Despite media reports suggesting that Jennifer Lopez took offence at Ben Affleck's comments related to his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, the singer-songwriter has clarified that the rumours are utterly off-base.
Talking to People magazine, Lopez said that "This story is simply not true. It is not how I feel."
"I couldn't have more respect for Ben as a father, a co-parent, and a person," she added about Affleck with whom she rekindled a romantic relationship earlier this year.
For his part, Affleck, who shares daughters Violet and Seraphina, and son Samuel with Garner, also took issue with the narrow focus of coverage of his comments on the 'Howard Stern Show'.
During the interview, a wide-ranging and candid discussion about fame, love, parenthood, and his past struggles with alcoholism, the actor spoke of the time in his life when his marriage to Garner was faltering, stating within a larger point, "part of why I started drinking ... because I was trapped."
Affleck made it clear in a subsequent interview on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' that he "would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom."
The 'Tender Bar' star told Kimmel that he was trying in his conversation with Stern to articulate "how much we respect each other and cared about each other and cared about our kids and put them first." Instead, he said he came off in the media as "the worst, most insensitive, stupid awful guy."
Lopez, for one, is fully supportive of Affleck and feels that any negative characterizations, both of him and of the rumours of her being angry at him for the Stern interview, are off the mark. A source close to the couple agrees, and said the pair is "in a really great space and really happy."
Affleck had shared to Stern that he made sure to consider his kids before rekindling things with Lopez 17 years after the couple called off their engagement in 2004.
"Was there a hesitation on your part, because now you're a dad?" Stern asked Affleck. "It crossed my mind for sure," Affleck told Stern of getting back together with the superstar, adding, "My responsibility to my children is the highest responsibility. I don't want to do anything that is painful or destructive to them if I can help it."
Ultimately, of course, Affleck and Lopez both took the leap and have worked hard to thoughtfully incorporate their kids into their relationship dynamic.
For Lopez, who shares twins Max and Emme, both 13, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, this is always an exciting time of year. "For Jennifer, Christmas is all about the kids. She loves Christmas and makes it very special for them!" said the source close to the couple, as per People magazine.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor