While the world shelters at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a new celebrity couple is making quite the public debut. Ben Affleck, 47 and Knives Out star Ana de Armas, 31, have been linked since vacationing in Cuba together earlier this month. After meeting on a film set in late 2019, they’ve kept their relationship decidedly low-key—until now. Here, everything we know about the co-stars turned couple.
Fall/Winter 2019: Production began on Deep River, a psychological thriller in which Affleck and de Armas play husband and wife. According to a People source, filming on the movie wrapped in New Orleans in November. Although the pair “had great chemistry right from the start,” they maintained a professional relationship while working together. “Ben always seemed very relaxed and happy around Ana, but at the time there were no signs of romance,” the insider said. “He was very focused on making a fantastic movie. He arrived early and was one of the last people to leave.”
The timeline for their potential romance occurred about a month after Affleck reportedly ended things with 22-year-old Playboy model Shauna Sexton. The actor had weathered another breakup in April 2019, when he split with SNL producer Lindsay Shookus for the second time.
February 2020: In mid-February, Affleck gave a round of interviews to promote his new movie, The Way Back. He inspired headlines when he referred to his divorce from Jennifer Garner, which was finalized in October 2018, as “the biggest regret of my life” during a New York Times interview.
For a sit-down with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, he spoke candidly about his sobriety journey and hopes for the future. When asked where he sees himself five years from now, Affleck hinted at a possible relationship. “Five years from now, Ben Affleck is sober and happy, and sees his kids three and a half days a week, and has made three or four movies that are interesting to him,” he replied. “[And] directed two [movies] that he’s hopefully proud of and is in a healthy, stable, loving, committed relationship.”
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March 8, 2020: The following month, de Armas and Affleck were spotted on a trip to Havana, Cuba (the actress’s hometown). A source told People, “They are definitely dating,” adding that the couple was seen making out in the airport before boarding their private jet. Photos of the rumored couple soon emerged. Fans took pictures with Affleck and de Armas as they visited museums and ate at restaurants in the area.
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After the trip was completed, a source spoke to People about the romantic getaway. “Ben and Ana had a great time in Havana,” the insider said. “Ana was his tour guide and took him to all her favorite places. Ben seemed to love the trip. He was in a great mood and very friendly. He was approached by fans multiple times and happily posed for pictures. They visited several restaurants and enjoyed Cuban cuisine.” A Twitter user even noted that Affleck spoke Spanish to de Armas on the vacay.
March 10, 2020: Next, Affleck and de Armas jetted off to Costa Rica, where they were spotted walking down the beach and showing PDA. In the photos, Affleck can even be seen taking sunset pictures of de Armas, which will become important later in their love story. TMZ also shared footage of the couple’s photo session:
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March 15, 2020: In an interview for Vogue Spain‘s April cover (translated via People), de Armas spoke about working with her rumored beau. “The first time we read the scenes together, it became pretty clear he was going to do something exceptional with a very complex role,” she said. “His character is the engine of the story and requires him to move between tragedy and irony or between realism and the most absurd comedy.” She added, “Not only does he know how to do it with ease, he also manages to surprise you in every shot. His talent is infinite.”
Affleck called de Armas a “brilliant actress” in that same interview.
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March 18, 2020: Apparently, Affleck earned his Instagram boyfriend credit on the Costa Rican beach. De Armas shared a series of photos that Affleck had taken to Instagram. One shows the actress in focus, staring at the camera mysteriously. The others are blurry but still clearly show de Armas in the dress she wore the day Affleck photographed her. She captioned the post simply, “✨🧡.”
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As if there was any doubt that Affleck was behind the photos, the actor himself asked for attribution, writing, “photo credit pls 😂.” However, neither de Armas nor Affleck follow each other on the platform.
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March 19, 2020: The following day, the couple was seen making a coffee run in Los Angeles, via People. Affleck and de Armas took a break from isolation by strolling with the actress’s dog in matching gray wool jackets.
March 22, 2020: In another mid-quarantine update, a source spoke to Us Weekly about the couple’s relationship. “Ana is very happy with Ben,” the source said. “She loves spending time with him and they have great chemistry and a lot of fun together.”
The insider also revealed that Affleck’s ex Garner had given the romance her seal of approval. “Jen has completely moved on from Ben in a romantic sense,” the source said, referencing Garner’s two-year relationship with businessman John Miller. “She considers him a friend, thinks he is a good dad to their children and respects him. She is happy in her own life and supportive of him and happy for him and his relationship.”
March 24, 2020: De Armas and Affleck were caught by paparazzi again while on another break from self-quarantine. This time, they were spotted walking de Armas’s dog around Brentwood, California. De Armas wore a pair of pink slip-ons while on the stroll, where the pair stopped for a quick kiss.
A source gave Entertainment Tonight a clearer timeline of when de Armas and Affleck’s romance began. The two have been dating “for a few weeks,” the source explained.
“Ben and Ana have been dating for a few weeks and are enjoying each other’s company,” the source said. “The couple met while filming [upcoming psychological thriller] Deep Water in Louisiana and instantly had a connection.”
The insider continued, “Ben is sober and in a really good place and Ana respects him for the process he’s going through. Ben and Ana are still early into their relationship, but it’s been fun and exciting for both.”
May 24, 2020: Per TMZ, Affleck has introduced his three kids, Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel, to de Armas.
In the photos obtained by the site, the family, all wearing masks, is out walking two dogs. TMZ says one of the dogs is Jennifer Garner’s dog, Birdie, who was handled by Violet. De Armas walked her small dog, Elvis, as she brought up the back of the group with eight-year-old Sam.
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