Strolling into the shopping mall with one hand protectively placed on her young companion’s shoulder, Jennifer Lopez looked every inch the doting stepmother as she treated her husband’s youngest child to a day out.

However, the picture of blended family harmony is rather more complicated, given that Jennifer and 12-year-old Samuel’s father Ben are reportedly giving each other the ‘silent treatment’ amid their marital rift.

While Ben has not been by his wife’s side for any length of time since May, other than fleeting meetings, and has moved into his own $20.5million bachelor pad, his children are a regular presence by his estranged wife’s side – with JLo clearly keen to ensure she continues playing the role of devoted stepmother.

Days before taking her shopping spree with Samuel in Beverly Hills – Violet Affleck was pictured wearing one of her stepmother’s dresses, while having lunch with Jennifer’s 16-year-old twins Max and Emme.

And earlier in the summer she was seen strolling through The Hamptons with an arm around Violet’s shoulder, while enjoying a family holiday – minus Dad.

Jennifer Lopez was spotted on a rare outing with Ben Affleck ‘s son Samuel on Monday shortly after spending time with her estranged husband at his LA home

Pictured: Jennifer and Ben with Violet and Fin Affleck and Emme Muniz on their honeymoon in Paris in July 2022

Ben Affleck ditches his wedding ring during lunch with Violet

Speaking to Page Six, an insider claimed Jennifer has ‘not fully accepted’ her marriage is over and the children play a large part in that.

They said: ‘There are five kids involved in this. She knew they were going to blend families. She has not fully accepted it is over.’

Here FEMAIL delves into Jennifer’s desperate battle to save her blended family – amid rumours she’s heading to the divorce courts for a fourth time.

‘His kids have an ally in me’ 

The couple, who married in July 2022, have five children from previous relationships and gone to great lengths to make them feel like a family unit.

The Jenny from the Block singer shares Emme and Maximilian Muñiz, 16, with ex-husband Marc Anthony while Ben welcomed Violet Affleck, 18, Fin Affleck, 15, and Samuel Affleck, 12, during his 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner.

At the couple’s lavish Georgia wedding, which took place at their £8.9 ‘plantation’ estate, Ben and Jennifer’s children walked down the aisle with the bride.

The pair also whisked their children off to Paris to join them on their honeymoon and were pictured enjoying a boat trip along the Seine.

After officially tying the knot at a Las Vegas chapel in July, Ben and Jennifer threw a wedding reception at their Georgia estate the following month.

The pair’s five children were pictured walking down the aisle behind the bride – with J’Lo’s twins holding her veil.

Pictured: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at the This is Me… Now premiere in Los Angeles in February

Pictured: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s five children from previous relationships walked down the aisle with them at their August 2022 wedding reception

Jennifer Lopez’s daughter Emme pictured with Ben Affleck’s son Fin as they joined the singer for Christmas shopping

A source told People: ‘She loved having all the kids there. She loved the location. It all felt very special. It was a dream for her.’

Stylist Courtney Victor added: ‘They all seemed like such a happy and cohesive family unit.’

In an interview with Vogue in 2022, Jennifer spoke about the importance of blending their families and the role she wanted to play in Ben’s children’s lives.

She explained: ‘What I hope to cultivate with our family is that his kids have a new ally in me and my kids have a new ally in him, someone who really loves and cares about them but can have a different perspective and help me see things that I can’t see with my kids because I’m so emotionally tied up.’

Following the wedding, an insider told People that Jennifer ‘spent months looking for the perfect house’ for their blended family.

She told Today in January 2023: ‘We moved in together. The kids moved in together. It’s been, like, a really kind of emotional transition, but at the same time all your dreams coming true.

‘It’s just been a phenomenal year. Like, my best year I think since my kids were born.’

The couple ended up buying a $65m LA mansion in May 2023, which they have already put back on the market.

At the premiere of her movie Shotgun Wedding, Jennifer said of the move: ‘It’s going really, really well; it’s amazing. We have five beautiful, beautiful children, blessings.

‘We dropped one of them off at school today and we were just kind of thinking about what our lives have become and just feeling so blessed and grateful for where we wound up in our lives.’ 

Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and his daughter Violet Affleck enjoy a shopping trip together in the Hamptons

 Jennifer Lopez and Violet Affleck embrace during a family trip to Paris for Lopez and Affleck’s honeymoon in July 2022

(L-R) Violet Affleck, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez leave their hotel in Paris on their honeymoon in July 2023

Ben Affleck enjoys Fourth of July in Los Angeles with children

During an appearance on the Live with Kelly and Mark show in May 2023, Jennifer opened up about the challenges of four teenagers – but described her stepson Samuel as an ‘angel’.

She said: ‘That’s almost five teenagers. The youngest is 11, so he’s not quite [a teen], but preteen. He’s an angel.’

Opening up about her experience of parenting her twins, the star added: ‘The teenage years are tough. They start challenging you and everything.

‘You have this baby for a while and then it’s like your best little friend who loves being with you all the time, and all of a sudden they’re like, “Get out of my room”.’

She added: ‘I feel like it’s surfing. I’m riding the waves, and then it’s like, ‘Oops, I just got knocked over!’ Now, I’m back, I’m back!’

Pictured: Violet Affleck seen with her arm around stepmother Jennifer Lopez during their holiday to The Hamptons earlier this year

Desperate for ‘quality time’ with Ben’s children 

Over the past two years, Jennifer has been pictured regularly on school runs and drop-offs for their five children and is said to be wanting ‘quality time’ with Ben’s children before Violet returns to college later this year.

Although Ben and Jennifer are rumoured to be heading for divorce, insiders told People that the singer still wants to be involved in their lives.

They said: ‘Just because she’s not with Ben, doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care about his kids. She always cared about them.’

Indeed, one of the few public appearances by the couple in recent months was when they reunited at Samuel’s basketball match at a local YMCA in early June.

While most warring couples would be keen to avoid each other, there was no question of Jennifer staying away from the event, also attended by Ben’s mother Christopher Anne ‘Chris’ Boldt, as well as his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52.

It came just days after another family gathering at a party for Violet’s high school graduation in LA.

Violet Affleck was spotted wearing the same dress her stepmother Jennifer Lopez famously donned during a Valentine’s Day date in 2023 with Violet’s father Ben Affleck

Lopez had previously elevated the frilly frock with a Dolce & Gabbana belt and sparkling diamond stud earrings during her romantic Beverly Hills dinner with Ben in February of last year — months before rumors of marriage troubles began to surface; (Affleck and Lopez in February 2023)

Earlier this week, Violet Affleck was spotted wearing the same dress Jennifer Lopez wore on a Valentine’s Day date with Ben in 2023.

The 18-year-old was pictured in a two-toned Dolce & Gabbana wrap dress during a lunch outing with Jennifer’s 16-year-old twins Max and Emme in Los Angeles on Sunday.

It comes after J’Lo took Violet on a shopping spree in the Hamptons during the 4th July break.

The duo were spotted checking out dresses at US designer LoveShackFancy in Sag Harbor.

The following week, Violet was pictured with her arm around Jennifer’s shoulders as they enjoyed another day of shopping.

The Jenny from the Block singer also took her stepdaughter to the East Hampton Antiques & Design Show during their getaway.

Shopping spree with Samuel Affleck 

The 54-year-old superstar, who hasn’t been seen with the 51-year-old Batman actor in months,  took the 12-year-old on a shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills

Earlier this week, Jennifer also took her stepson Samuel for a shopping spree in Beverly Hills.

As they walked into the luxury Neiman Marcus department store, Jennifer was pictured with a protective arm around Samuel.

The 12-year-old was later seen leaving the store with his stepmother holding a Creed fragrances shopping bag.

Jennifer’s appearances with Ben’s children comes after the DailyMail.com revealed they already prepared divorce papers, which are believed to be filed at a later time.

Sources also told Page Six that Ben has held off filing for divorce in a bid to ‘protect’ Jennifer, after it was reported that the pair are no longer on speaking terms.

An insider said: ‘He’s humiliated her because she made a big deal that he’s the love of her life. They just had two weddings two years ago. This is some kind of a record; they’re not young kids.’

Ben Affleck has not had the ‘easiest’ summer amid his marital woes with Jennifer Lopez but is ‘working nonstop’ as he ‘thrives when he’s busy,’ it is claimed; pictured in May

It’s thought that the pair are now living separately in LA, with Affleck moving into a $100,000-a-month property in Brentwood earlier this month (May), while Lopez has stayed in the couple’s $60 million ‘dream home’ in Bel Air with their children. The couple are still putting on a united front despite their difficulties, keeping their wedding bands on despite living apart.

Earlier this week, it was reported Ben Affleck isn’t having the ‘easiest’ summer but has been ‘working non-stop’.

‘It hasn’t been the easiest summer for him either. He’s just trying to stay focused and make every day as good as possible,’ a source told People.

‘Ben’s doing well. He thrives when he’s busy and he’s been working nonstop. The kids are still off from school. He spends a lot of time with them, too.’