Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Will Continue Living Together — the Hip Way of Consciously Uncoupling in Hollywood

An aerial view of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's Pacific Palisades estate (Splash News with Getty Images inset)
An aerial view of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's Pacific Palisades estate (Splash News with Getty Images inset)

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner may be divorcing, but they will continue to reside together — for now — to co-parent their three children.

That factoid is being reported by both People and Us Weekly magazines, making it seem like it came directly from one of their publicists. Other divorce details that are "leaking" out? They didn't have a pre-nup and they are trying to remain amicable.

Related: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's 20 Most Candid Quotes About Marriage

For the Daredevil co-stars, living together after a split is made much easier by the fact that they own a palatial estate in the Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles neighborhood. They purchased it from Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer in 2009 for $17.5 million (Oscar winner Gregory Peck was a previous owner) and it has canyon, city, and ocean views. The main house is 8,800 square feet with five bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. The 3-acre property, on which Garner memorably brought in a herd of goats to combat an ivy/rat situation, also has a guesthouse and an office/gym/art studio.

So basically the exes could go days — or weeks — without seeing one another, if they wanted.

Affleck's ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow lived — and vacationed — with Chris Martin after their divorce. Here they are in Mexico earlier this year. (FameFlynet)
Affleck's ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow lived — and vacationed — with Chris Martin after their divorce. Here they are in Mexico earlier this year. (FameFlynet)

Living together while breaking up is the new black for some celebrity couples. Look no further than Affleck's ex-girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow, during her "conscious uncoupling" with Chris Martin in 2014. They initially resided together on the same L.A. property before he bought his own place across the street. Not only can they easily pass off custody of Moses and Apple, but they can still get together for family dinners and birthday parties. Martin and Paltrow have been so friendly they even go on family vacations together.

Debra Messing spent 20 years in a relationship with Daniel Zelman, so when they split in 2011, they initially stayed under the same roof for the sake of their son, Roman. She went on to date other people, including her Smash co-star Will Chase, so they soon went their own ways when it came to real estate, but that didn't break their bond.

"We both wanted it to last forever, and it's a sad thing that it wasn't able to go the course," Messing told More magazine said in 2013. "Now we are co-parenting beautifully… We had Thanksgiving together. In my mind, we will be a nuclear family forever."

Similarly, Ne-Yo and his ex-fiancée, Atlanta Exes star Monyetta Shaw, remained roomies after parting ways. The singer had moved on romantically with model Crystal Renay, but felt it was important to live with Shaw for the sake of their two children.

"Currently, we’re in the same house, but I just recently bought a new house," Ne-Yo explained on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show in September. "We're both getting to that stage in life where we're moving on and seeing other people and whatnot. It just doesn't make any sense for us to be in the same house anymore."

As for trying it in the first place, "It was a matter of wanting my kids to grow up in one place, but I feel like my kids are going to be very mature and very smart," he said. "They'r going to understand: This is daddy's house, this is mommy's house. If we don't make it a negative thing, then they won't."

Even Bethenny Frankel lived with Jason Hoppy after they called it quits — but it wasn't as peachy as it was with other celebrity couples. Initially they both refused to move out of their $4.9 million New York City condo and it became a bitter situation. Make that, "brutal, horrendous, excruciating," she told People magazine last year. "He would not let me be alone with Bryn in the apartment." She added that he would "stare at me with a menacing face" and, if she was in bed with Bryn, he would also climb into bed. She later "cracked" and got a temporary apartment.

"Now I ask [my assistant] to do the exchange, because Jason will make faces at me and say [to Bryn], 'I'm sorry you have to go with Mommy,'" the Housewives star said. "I don't think it's good for Bryn to be around that kind of stress and anxiety."

But for Jen and Ben, they are trying to make Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3, "their top priority," according to the People magazine report. They've been in counseling "for some time" before separating a "few months ago" and will continued to "work together as co-parents and as two people who still care about each other."

We're rooting for them.