All eyes are on the red carpet when the Met Gala rolls around each year. What’s everyone wearing? Who’s everyone with? And who’s been left off the guest list? So, it didn’t go unnoticed when this year’s co-chair Jennifer Lopez, 54, arrived without husband Ben Affleck, 51 – and rumour has it she was not happy.
An insider close to the couple tells us, “This year was very different from last year when he didn’t go. Jen was hosting this time, and it’s no secret that she really wanted Ben to be there supporting her. Apparently, she was begging him to go right up until the last minute, but he refused and stayed in California.”
Ben’s absence was reportedly down to a scheduling conflict, as he’s currently in LA filming The Accountant 2, a sequel to his 2016 action movie. However, that didn’t make it any less of a blow to his wife on her big night, especially since he found the time to go to Tom Brady’s Netflix roast the night before.
“The fact Ben went on Tom’s TV show really rubbed salt in the wound for Jen,” we’re told.
“He could have easily moved his schedule around and hopped on a private jet to be with her in New York for the gala. But instead, she had to walk the red carpet solo, which was humiliating.”
Not only that, but Ben’s appearance at The Roast Of Tom Brady garnered a lot of negative attention, with fans calling his contribution “unhinged” and a “car crash”. The actor even ended his rant about internet trolls by saying, “I’m probably never going to work again after tonight.” Might be why he skipped one of the most high-profile nights in showbiz the next day…
Ben’s Met Gala snub has done nothing to silence rumours about the state of his marriage, with our source saying it’s “added to the embarrassment”. While Jen and Ben both deny that there’s trouble in paradise, it’s reportedly been a talking point in Hollywood circles for months.
“The whole situation just underlines to everyone that these two have serious problems,” our source adds.
“[Jen’s co-host] Chris Hemsworth not only had his wife there for support, they also dressed in his-and-hers themed outfits. That had to sting for Jen.”