A Timeline Of Ben Affleck And Ana De Armas' Relationship
Before Ben Affleck was making headlines surrounding his reunion with ex-fiance Jennifer Lopez, he was involved in another high-profile relationship — and no, we're not talking about his marriage to Jennifer Garner. Instead, we're talking about Affleck's one-year relationship with fellow actor Ana de Armas, a romance that gave us so much to talk about in its heyday. From loved-up Instagram pictures to their many neighborhood walks to a cardboard cutout of de Armas in Affleck's front yard, the duo's romance seemed unexpected but welcome amidst the rest of the chaos in 2020.
Of course, as any fan of the couple knows, Affleck and de Armas' relationship didn't stand the test of time. After about a year of dating, the two broke up, though apparently kept things friendly. "This is something that was mutual and something that is completely amicable," a source told People about Affleck and de Armas' January 2021 breakup, ultimately saying that the two were in "different points in their lives."
Despite their breakup, Affleck and de Armas' romance played out pretty publicly. Let's take a trip down memory lane and relive some of their biggest relationship highlights.
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas initially met on a film set
Considering the fact that Ben Affleck has been an A-list actor for decades now, and Ana de Armas is one of the hottest rising stars in the industry, it's not too surprising to learn where to soon-to-be lovebirds first met one another: on a film set! According to Us Magazine, Affleck and de Armas met on the set of "Deep Water," which was filmed in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread set shutdowns. Apparently, it was enough time for Affleck and de Armas to hit it off.
Shortly after wrapping up "Deep Water," Affleck and de Armas sparked romance rumors when they visited Cuba together in March 2020. According to the Daily Mail, the duo was seen spending a lot of time together, dining together, and enjoying all of the sights of Havana together. Despite their trip, it was still unclear whether the duo had struck up a romance or whether they were just friendly after filming together.
In the next few months, however, their relationship would quickly move to the next level, and there would be no question that Affleck and de Armas had transitioned from co-stars to real-life partners.
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas were in full couple mode by April 2020
Though Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas may have kept things coy at the beginning of their relationship, they quickly moved to the next level once the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and quarantining.
In late March of 2020, the lovebirds made their relationship pretty clear by going on a walk and getting pretty close with one another (via The Sun). It became pretty clear that the two actors were quarantining together, as their frequent PDA-filled walks would become very emblematic of their relationship.
Despite some paparazzi shots of Affleck and de Armas going for walks together in March 2020, both of the actors had remained quiet about their blossoming romance — until April, that is! On April 30, 2021, de Armas shared a photoset on Instagram in which she shared some shots from her birthday celebration. Notably, a selfie of her and Affleck made the photoset cut, indirectly confirming that they were definitely a couple and apparently going very strong.
Ana de Armas met Ben Affleck's family during summer 2020
After a certain point in any relationship, there comes a time to meet the family. Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas reached this stage in their relationship within the first few months of dating, with de Armas meeting Affleck's kids and his mother in the summer of 2020.
According to People, de Armas started spending time with Affleck's three children — Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel — in May 2020. "[Ben's] priority will always be his children and making that work," a source explained to People at the time, adding that de Armas had been a "great influence" and that she even spent Memorial Day weekend with Affleck and his kids. Clearly, the Cuban actor made quite the impression on both Affleck and his kids!
Of course, Affleck's kids weren't the only family members with whom de Armas was getting close. People also reported that in June 2020, de Armas took a trip to Georgia with Affleck, the kids, and Affleck's mother, and that everyone had "been getting along great." Meeting the family is a big step — and one that de Armas seemed to adjust to with ease!
A cardboard cutout of Ana de Armas appeared in Ben Affleck's lawn
As Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas' relationship continued to grow over summer 2020, fans and paparazzi were very interested in learning more about the couple and catching photos of them together. And, as it turns out, the couple was well aware of prying eyes — to the point where they finally gave people exactly what they were asking for!
Around June 2020, a cardboard cutout of de Armas appeared in Affleck's yard, and fans speculated that de Armas put it there herself as a joke to "troll" the paparazzi. Later pictures revealed that it may have actually been Affleck's kids who put the cutout there, proving that de Armas had sealed a pretty solid relationship with the Affleck clan!
In the summer months that followed, Affleck and de Armas would continue to go strong. By November 2020, the couple was back in New Orleans to finish shooting "Deep Water," and according to People, the duo was still very much loved-up. They were spotted kissing on a balcony, and de Armas was even wearing a big diamond ring on her finger, though reports later confirmed that the ring was simply a prop for the movie.
By January 2021, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas called it quits
All good things must come to an end, and for Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas' relationship, that end came in January 2021, after about a year of dating. People was the first to report that the duo had called it quits, with a source confirming that de Armas was the one who initiated the split. "They are in different points in their lives; there is deep love and respect there," another source added, confirming that, despite the breakup, Affleck and de Armas still had nothing but positive feelings for one another.
News of the split didn't come as a huge shock, considering the fact that, after a hot and heavy summer together, Affleck and de Armas were much more low-key once the fall and winter months rolled around. Nevertheless, the split was still disappointing for many fans of the couple, though it became painfully clear that both parties were moving on, especially after the iconic cardboard cutout of de Armas was spotted in Affleck's trashcan.
It seems that lifestyle differences and conflicting priorities ultimately led to Affleck and de Armas' breakup, though at least we can look back at the couple's many quarantine walks and remember their short but adorable year-long relationship fondly!