Ben's Next Chapter

Moving on: Insiders reveal what's ahead for Ben Affleck in the wake of his marital woes with Jennifer Lopez

- JAIME HARKIN

In late June, Ben Affleck appeared on the season 4 premiere of Kevin Hart's interview series, Hart to Heart. During the nearly hourlong sit-down, Affleck talked at length about the early days of his career before opening up about his wife, Jennifer Lopez. He called her level of fame "f**kin' bananas" and revealed he much prefers life out of the spotlight. "[I'm] a little bit shy," he told Hart, adding, "I also don't like a lot of attention."

In the following weeks, the fate of Affleck's two-year marriage to Lopez appeared to be sealed. They put their massive, 12-bedroom, $68 million Beverly Hills mansion on the market in mid-July, and Affleck closed on a more modest $20.5 million home on July 24, coincidentally the same day as Lopez's 55th birthday, which she celebrated at her Hamptons home without the actor.

Sources tell Us both Lopez and Affleck, 51, have made peace with their split and say the Oscar winner working on The Accountant 2 who's been busy and a new Netflix thriller with pal Matt Damon - is relieved and ready for a fresh start. One in which he hopes to remain a bit more under the radar. "Ben needed new energy in his life," says a source, noting that the star's new home is what he was initially looking for before he and Lopez purchased their estate. "This one is more his speed," adds the source. "He's in a better mindset and is pushing forward."

Facing Reality

Affleck and Lopez had already been living separate lives for some time.