Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus have been spotted on numerous occasions together Getty

Did Ben Affleck cheat on Jennifer Garner with Lindsay Shookus? A recent report claims the actor began having an affair with the Saturday Night Live producer well before his wife split from him.

People magazine reported that Affleck, 44, and Shookus, 37, became romantically involved in 2013, while both were married to other people. The producer was married to fellow SNL executive Kevin Miller at the time.

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"[Affleck and Shookus] full-on had an affair. They would fly back and forth, but he would mostly visit her in New York," a source told the entertainment website. "They didn't hide... They would use the Mandarin Oriental [hotel]. They were regulars."

The same story was corroborated by another source, but explained that they took great care to keep it a secret. "Both of them were married at the time. They were having secret rendezvous every time he came in to New York City and other places too," the individual said.

"Both of them were cheating on their spouses so they were very careful about it. Jen and [Shookus'] husband both found out about it around the same time."

However, another source close to Affleck dismissed all claims of cheating, saying that the two simply knew each other for a while, and did not have an affair.

"They're dating — it is relatively new. It's still in a really early stage. He's working on himself, he's working on being happy and healthy."

The new couple were spotted having dinner together in Los Angeles on Thursday (6 July) and Shookus was later seen leaving Affleck's home to head to the airport.

Despite all the media attention and speculation about their new romance, the two love birds reportedly still have good relations with their former spouses.

"Ben and Jen continue to be dedicated to their family and kids," a source close to Affleck and Garner mentioned.

"They have been separated for two years now and have never strayed from that dedication. They do it better than anyone."

Shookus and Miller who share a daughter together, are also reportedly on friendly terms. "Their split was very amicable. Lindsay and Kevin's marriage didn't end over infidelity," a person informed about their situation explained.

"There were issues they couldn't resolve and they realised they were better as friends than together, and they decided to just focus on their kid."