Ben Affleck Reportedly in Awe of Matt Damon’s Marriage and Family Life

Ben Affleck and his longtime friend Matt Damon lead very different lives when it comes to marriage. While Damon’s relationship has remained free from the spotlight of celebrity scandals, it’s understandable why Affleck might admire his friend’s stable and drama-free marriage.

Ben Affleck’s Admiration for Matt Damon’s Marriage

Matt Damon has always felt incredibly fortunate that he and his wife, Luciana Barroso, were spared the intense media scrutiny that Ben Affleck and his relationships often faced. Damon famously met Barroso while filming the comedy *Stuck on You,* but their encounter, with Barroso working as a bartender at the time, was a romantic comedy moment in itself.

Matt Damon was at Luciana Barroso’s bar when people began to recognize him, and the attention quickly grew overwhelming. In need of a place to escape, Barroso offered him a refuge behind the bar.

“But he started getting noticed and people were asking for pictures and autographs, and it got a little aggressive because people were drinking,” Barroso recalled in an interview with *Vogue*. “So he came and hid behind my bar, just wanting to hang out and have a drink. He said, ‘Oh, I saw you, and I really wanted to talk to you.’”

Barroso, however, didn’t let him just stand around. “I put him to work with me! I said, ‘If you’re going to be back here, you can’t just stand there!’” she joked.

Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso have often described their connection that day as instant. After two years of dating, they exchanged vows in December 2005 and have remained inseparable ever since.

One of the things Damon values most about his marriage is the privacy it affords. Having witnessed the downsides of high-profile celebrity relationships firsthand, he’s grateful for the lack of media attention.

“That magazine culture that was so huge 25 years ago … kind of ignored me,” Damon shared with *Hello!* recently. “A married guy? That’s so boring.”

On the other hand, Damon’s low-key, enduring marriage is something that Ben Affleck has reportedly admired for a long time.

“Matt has enjoyed a successful marriage for years, and Ben has always been in awe of that,” a source once told the *Daily Mail*.

Matt Damon is reportedly stepping in to help smooth things over between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.

Ben Affleck’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez didn’t last nearly as long as Matt Damon’s enduring relationship with Luciana Barroso. After their highly publicized reunion and eventual split, rumors surfaced that Damon was acting as a mediator between the two. While Affleck is Damon’s best friend, he reportedly couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Lopez as well.

“Matt feels pretty bad for J. Lo,” a source told *In Touch*. “He’s been working with her on the rollout of the movie, so they’re on calls all the time, and she’s opened up to him about how much she’s hurting. He’s been trying to reason with Ben to be more compassionate, considering how humiliated she feels right now.”

The report hinted that Affleck wasn’t too pleased with Damon’s efforts to help or comfort Lopez.

“He can’t help but feel a lot of sympathy for J. Lo,” the source shared. “Matt’s trying to play neutral and smooth things over for both sides, but Ben isn’t taking it well at all. The suggestion that he might be at fault really rubs him the wrong way. Ben has said that if Matt, or anyone else, were in his shoes, they would have run from that marriage ten times faster.”