I had the chance to read People Magazine’s cover story on Jennifer Garner’s “heartbreak”. It wasn’t as over the top as some of their online coverage, probably because the glowing quotes were spread throughout the article, which did a good job of laying out the ridiculousness of the situation. The facts are pretty damning to Affleck, of course, and he’s making it much worse by the way he’s responding.

Affleck has become a middle aged cliche (thanks Kaiser), a guy whose wife doesn’t understand him and who turned to his children’s caregiver in his time of need. He’ll tell you about it too, and he’ll use the same excuses he used to cheat in the first place: his wife is too controlling and she hurt his feelings by having standards for him which he could never live up to. Somehow, Affleck is so mired in his victimhood that he thinks we should accept these tired excuses that cheaters always use. Somehow his PR team didn’t convince him to try a different tack. That must be what happens when you surround yourself with sycophants.

It’s interesting to watch, from a gossip’s perspective. The parallels to Affleck’s Nick Dunn character make me question whether we’re all being trolled by this divorce on some massive level. It’s all too perfect and too familiar. Here is a recap of the latest stories about Affleck and Garner’s divorce. (The headers are in my words, but the content is from People.) Keep in mind that all of this is from People Magazine. These aren’t just rumors, they’re confirming these stories.

Ben denies affair while insisting he was separated anyway
A source says they only had a “work relationship and a friendship. Ben’s friendly, and it’s not always meant to be flirty, and this was a very close relationship with someone who was taking care of the most important people in his life.” The Affleck source also maintains he and Garner had been separated for eight months; Garner sources contend they were not.

It’s all Jen’s fault Ben cheated
A source close to the couple points to Garner’s “constant nitpicking” as a reason the marriage failed.

“When you are made to feel like an inadequate husband over and over again,” the source says, “your friends are going to say maybe this isn’t working out.”

This was what truly broke their relationship
“He had admitted affairs before, but they chose to fight and work on their marriage. She loved him and their family.”

The couple worked through their rough patches, but to Garner, the latest allegations are different. “While Ben hasn’t been a great husband, Jen always thought he was great with the kids. She trusted that he was doing his best to protect them. To Jen, Ben has reached a new low.”

Garner will power through this
On set, Garner has remained the consummate professional. “It’s very obvious that she is having a terrible week, but it hasn’t affected filming. She made it clear that she doesn’t want any special treatment. No one is sweeter.”

The source close to Garner says she will always communicate with Affleck about the kids. “This is not anything she wanted as an outcome for her family or her marriage, but everyone’s rallying around her. She’s not a helpless deer caught in the headlights. She’s much stronger than you know.”

Ben still talks to the nanny, he is paying for her stay at the Hotel Bel-Air
“Christine is enjoying her hotel stay,” the eyewitness says. “She acts like she is on vacation. She has been spotted by the pool several times, the spa and Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant. She seems relaxed and happy. She hangs out with girlfriends, reads magazines and is on her phone a lot.”

A friend of Ouzouzian claims to PEOPLE that the ex-nanny and Ben “are in touch every day, all day long. He got them phones just for each other.”

Ben is staying at his coastal estate in GA & just threw a party
A source tells PEOPLE that this past weekend, the Gone Girl star hosted a party for nearly three-dozen guests on the island, catered by The Smokin Pig BBQ Joint in nearby Richmond Hill.

“They prepared barbecue and all the fixings for 35 people,” said the source.

[From three stories on People.com and print edition]

Again, how totally tone deaf does Affleck sound here? Ben is paying for the nanny to stay in an expensive hotel, where she’s staging photo ops and giving “sourced” quotes to the press. He just fled to his estate on an exclusive private island and threw a big party for his friends and neighbors. Somehow he is trying to play the wronged party when he’s the one who banged the nanny under his wife’s nose. If someone would have written this scenario as a book or screenplay I would call it too far fetched. Surely no male celebrity could be stupid and arrogant enough to try to pull these moves without a modicum of regret or apology. So far, he’s not even paying lip service to the pain and hurt he’s caused his family and is just denying, deflecting and blaming.

US Magazine also features Garner on the cover this week. As is typical of their coverage vs. People’s to date, they go a little harder and grittier. US confirms People’s report that the affair with the nanny was the last straw. They add that “she was disgusted with Ben anyway.” They state that Garner won’t talk to Affleck after learning of the affair. She’s not returning his texts, “refuses to speak to him about anything other than the kids and has shut him out.” Good for her. US also reports that “discovering the extent of Ben’s relationship with Christine completely changed things.” How could it not?

Here are some photos of Ben Affleck’s two mansions in Georgia. The photo agency, Celebrity Home Photos, describes it as such. “Ben Affleck owns this $16,000,000 Georgia Sea island compound. The ten acre property situated on a private island comprises of two main houses. One is a plantation-style home known as the ‘Big House’ and the other a 10,000 square foot brown rustic style home called the ‘Oyster House.’ Hampton Island is only an hour away from Savannah.” The Big House is a “A 10,000 square foot, three bedroom, five bathroom Greek revival plantation home.” Only three bedrooms?

photo credit: Scott Smith, CelebrityHomePhotos and Kai, PacificCoastNews