It's almost hard to believe it's only been a year since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck announced their divorce to the world, considering everything that's happened since.
From Nannygate to new houses, family outings and rumors of rekindling, the pair has seen their fair share of drama and tabloids in the 12 months following their June 20, 2015, split. And yet, they've managed to maintain a united front and stay relatively classy (with the exception of an enormous Phoenix tattoo but we'll get to that later) throughout it all, always prioritizing their three children, Violet, Seraphina and Samuel.
Here's a breakdown of everything that's happened with Ben and Jen over the last year:
June 2015: The Split
On June 30, 2015, the couple released a statement announced their split after 10 years of marriage. "After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce," the former lovebirds said in a statement to E! News. "We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time."
Despite the split, Ben continued living with the family in Atlanta—where Jennifer was filming Miracles From Heaven—in a guest house on their property.
July 2015: Bahamas Trip
Just days after they announced their divorce, Jen and Ben headed to the Bahamas with their children. It seemed that they were putting on a united front and had planned the getaway all along, wanting to find a private spot to be with their daughters Violet and Seraphina, and son Samuel while news of their divorce continued to make headlines. However, they looked tense in the photos from the trip. Ben continued wearing his wedding ring, while Jen did not.
August 2015: Nannygate
Speculation began circulating around Ben's relationship with the couple's former nanny, Christine Ouzounian. Jen had fired the nanny shortly after finding out she took a trip on a private jet with Ben and Tom Brady to Las Vegas. She was even photographed wearing Brady's four championship rings.
Ben's camp continued to deny the rumors, releasing a statement saying, "It's tabloid journalism hiding behind blind sources. It's a shameful ploy to stay relevant for the magazine." They added, "All allegations of a romantic relationship are baseless and untrue."
Throughout August, Ouzounian appeared to be soaking up the limelight, buying herself a new car, posting photos from her alleged outings with Ben and continuously visiting places where she'd be photographed by the paparazzi.
September 2015: "Friends" Dates and Jen's First Post-Divorce Carpet
The family returned from Atlanta in August and began living in their Brentwood home again, while Ben rented a house down the street.
The whole family attended Taylor Swift's concert at the Staples Center on August 27 and the former couple was even spotted heading to an appointment together in L.A. a few days later. Shortly thereafter, Ben and Jen grabbed a "friendly" dinner at Nobu in Malibu as they continued working on being friends.
The actress also hit the red carpet for the first time as a single woman. She attended the Chanel dinner in honor of Baby2Baby at Chanel Boutique in L.A. on September 29, where she proved that "breakovers" are a real thing. She absolutely stunned in a black, knee-length dress that she paired with simple black strappy heels, smiling as she posed for photos.
October 2015: Moving Forward for the Children
The former couple spent the month of October moving forward from the news of their divorce and the subsequent nanny rumors.
A friend close to the family told E! News their main priority has and always will be their children. "Not a lot has changed since they split up as far as the kids are concerned," the source said at the time. "Ben and Jen trade off taking them to school, depending on whose schedule is free that day. Sometimes they get coffee in the morning or take the kids to karate or for ice cream after school. They do a lot of stuff together, by choice. Even though just one of them could go and get the kids, they've been making an effort to both go together."
The insider continued, "On the weekends they spend a lot of family time together with outings to the farmers market and church. He is definitely going along with what she wants and doing the best he can to fix things. Although he has been scouting for his new movie on location, he flies home to be with the family whenever possible."
November 2015: Back to Work
The actor began filming Live by Night in Georgia but made it a point to fly home on the weekends and visit his children in November. Jen often planned fun outings for the family, including cake decorating, visits to the farmer's market, lunches and more. They also planned for the holidays.
Meanwhile, the emotional trailer for Jen's first film after her divorce, Miracles From Heaven, was also released.
December 2015: Holidays, Tattoos and More Rumors (Oh My!)
Ben revealed a huge, Phoenix rising tattoo on his back while filming Live by Night in December. While some thought it was fake, E! News confirmed it is, indeed, real and could symbolize Ben "rising from the ashes" after his difficult split from Jen.
Speaking of the film, rumors began swirling about Ben and his involvement with co-star Sienna Miller after photographs were taken of them holding hands on-set. The couple-y photos show Sienna in costume—decked out in accordance to the film's 1920s theme—holding tightly onto Ben's hand, who was directing on set. But even though the photos appeared pretty lovey-dovey, a source told E! News that simply wasn't the case.
"He is directing her and his movie—a movie in which he stars in," the insider explained. "So while they not only share scenes, he directs her. He also directs others in this movie, [but] no one seems to be interested in those photos with him and his male costars."
Ben and Jen spent the holidays together alongside both extended families in Montana. An insider told us at the time, "They are enjoying a great holiday season as a family. Although Ben and Jen are not together, they are putting the kids first living in the family house. Ben continues to commit to being a 100-percent dad and family member."
January 2016: The Beginning of Awards Season
Ricky Gervais kicked off awards season with an awkward dig at Ben surrounding his divorce. While introducing Matt Damon on-stage, the comedian said, "Our next presenter is the star of the hilarious comedy The Martian," said Gervais, laughing. "Ah, I nearly died." Gervais continued: "He's also the only person who Ben Affleck hasn't been unfaithful to. Please welcome, Matt Damon!"
Damon's reaction was definitely painful.
February 2016: The Interview
Jen opened up for the very first time since their split and #Nannygate took over tabloids, telling her side of the story in Vanity Fair and explaining a bit more detail about her relationship with Ben.
"Let me just tell you something. We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation," she said of former nanny. That said, she did not feel Christine was a good fit for her family. "Bad judgment? Yes. It's not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives."
She also revealed that she definitely doesn't "hate" Ben and still very much loves him.
"I didn't marry the big fat movie star; I married him," she told the magazine. "And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can't have these three babies and so much of what we had. He's the love of my life. What am I going to do about that? He's the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous."
She did, however, say, "He's just a complicated guy. I always say, 'When his sun shines on you, you feel it.' But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it's cold. He can cast quite a shadow."
Despite the bombshell interview, Jen and Ben both attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party a few days later, and things were completely fine.
"Ben and Jen did not have any bad blood towards each other at the Vanity Fair party," a source tells E! News exclusively. "They spoke for a little and then went about their own business with the people they came with. Jen smiled and Ben was very normal, from the way it looked. Their facial expressions were not awkward at all. It seemed like they were more like friends."
March 2016: In a "Good Place"
Eight months after their split, Jen and Ben continued to grow as co-parents and friends, living under the same roof and getting along after all the drama surrounding their split.
"They will continue to live in the house together and have no plans to change that arrangement," a source told E! News exclusively. "They are in a really good place right now. A lot of the dust has settled and they have become accustomed to their new life, which is separate but together in a lot of ways. They continue to make the family their first priority and they have always been on the same page about that."
They each took turns taking care of the kids while the other worked. Jen recently worked on the movies The Tribes of Palos Verdes and Wakefield, while Ben—who described Jen as a ''superhero mom''—was preparing to travel to promote Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was released March 25.
The insider continued, "[After] the Vanity Fair article…neither of them feel the need to talk about the past or the divorce. They feel like everything has been answered and they just want to move forward. There is a lot of love between them."
April 2016: Moving to London?
Jen and Ben were photographed several times in London with their children and reports began to surface with rumors that the pair might be moving to England's capitol. However, E! News confirmed that Jen and their three children were simply visiting Ben while he filmed the upcoming Justice League. They rented a property in London for about a month.
May 2016: Parisian Vacation and No Shot of Romance
Jen and Ben took their family to Paris in early May, excited to "show their kids Europe," as a source explained to us. But their outings together does not mean there's any hope for them to rekindle the romance.
In fact, a source told us, "There's absolutely no shot of a reconciliation," while another insider added, ""They are just doing a really good job of co-parenting. They are working really hard to create normalcy for their kids. That is their focus."
June: Ben Will Continue to Praise Jen
On the premiere of Bill Simmons' Any Given Wednesday earlier this month, Ben he thanked his "wife" for helping him become one of the most successful actors-turned-directors in Hollywood. "My wife was really instrumental and helpful in me doing a lot of that work," said Affleck, "because I was just so focused [on it] and it was harder to balance family and all that."
And that, friends, appears to be the new normal for the couple: Separated but forever united by love.