While Ben Affleck was pictured laughing – actually open-mouthed guffawing – with ex-wife Jennifer Garner last week, it seems things at home with current wife Jennifer Lopez are still no laughing matter.
As well as raising Ben’s children with Jen G – Violet, 17, Seraphina, 13, and 11-year-old Samuel – and J-Lo’s twins Max and Emme, 15, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, the couple also have a menagerie of animals to contend with.
And, according to our insider, looking after eight dogs and a cat in their $60million Beverly Hills mansion is hardly a shared responsibility, as we’re told that J-Lo, 54, is growing tired of Ben’s lack of discipline towards their furry friends.
“It’s a complete zoo at their house,” says heat’s insider. “Jen swears she’s the only one who ever deals with their mess – she’s always nagging Ben to help out more and to at least pick up their poop.
"His answer has been to hire a company to pick up the mess for them [see box, right], which really bugs Jen, because he’s more than capable of doing for it himself, so in her view, he’s just being lazy.”
Singer J-Lo is the epitome of a dog mum. Before reconciling with old flame Ben, 51, in 2021 after 18 years apart, she already had Boxers Roxy and Bear, Labradors Lady and Bunny, Mastiff Champ, and Goldendoodle Tyson. She then adopted a cat, Hendrix, as a family Christmas gift in 2021.
Meanwhile, Good Will Hunting star Ben adopted German Shepherd Hutch in 2011 with ex Jennifer, before giving a Golden Retriever mix a home four years later. Then last September, the newlyweds sparked rumours they had adopted another animal as they were seen heading to a shelter.
And now, heat’s insider reveals that one of J-Lo’s, er, pet hates is the way the animals flock to her husband, despite her doing all the hard work.
“The dogs especially can’t seem to get enough of Ben,” we’re told. “They all race to him when he walks in the room. If he leaves the house, they start whining and want to follow him. Basically, he gets all the perks, with none of the work, which is one of Jen’s biggest frustrations with him.”
The couple have been, ahem, dogged by rumours of rows and disagreements since they married in 2022, due to their very different personalities. And our source confirms that even the way Ben teases his wife about the pooches has the ability to rile her up.
“He jokes that she’s jealous of the dogs, but Jen feels there’s a passive-aggressive undertone to it,” heat’s insider adds. “Jennifer is confrontational, but Ben’s style is to do these micro-aggressions and get under her skin that way. It’s pretty childish and not very healthy.”
And it isn’t just not cleaning up after the animals that has ruffled J-Lo’s feathers – it’s also Ben’s behaviour around the house, which we’re told has left her on his case.
We’re told, “She’s tried to train Ben on good bathroom etiquette, but he just doesn’t get it. He leaves the toilet seat up, forgets to flush, never replaces the bathroom tissue, leaves the sink area a mess and doesn’t fix the towels after he’s used them. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take well to being told what to do, and Jennifer doesn’t seem to get that.”
A Poop 911 van is regularly spotted outside Jen and Ben’s mansion, where they live with their furry brood. And if like Ben, you’re too busy (debatable) or disgusted to pick up your pet’s poo, then Poop 911 – who claim to be America’s most trusted pooper scooper service – are the no1 answer to your dog’s no2.
And poop scoopers take their work seriously. Their website says, “Dressed in uniform, they remove pet waste year-round and will even clean, disinfect, and deodorise decks, patios, and dog runs.” Even better, prices start from just $12 a week (if you’re willing to let it fester for seven days, we guess).
Luckily, there are no, er, shit reviews. One customer summed up, “Every week, I can rely on my yard to be poop free. Sooooo worth the money.”
FYI, celebs known to get their hands dirty and pick up after their own pooches include John Krasinski, Irina Shayk, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.