants to prove that they can consciously uncouple and for her that means having a special holiday celebration together.”
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The source asserted that the Good Will Hunting star is “on board” with the idea as he “has been making a big effort to be nicer and more agreeable with” Lopez. She has continued to be “so wonderful to his kids since they split up,” and that has supposedly helped her score “huge points” with him.
The insider also alleged that JLo’s warm approach towards Ben’s kids has “really softened his heart towards her.”
Although on their separate paths now, Affleck is believed to have returned to his “family man” roots thanks to his decades-old romance with his Gigli co-star. In a separate PEOPLE report, a source affirmed, “Family is very important to both of them, and together they were family people – and the connection doesn’t end.”