Ben Affleck May Not Be As 'Invested' In Jennifer Lopez Marriage, Wants To Prioritize Kids With Jennifer Garner: Relationship Expert

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck — (Photo : Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Haute Living) Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend JR Ridinger Celebration Of Life at Faena Forum on October 08, 2022 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Ben Affleck has decided to stay behind while his wife, Jennifer Lopez, flew out of the country amid the divorce rumors, and this allegedly shows the actor's changed priority, according to a relationship expert.

Lopez jetted off to Positano, Italy, this week without her husband. In the photos obtained by the New York Post, she was seen taking selfies of her derriere while on a boat ride with friends. She seemed in good spirits and even smiled in some shots. Meanwhile, Affleck decided to stay behind in Los Angeles. He was seen on a motorcycle with his 12-year-old son Samuel on Wednesday.

Louella Alderson, co-founder and celebrity relationship expert at So Syncd, spoke with the Mirror about Bennifer's situation. She believes the "Justice League" star struggles in his marriage, so he must have decided to change his priority.

"Ben staying in LA with his kids could also be a sign that he wants to prioritize his family and spend more time with them. This could signal that he may not be as invested in the marriage or may be struggling with finding a balance between his personal life and relationship," Alderson explained.

"Ben staying in LA with his kids could also indicate that he and Jennifer are focusing on their own separate lives for the time being rather than trying to constantly work through any issues within their marriage together."

The expert, however, noted that spending time apart may help Affleck and Lopez work on their problems. According to her, being away from each other "can actually be healthy for a relationship" as it allows the couple "individual growth and self-reflection."

"Taking time away from each other also helps to maintain a sense of independence," the expert added. "When you're apart, you have the opportunity to miss each other and appreciate your time together even more. Then, when you get together again, you have new experiences to share and talk about, keeping the relationship fresh and exciting."

Affleck and Lopez have also been living separately. He moved to a rental home close to his ex-wife Jennifer Garner's house several weeks ago. Affleck and Garner share three kids -- Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel.

The "Let's Get Loud" singer and "Gone Girl" actor fueled the divorce rumors when they decided to put their $60 million marital home for sale. However, they haven't addressed the rumored divorce yet.

Meanwhile, Affleck appeared on the season 4 premiere of Kevin Hart's Peacock talk show "Hart to Heart" on Thursday. He explained that he looked grumpy in most paparazzi photos with Lopez because he didn't like the attention. He also referred to Lopez as "my wife" and clarified that while he didn't mind the people taking photos of Lopez, it was a "different thing" when it came to his children.

"I don't mind, you can take my picture at a club or a premiere, with my wife, I don't give a f**k. Knock yourself out. I don't notice you," the protective dad said, per Us Weekly. "But with my children, that's a different thing."