Ana Navarro’s Attempt to Play Cupid for Ben Affleck (54) and Shakira (49) Did Not Go As Planned

‘The View’ has never been shy about mixing hard news with genuine Hollywood gossip, and Ana Navarro is usually right in the middle of it. The Republican co-host, who officially joined the panel after years of guest appearances, has built a reputation for candid, unfiltered takes on celebrity life, particularly when it comes to Latin pop culture.

Navarro’s fascination with Shakira’s love life is nothing new either. Earlier this year, she poked fun at the singer’s ex, retired soccer star Gerard Piqué, after watching him attend her World Cup halftime performance. That kind of playful commentary is part of what makes her a fixture at the Hot Topics table.

Her latest reveal, though, took the interest a step further. Navarro admitted on the show that she once tried to personally matchmake Ben Affleck with Shakira, enlisting his longtime friend Matt Damon to help make it happen.

Navarro explained that she has “never met Ben Affleck,” which did not stop her from trying to help him find love. The opportunity presented itself at a Shakira concert, where she spotted Matt Damon and his family in the crowd. Since Damon and Affleck are longtime friends and collaborators, Navarro saw her chance.

“Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are friends, and it had just come out that J.Lo and Ben Affleck were breaking up,” Navarro said on The View. “So, Shakira had broken up with her husband.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin jumped in to point out a possible complication, noting that Shakira is friends with Jennifer Lopez, who co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with her in 2020. Navarro acknowledged that Damon himself had raised a similar concern, saying, “Matt Damon said that could be complicated.”

Despite the potential awkwardness, Navarro was not ready to give up on the idea entirely. “Enough time has passed where I think Ben Affleck needs to give Shakira [a call], and Shakira needs to give Ben Affleck [a call],” she said.

Griffin was firmly on the skeptical side. She said she wants “better for Shakira” than Affleck, describing him as seeming “a little messy.” It was a blunt assessment that added some tension to the otherwise lighthearted segment.

The exchange captures the kind of dynamic that has made the newly configured panel entertaining, with Navarro’s romantic optimism running headfirst into Griffin’s more guarded take.

The timing of Navarro’s matchmaking attempt lines up with a turbulent stretch for Affleck. He and Lopez first got engaged in 2002 and split in 2004 without marrying, then reunited in 2021 and finally wed in 2022. Lopez filed for divorce in 2024, and the split was finalized the following year.

In between those two chapters with Lopez, Affleck married and divorced actor Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares 3 kids. Lopez, meanwhile, married and divorced singer Marc Anthony and later dated MLB star Alex Rodriguez before calling off their engagement.

Since finalizing his divorce from Lopez, Affleck has also fielded a string of dating rumors involving other women, all of which were denied. Shakira, for her part, split from soccer star Gerard Piqué in 2022 amid a cheating scandal, after the two had been together since 2010.

There is no indication that Affleck and Shakira have ever actually spoken, let alone considered dating. For now, Navarro’s matchmaking plan remains exactly what it started as: a fun idea floated at a concert that never made it past the conversation stage.

Given her track record of weighing in on Shakira’s personal life, though, it would not be shocking if Navarro brings the idea back up the next time either star’s relationship status makes headlines.

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