Ben Affleck Says Dating Is Not a Priority as He Focuses on Family

Ben Affleck says he is comfortable being single and is not actively pursuing a new relationship, placing his children and his work ahead of dating for now.

The actor and filmmaker discussed his personal life while promoting the Netflix movie Animals. Asked about dating, he said it was not a major priority and explained that his schedule leaves little room beyond parenting and filmmaking. He shares three children — Violet, Seraphina and Samuel — with former wife Jennifer Garner.

Family and work come first

Affleck described himself as happy with his current life rather than closed off to the possibility of another relationship. His distinction was simple: he is open to whatever the future brings, but he is not chasing romance or treating it as an immediate goal.

The comments arrive roughly two years after his separation from Jennifer Lopez. The pair married in 2022 after rekindling a relationship that first made headlines two decades earlier. Their divorce was finalized in early 2025, and Affleck has since kept most public discussion of his romantic life brief.

His latest answer also fits a recurring theme in recent interviews. Affleck has joked that his children question his authority when he offers them relationship advice, a family exchange that lets him address his own history without presenting himself as an expert.

He dismisses a Shakira setup story

During the same promotional interview, Affleck was asked about The View co-host Ana Navarro’s recent suggestion that he should be introduced to Shakira. Navarro said she had once floated the idea to Matt Damon after encountering him at one of the singer’s concerts.

Affleck said he had never heard about the proposed match and treated the story as gossip rather than a real attempt to arrange a date. He added that he does not generally get set up by friends.

The exchange gave Affleck a direct way to separate public speculation from his own priorities. His message was not a dramatic rejection of future romance, but a measured status update: he is content, focused on his family and career, and willing to let any next chapter arrive without forcing it.