The Heartwarming Reason Ben Affleck Skipped The SAG Awards

If public reports are any indication, 2021 was a great year for Ben Affleck — both personally and professionally. On the romantic front, Affleck reunited with Jennifer Lopez, rekindling one of the most talked-about romances of the early aughts. Many dismissed the early reports about their romance from April, as Lopez had just announced her separation from fiance Alex Rodriguez, her partner of four years, that same month, People reported. A series of paparazzi-captured outings in the subsequent months, however, made things hard for naysayers. 

After months of mounting speculation, Lopez confirmed their relationship in late July, when she snuck a photo of the pair kissing toward the end of an Instagram slideshow of her birthday celebrations. Then, 2022 rolled in and Bennifer is still going strong. "I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him," Lopez told People in February. "It's a beautiful love story that we got a second chance."

On the professional side, Affleck isn't disappointing either. In 2021, the actor and director starred in the George Clooney-directed coming-of-age film "The Tender Bar." While the movie received mixed reviews, according to Metacritic, Affleck's portrayal of Uncle Charlie was met with praise, earning him Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. "The nuances of Affleck's performance help ground the movie in small, specific emotions," The New York Times' A.O. Scott argued. That's why many were surprised when he skipped the latter's ceremony on February 27. But, as it turns out, he had a good reason. 

Ben Affleck was busy celebrating his young child and only son, Samuel, on his 10th birthday on February 28, according to Entertainment Tonight. In addition to Samuel, Affleck also shares Violet and Seraphina with ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, from whom he split in June 2015, People reported. Despite their divorce, Affleck and Garner continue to prioritize their children. In September, Affleck took his three children to dinner in Los Angeles, according to Daily Mail. Violet, then 15, drove her family to the restaurant with her father on the passenger side, guiding her, the report detailed. Before entering the establishment, paparazzi caught Affleck kissing his eldest on the cheek. 

His love for his children nearly kept Affleck from pursuing a relationship with Jennifer Lopez in 2021, as he worried the media attention might impact them, he said on "The Howard Stern Show" in December (via People). "My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility," he said. Affleck previously addressed how the attention he and Lopez received between 2002 and 2004 took a toll on their relationship. "I don't think either of us anticipated the degree to which it would take on a world of its own," he told the Irish Examiner in 2008.

Affleck isn't just carving time out to hang out with his own kids. On February 26, Affleck and Lopez took her twins, Emme and Maximilian, bowling in Hollywood, according to Just Jared, showing he's very much a family man.