Ben Affleck has dismissed the latest wave of romance speculation with a quiet, unbothered shrug. At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film Animals, the actor addressed persistent rumours that he’d been set up with Shakira following his divorce from Jennifer Lopez — a claim previously made by The View host Ana Navarro, who said she’d attempted to arrange a meeting. 'I hear s--- like that honestly first from people like you,' Affleck told Entertainment Tonight, adding, 'I swear to God, I never heard that in my whole life.' He went on to explain that such stories often emerge when single men are in the public eye, and that gossip tends to outpace reality. 'Stuff gets made up,' he said. 'I don’t really ever get set up, really.' The comments come after years of media scrutiny over Affleck’s personal life. His marriage to Jennifer Garner ended in 2018 after 13 years, leaving three children: Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel. In 2022, he married Jennifer Lopez, but that union also dissolved just a few years later. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Affleck had earlier revealed how his kids frequently tease him about his dating history, not out of mockery, but as part of dinner-table conversations where he shares lessons from his past relationships. 'When I try to point out specific things about my past, one of my kids ends up asking if I’m an expert on relationships,' he said with a laugh. Now, he says, his focus is clear: work and family. 'I work a lot and I see my kids. There’s not a lot of room. I’m not running around.' He described himself as being in a 'good place'. Content with where he is, even if life might bring unexpected turns. 'I’m not chasing it, but I’m open to experiencing it if life offers,' he said. The real story isn’t the rumour. It’s the man who no longer lets the noise define him.