Matt Damon once described childhood friend Ben Affleck as “like a brother to me”. So understandably, he’s always been there for Ben in his hour of need.
But as Matt continues to coach Ben, 51, through his ongoing marital issues with wife Jennifer Lopez and tries to keep him on the sober path, one person is struggling with all the extra time and energy going into the bromance – Matt’s longtime wife Luciana!
THIRD WHEEL
“Lucy has always respected Matt’s friendship with Ben and understands they’re like brothers, but she’s getting increasingly fed up with all the dramas going on in Matt’s best mate’s life,” a source shares with Woman’s Day.
“She’s worked hard at being a rock-solid partner to Matt and feels invested in his future. But it doesn’t help when his principle business partner’s life keeps going off the rails.”
Matt, 53, and Luciana, who turns 48 this week, met shortly before Ben and J.Lo, 55, first split back in 2004, and have gone on to have a solid, happy marriage and raise four daughters together.
In that same time, Ben has been through a painful divorce from first wife Jennifer Garner, battled alcohol addiction, achieved sobriety and now has his second marriage reportedly under strain – all serious issues for which he has leaned on Matt for support.
In 2022, Ben opened up about how his long friendship with Matt has been invaluable to him, saying, “This friendship has been essential and defining and so important to me in my life. There were a few critical times, which are private and I don’t want to share, but where your support was so profoundly meaningful to me that I don’t think I would’ve been able to be successful without it.”
PATIENCE RUNNING OUT
But for Luciana, there’s only so much understanding she can offer. And even though Matt has always been a doting husband and father, she feels like his attention is constantly focused on his best friend – even when they’re on a family holiday!
“Lucy is worried about Ben too and cares about him, but it’s causing some headaches,” the source says. “She was hoping their family trip to Greece would be a good break for them, but even on holiday, Matt can’t turn his phone off ‘in case Ben calls.’”
The strain on Matt and Luciana’s marriage comes after In Touch revealed that the actor has been working around the clock to keep Ben busy amid his relationship troubles and making sure he’s not tempted to relapse.
According to a source, Matt, who’s also friends with the Hemsworths, even agreed to star in a new film RIP alongside Ben to keep him distracted from his dramas with J.Lo.
“What also irks Luciana is that she never really got along with Jennifer – they’re just very different people. So it’s extra annoying that her husband is now left having to pick up the pieces of their marriage fallout,” the source continues, adding, “Matt will always be loyal to Ben, but Luciana just wishes her husband’s best friend came with less drama.”
