Are Ben Affleck ‘s exes   on bad terms? While both attended the  83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony  on the night of January 11-12, 2026,  Jennifer Garner  and  Jennifer Lopez  reportedly didn’t cross paths. As reported by the  Daily Mail , they didn’t pose together for the numerous photographers present. This apparent distance was enough to fuel rumors of tension between the two women.

But according to the British newspaper, there is actually no conflict between Ben Affleck’s two ex-wives, who reportedly decided not to appear together on the red carpet at the Beverly Hills Hilton for purely personal reasons. “They get along well, they’re cool with each other, there’s no problem,” a source told the magazine, adding that the two Jennifers were friends.

Their distance was reportedly a reason to protect their privacy and, above all, their respective children. “They don’t want to make headlines by posing together at an awards ceremony. It would be awkward. They don’t want to cause any trouble because it would be difficult for the children,” the source continued.

“A large, modern family”

So, no tension at all, quite the opposite in fact. Despite their respective divorces from Ben Affleck in 2018 and 2024, Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lopez have reportedly remained close and even see each other regularly. Indeed, their children, twins Max and Emme (17) – whom J-Lo shares with singer Marc Anthony – and Violet (20), Seraphina (17), and Samuel (13) – Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s children – “see each other often” and are particularly close. “I’m pretty sure they see each other about once a week because of the kids, and they talk on the phone, they’re co-parenting in a way, even though Jennifer Lopez divorced Ben Affleck,” the source told the Daily Mail . “They’re like one big modern family, which is nice. They’ve all been through  solid therapy  and understand the importance of getting along for the sake of the children.”

A few days earlier, Jennifer Garner had defended Jennifer Lopez, refusing to comment on her recent revealing photoshoot. “It doesn’t do me any good to absorb gossip about myself or anyone else, especially not about my children, so I don’t,” she commented in an interview with  Marie Claire UK . No drama between the two women, then, but rather a genuine show of goodwill.

Madame Figaro

If you thought red carpets were dramatic, wait until Hollywood, Bollywood, and Arab superstars collide on Riyadh’s lavender carpet tonight.

The 6th Joy Awards is here, and Gulf News Manjusha Radhakrishnan will be there, front-row, keeping tabs on celebrity arrivals, jaw-dropping gowns, and every headline-making moment before it even hits your feed.

Held under the Riyadh Season umbrella and put together by the General Entertainment Authority, the Joy Awards has become way more than just an awards show. And yes, the lavender carpet — not the usual red — is part of the vibe. It’s a nod to Saudi identity: the purple wildflowers that bloom in the deserts, symbolising growth under Vision 2030, generosity, and a celebration of local heritage. Think of it as prestige with a cultural twist, giving the ceremony its own unmistakable look.

And did you know, the guest-list is a closely-guarded secret. Last year, that mix was next-level — Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Amanda Seyfried and Christina Aguilera all in one room. And while the Hollywood stars were turning heads, Egyptian cinema had its moment too, with Sons of Riz sweeping the public-voted categories.

Earlier editions have delivered their own surprises, with unexpected appearances from names like Matthew McConaughey, Alia Bhatt and Salman Khan, keeping audiences guessing until the very last minute.

This year, the first confirmations have already generated buzz. Nancy Ajram, the Arab world’s pop icon and a guaranteed crowd-puller, is among the stars officially announced, with expectations that more high-profile appearances will reveal themselves as the evening unfolds.

And yes — we’re low-key worried about the weather. Temperatures are expected to dip to 10°C, so gowns may need thermals, and blazers may need extra layers. If you spot someone on the lavender carpet looking like Joey Tribbiani wearing all of Chandler’s clothes, don’t worry — that’s just me, trying to survive in style. After all, nothing says “glamorous reporter” like three scarves, four jackets, and a questionable fashion choice that may or may not break social media.

While the ceremony itself will play out later in the night, the real tone is set much earlier. The lavender carpet is where fashion risks are taken, viral interviews are born, and the event finds its pulse long before trophies change hands.

Inside, the evening promises a slick, high-energy production, blending live performances with awards that reflect what audiences connected with most over the past year

Winners are determined entirely by public vote through the awards app, across six main categories: Music, Cinema, Drama Series, Directors, Sports and Influencers — keeping the results firmly in the hands of fans.

By the time the final award is announced, one thing is usually clear: the Joy Awards trades not just in trophies, but in moments.

GN

Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi on Saturday won the inaugural $1 million AI film award, launched in collaboration with Google’s Gemini, for his short movie, “Lily.”

He was declared the winner in a ceremony held during the second day of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai where Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, presented the award.

The French-language short film, “Lily,” created entirely using Google’s generative AI tools — including Gemini, Veo 3, Imagen and Flow — was named after the filmmaker’s daughter, who inspired the story.

The nine-minute film follows a lonely archivist haunted by a doll caught on his car bumper during a hit-and-run accident, forcing him to confront his guilt, confess to the police, and reunite the doll with the injured child in the hospital.

“My daughter has a doll, which is also called Lily. This doll lived with us through our moments of grievances, joy, and victories,” Jlassi told Arab News.

He said the film, which took a month to complete, portrays the doll as the protagonist’s silent witness and secretkeeper, ultimately prompting his moral awakening and bringing him back to life. The film’s message, he added, is that routine can dull self-awareness, preventing people from confronting their own truths and taking responsibility for their mistakes.

“With this film, I hope to inspire aspiring filmmakers to dream, take ideas from their archives, execute them and share them on their own platforms without relying on large production budgets or expensive equipment,” he told Arab News.

“This is the beauty of technology; it unleashes creativity without limits.”

The winning film was selected from 3,500 film submissions from 16 countries, with organizers saying the award aimed to encourage the use of AI in producing meaningful films and enhance the creators’ ability to deliver humanitarian stories.

It also looked to empower young people to leverage technology in boosting their creativity and creating artworks that bridge cultures.

The shortlisting process took place over multiple stages. A jury of international technology experts and filmmakers selected 12 films based on the storytelling originality, narrative structure, visual aesthetics, creative use of AI technologies, overall creativity, emotional impact, and adherence to transparency and ethical principles.

The five finalists were selected after public voting of the works selected by the jury, organizers said.

Each film had to be powered by at least 70 percent generative AI tools from Google — including Veo, Imagen and Flow — or third-party platforms that run on Gemini’s technology. The tech company said that the entries underwent advanced technical assessment and AI verification to ensure submissions met the criteria.

The remaining finalists were “Portrait No. 72” by Rodson Verr Suarez of the Philippines; “Cats Like Warmth” by South Korean director Lee Su Yeol; “Heal” by Egyptian director Mohamed Gomaa; and “The Translator” by US-based Pylyp Li.

The top five AI-generated short films were screened on the first day of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, a gathering of content creators aiming to explore how new media can drive positive change and fuel sustainable economic growth.

ME