Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas were photographed the other day with his kids boarding a private jet, heading away for a few days. They’ve since returned to LA and as you can see from these photos, his mother was with them, along with a couple of dogs. The golden retriever looks like Jennifer Garner’s dog, Birdie. So, not that there was any doubt that things are amicable between Ben and Jen, and that they’re co-parenting peacefully, but the more times we see them, the more involved Ana seems to be with Ben’s entire life, and their situation does not appear to be separate and distinct from all the other parts of him. That’s key to a healthy relationship, right? 

 

As for where they all went… I’m thinking Savannah? I mentioned a few weeks ago that the property is currently on the market and Ana posted photos on Instagram a couple of days ago. In the second shot in the carousel, you can see a house across the other side of the river from the dock.

If it is the place in Georgia, he’s been trying to unload for a while now. Here’s how the property is described on the listing: 

“The “Big House”, as the primary mansion is known, is a remarkable imitation of a plantation house and is located on 35 hectares of land overlooking the North Newport River on Hampton Island, Georgia.”

The word I’m fixating on here is “plantation”. Some might consider the plantation a symbol of racism, monuments to a time when Black people were enslaved. It’s not the only word that romanticises that time making entertainment headlines lately. That’s precisely why the band Lady Antebellum wants to drop “Antebellum” from its name – because it implies a wistfulness about an era that, for the Black community, is the source of so much generational trauma. Beyoncé shot much of Lemonade on a plantation, specifically to illuminate and honour the pain and perseverance of her ancestors. 

 

I wonder whether or not this was a factor in Ben’s decision to sell, if he’s become uncomfortable with owning a home that’s an “imitation of a plantation house”. Ben bought the property back in 2003 when he was still with Jennifer Lopez and even though, yes, of course, we should have all known better back in 2003, and there are no excuses for anyone’s complacency about the injustices that have led to this crisis, no one can pretend it’s not urgent anymore. Ben and Ana were just at a Black Lives Matter protest in Venice Beach a couple of weeks ago. Or maybe he just wants to free up some cash and social issues have nothing to do with his decision. 

In other Ben and Ana news, let’s check in with Ana de Armas Updates and an update on Ana de Armas. She’s in the new Bond movie and its release date has just been changed.

You know what else has changed? Ana de Armas Updates is now Ana defundthepolice Armas Updates. I really, really love this person.