Ben Affleck Just Took This Drastic Step In His Breakup From Ana De Armas

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas reportedly called it quits just shy of the one-year anniversary of their relationship. The renowned actor and director met de Armas while working on the 2019 movie Deep Water, but their romantic relationship did not blossom until March 2020, per People.

On April 30, 2020, the Knives Out actress went public with their relationship, posting a series of photos on Instagram to ring in her 32nd birthday. Among the snaps were two photos of the duo embracing. Affleck and de Armas seemed destined to stay together long-term as the actress reportedly moved into Affleck's Los Angeles home in December 2020. Just one month later, however, several outlets reported that the two were going their separate ways. Although the Cuban beauty reportedly had a good rapport with Affleck's three children, per Page Six, she wanted children of her own and the Gone Girl actor was solely focused on raising his son and two daughters.

Another alleged issue between the two? de Armas reportedly wanted to move. "Ana doesn't want to be Los Angeles based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles," a source told People. While all reports pointed to an amicable split, Affleck's actions seemingly said otherwise.

Ben Affleck made a relationship statement with the trash

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas decided to break up, and, at first, it appeared to be on good terms, but the split was reportedly not mutual. According to an US Weekly source, the Blade Runner 2049 actress was the one who ended things. "The breakup was amicable, [but] she was the one who called things off," the source told the publication, adding, "The two couldn't work through their differences and have decided to end their relationship."

Right after news broke about the split, photographers were set up outside Affleck's Brentwood home on Jan. 18, 2021, and they captured a telltale sign that the Argo actor wanted to move on. Per the Daily Mail, photogs captured landscape workers discarding notable memorabilia in the trash. One worker was spotted carrying a life size cutout of a smiling de Armas and disposing of it into a trash can. The lifelike cardboard cutout of the actress was so large that a second member of the landscape crew reportedly had to come over and help shove it into the trash.

The Knock Knock star also made a subtle statement following the breakup. In a YouTube video which streamed live on Jan. 17, 2021, de Armas debuted a new short bob haircut with bangs.