Ana de Armas Says She 'Left L.A.' Because of 'Horrible' Attention on Her Ben Affleck Relationship

PHOTOGRAPHED BY: CHRISTIAN MACDONALD

Ana de Armas fled Los Angeles because of unwanted attention to her personal life.

The Gray Man actress, 34, was first romantically linked with her Deep Water costar Ben Affleck back in March 2020, when they were seen on a trip to her native Cuba. They were frequently seen together as they both spent lockdown together in Los Angeles during the pandemic. The actress confirmed their relationship on Instagram that April when she shared photos of them spending time together for her birthday.

A source later told PEOPLE in January 2021 that the pair had broken up, adding that de Armas "doesn't want to be Los Angeles based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles."

Speaking with ELLE for the magazine's August issue, de Armas described the attention on their relationship at the time as "horrible" and said it played a part in her not wanting to continue living in L.A.

"That's one of the reasons why I left L.A.," said the Blonde actress, who'd lived there for seven years. "Going through it [myself] confirmed my thoughts about, 'This is not the place for me to be.' It became a little bit too much. There's no escape. There's no way out. ... It's always the feeling of something that you don't have, something missing. It's a city that keeps you anxious."

RELATED: Ana de Armas Seemingly Addresses Speculation She Is Back with Ben Affleck: 'Nope'

PHOTOGRAPHED BY: CHRISTIAN MACDONALD

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Now, according to ELLE, de Armas lives in New York City with her boyfriend Paul Boukadakis, an executive at Tinder whom she met through a mutual friend during the pandemic. She also shared that she is hardly ever on social media these days: "I deleted Twitter years ago. I have barely been on Instagram for almost a year."

PHOTOGRAPHED BY: CHRISTIAN MACDONALD Ana de Armas on the cover of Elle

Back in January 2021, another source told PEOPLE that de Armas and Affleck's breakup was "something that was mutual and something that is completely amicable."

"They are in different points in their lives; there is deep love and respect there. Ben continues to want to work on himself. He has three jobs lined up and he's a solid father at home. They are both happy with where they are in their lives," said the source at the time.

Affleck, 49, has rekindled his romance with Jennifer Lopez. The pair announced their engagement in April.