Hasta La Ideas

The cover story for the May 18 edition of The National Enquirer was headlined “Ben Storms Out!” Arriving on newsstands May 6, the article mentioned the D-word:

Sources said Ben left his distraught wife after “a fight to end all fights” over Jen’s accusations about his sexy new movie co-star and concerns about his drinking and other compulsive behavior.

Friends now fear the couple is heading for a $150 million divorce!

A few weeks later, The Enquirer followed with a second Affleck-Garner bombshell, suggesting that the couple had secretly separated:

The troubled parents of three children will officially announce their split within weeks, according to a source – setting the stage for a $150 million divorce!

“Ben and Jen are through!” said the Hollywood informant. “He’s told Jen that he wants the official statement to come out before their 10-year wedding anniversary on June 29.”

This afternoon, people.com has that official statement. But as this unfortunate story propagates today and beyond, it’s worth noting that The Enquirer was all over it for a month and a half beforehand. The publication also during that stretch re-connected with a woman who claimed to have been involved with Affleck during his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. Accusations the actor denied.

FishbowlNY reached out to National Enquirer editor in chief and AMI vice president of news Dylan Howard. “We blew the lid off the hottest Hollywood scoop of the year – months before other titles even began to look at it,” he says, “with good, old-fashioned investigative reporting.”

“A story like this comes from having a source network that is truly embedded in the underbelly of Hollywood,” he continues. “It also comes from on-location reporting. We traveled to remote Nova Scotia to obtain shocking photo proof – Ben without his wedding ring, on Jen’s birthday. Inquiring minds wanted to know more, and it ignited the reporting that led to today’s announcement. So precise was the information we gathered, The Enquirer reported the divorce announcement would come exactly when it did.”