Celebrity Why Ben, Gwyneth Split By People Staff Published on May 14, 1999 12:00 AM Share Tweet Pin Email LA is abuzz with the rumor that hunky actor Viggo Mortenson helped cause the split between Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck, reports the New York Post. “Affleck was crushed when he found out his lover of the past year had been sneaking off for some horizontal mambo with her co-star from ‘A Perfect Murder,'” reports the paper. Mortenson recently split from his girlfriend Exene but does not wish to be known as the man who broke up Paltrow and Affleck. He reportedly fears it might cause a backlash against him.