Jennifer Lopez And Jennifer Garner's Post-Ben Friendship Is My ...

I’m a huge fan of what used to euphemistically be called “the blended family”. (A vaguely offensive term, I might add… Am I a child of divorce or an Erewhon smoothie?) While I understand the pressure that many parents feel to keep their unions intact for the sake of the kids, I think there’s also a lot to be said for the surprising bonds that can emerge once a marriage ends. I, for one, feel like, as an adult, I’ve gotten to know my mum and dad individually in ways that I might not have if they were still married – and truly, who would have bought me my first and only Juicy Couture tracksuit in 2007 if not my dad’s extremely fashion-forward then girlfriend?

Clearly, I’m not the only one who sees the virtue of a non-traditional family arrangement, as none other than Jennifer Lopez took a break from her Nancy Meyers summer in the Hamptons to visit allegedly estranged husband Ben Affleck’s ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, in Brentwood this week.

The notion of someone’s ex and their current partner being on good terms isn’t a new one. After all, even Vice President Kamala Harris made the news recently for her warm relationship with her husband Doug Emhoff’s ex, Kerstin. But in an increasingly reality-TV-addled, drama-hungry society, there’s something particularly cool about two women (two famous women, even) putting any potential beef over a guy aside to foster a positive environment for their kids. Garner and Affleck’s three kids are reportedly close to Lopez, with Lopez even taking their son Samuel shopping at Neiman Marcus on Monday. (Cool stepmom alert!) At this point, it’s anyone’s guess whether Affleck will eventually add a third Jennifer to the mix – my money’s on Jennifer Aniston, if so – but in the case of such an event, I trust Lopez and Garner to make her feel genuinely welcome.