Jennifer Garner felt like a ‘PAWN’ in Jennifer Lopez’s bid to fix her broken marriage to Ben Affleck – as insiders claim she was ‘forced to play mediator’ in her ex-husband’s divorce

Jennifer Garner feels like she was used as a “pawn” in the collapse of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage, according to sources who claim her friends feel she has been unnecessarily “put in the middle” in recent months.

The 55-year-old superstar officially filed for divorce from the 52-year-old Gone Girl actor on Tuesday night, after months of speculation — and just hours before what would have been the couple’s second wedding anniversary.

Before the case was filed, Affleck was photographed spending a lot of time with his ex-wife Garner, who had previously taken on the role of “marriage counselor” for the struggling couple.

However, people close to Garner (52) believe she was forced to act as a mediator to help the couple work through their problems without it affecting Affleck’s sobriety.

“Jen feels like she’s been used as a pawn in JLo’s attempt to fix her marriage,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. “She doesn’t believe it was intentional.”

An insider told DailyMail.com that the actress’ friends feel she was unnecessarily placed “in the middle” of the estranged couple’s troubles (Affleck and Lopez pictured in 2023)

“But when Jen realized her ex-husband’s marriage was beyond repair, her only concern was Ben’s well-being and sobriety.”

The source explained that the actress’s close friends were not at all impressed with the way Lopez was pressuring Affleck’s ex-wife, despite how complicated things were for the trio.

“She was put in the middle and her friends believe – no matter how you look at it – that a man’s ex-wife should never act as a mediator in a divorce from his new wife,” the insider said.

“Especially when that woman was a great love, the one Jen was compared to during their 13-year marriage. She’s glad Ben is happy now.”

Earlier this summer, DailyMail.com reported that Garner had made a conscious decision to step back from the “circus” surrounding Affleck and Lopez because the situation had brought up “painful” memories for the actress.

Now the star is focusing on co-parenting with Affleck, who has struggled with alcoholism and gambling addiction for decades, as he navigates life after his most recent marriage, but he will remain friends with Lopez.

The source explains, “Ultimately, Jen Garner has always supported Ben and while she now considers JLo a friend, no one sees it blossoming any further.

“They probably won’t be hanging out together and taking bike rides in the Hamptons.”

DailyMail.com previously revealed how Garner, 52, acted as an ‘advisor’ to the couple as she desperately tried to help them resolve their alleged issues (pictured in June)

A source said: ‘Jen feels a bit used as a pawn in JLo’s game. She doesn’t believe it was intentional’

Affleck and Garner, the parents of Violet (18), Finn (15) (formerly known as Seraphina) and Samuel (12), were previously married from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2018.

Garner has since moved on with his alleged fiancé, 46-year-old businessman John Miller, who reportedly grew frustrated with the way Garner went about trying to “fix” Affleck’s marriage.

“John wants nothing more than for Ben to be okay, but it’s not his girlfriend’s responsibility to look after him,” an insider told DailyMail.com in June. “That’s something Ben needs to figure out for himself and his wife needs to sort out. It’s not Jen’s responsibility and he’s told her that.”

While all parties are moving forward, Lopez’s own friends have reportedly said the star needs to “look inside herself” after ending her fourth marriage. They’re fed up with her chaotic life.

The 55-year-old superstar singer officially filed for divorce on Tuesday evening, the eve of the couple’s second wedding anniversary.

Garner feels like she’s been forced to “play mediator” to help the couple work through their issues in a way that wouldn’t affect Affleck’s sobriety.

Another insider said: ‘After four failed marriages, her friends think she needs to take a good look at herself and focus on herself instead of what others expect of her. She needs to finally figure out who she is and what she wants from her future.’

Lopez filed for divorce without a lawyer — on the second anniversary of her beautiful Georgia wedding ceremony. She listed the date of the divorce as April 26 of this year.

But the source told DailyMail.com that the star is not the only one capable of playing mind games.

The insider explained Affleck’s approach this way: ‘JLo said she was tired of being humiliated by Ben and that she waited until the two-year anniversary because she wanted to stab him.

“But it didn’t hurt him. He’s been done for a long time and deep down she knows it. He gave her this so she wouldn’t look like the bad guy.”

The couple got engaged in late 2002, but broke up a year later. In 2004, the couple finally ended their relationship.

In the intervening years, J-Lo married and divorced Marc Anthony, with whom she had 16-year-old twins Max and Emme.

The couple, affectionately known as ‘Bennifer’, reunited in 2021 and married the following year in two wedding ceremonies.

The couple first sparked rumors of a divorce when they weren’t seen together for 47 days.

Lopez and Affleck, 52, first got engaged in late 2002 but called it quits a year later before finally ending their relationship in 2004.

The couple rekindled their relationship in 2021 and married in a Las Vegas ceremony in July of that year, before having a lavish wedding at his Georgia estate in August 2022 (pictured)

Speculation about the split continued after the two were forced to spend the entire summer apart.

Lopez also walked the red carpet alone at the Met Gala in May, the day she canceled her world tour “to be with her family.”

Affleck has reportedly moved out of the $60 million home he shared with the On the Floor singer.

The actor later moved into a rental home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, near Garner’s home.

Lopez was spotted without Affleck in May and again this month while house hunting in Beverly Hills.

Their divorce is Lopez’s fourth failed marriage and Affleck’s second.