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Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow: From Perfect Couple to Just Good Friends

Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow went from one of Hollywood's hottest couples to lifelong friends after their on-and-off relationship ended

At the time, Paltrow — then best known for her roles in Seven and Emma — was freshly single and ready to mingle after calling off her engagement to Brad Pitt a few months earlier, while Affleck was newly famous and had recently split from his summer camp sweetheart and girlfriend of seven years, Cheyenne Rothman(then an aspiring director herself, now a full-time mom who prefers being out of the spotlight.) Their relationship was a very busy one, with the pair co-starring in two movies together — 1998’s huge hit Shakespeare In Love(yes, the one that Paltrow would go on to win the Best Actress Oscar for in 1999) and the more low-key romantic drama, Bounce(they were in more of an “off” phase while shooting it, though, and by the time it was released in 2000, they had split properly.) Their friendship is definitely good news considering they just can’t seem to escape each other: while they’re no longer starring in the same Hollywood movies together, now their kids are rubbing shoulders instead: Affleck’s daughter Violet and Paltrow’s stepson Brody are both currently in their freshman year at Yale.

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