Jennifer Garner Details “Upheaval” of Ben Affleck Divorce

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Jennifer Garner is opening up about a difficult period in her personal life.

Jennifer Garner, known for her role in 13 Going on 30, has spoken about how her 2015 divorce from Ben Affleck affected their three children: Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13.

She recently told InStyle magazine that when her children were young, she didn’t work much. Then, after a difficult time in her family, she barely worked for a long period.

Jennifer and Ben separated in 2015, and their divorce was finalized in 2018. After the split, the actress, known for her role in Alias, increasingly prioritized family and stepped back from her acting career.

She explained that taking on a performance-based job means sacrificing about a year or eighteen months of work due to pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery.

Even while working on films like Juno and The Kingdom – and reportedly breastfeeding between takes – Jennifer’s agent felt she needed a bigger role. The agent suggested she take on the part in the 2013 Academy Award-winning film Dallas Buyers Club, or consider stopping acting altogether.

While she eventually joined the film’s impressive ensemble, her career is in a much better place now. The 54-year-old actress, who will star in the TV series The Five Star Weekend premiering on Peacock July 9th, is thrilled to be fully immersed in acting again.

She’s really thankful for the past year and a half, a time when she could fully focus on acting. As she put it, the job is demanding and requires a lot of personal commitment. It means prioritizing her own schedule and often having to put aside things like school events, carpools, and family dinners.

She explained that she understands the feeling of having fully dedicated herself to motherhood, while still remaining a committed and present parent. She also expressed gratitude for rediscovering a part of herself outside of parenting.

Jennifer is working towards a better work-life balance and isn’t worried about making mistakes along the way.

She explained that she doesn’t feel the need to apologize to her children for working, but she does appreciate their understanding. She sees work, mistakes, and even setbacks as normal parts of life – things everyone experiences and needs to accept.

Keep reading for everything Jennifer has said about parenthood…

Jennifer Garner is committed to having a friendly relationship with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, to ensure their three children – Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel – are happy and well-adjusted.

In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Garner explained, “It wasn’t Ben’s responsibility to make me happy. Our priority is our children, and we both agree on what’s best for them.”

She admitted she’d always pictured dancing with her husband at her daughter’s wedding, but that didn’t happen. However, she said the joy on their faces when he arrives is enough. Seeing her children love someone so completely made her want to be friends with him too.

I’ve always admired how Jennifer Garner prioritizes normalcy for her kids, even though she and Ben Affleck are huge stars. She really doesn’t want them growing up completely surrounded by the Hollywood scene – she wants them to have a more grounded upbringing, and I think that’s fantastic.

She told Southern Living that it’s crucial for her children to understand life isn’t like what they experience in Los Angeles. She wants them to realize that isn’t representative of the world as a whole, and to embrace the Southern values she grew up with—like making eye contact and appreciating the simple things in life.

And that’s why her parenting style is very hands-on.

Raising children and instilling values is an ongoing process, not a one-time lesson,” she explained to TopMob News. “It’s not enough to just tell kids what values are; you have to demonstrate them through your own actions.

The Alias actress said that setting a positive example is the most crucial thing parents can do. She and Ben Affleck, who divorced in 2015 after a decade of marriage, want their children to recognize and value their efforts as parents.

Of course, there is no one standard way of parenting.

Even if you believe you’re simply following someone’s instructions, Garner pointed out on Late Night With Seth Meyers in 2016, you ultimately don’t have control over the situation.

Jennifer Garner, known for her role in 13 Going on 30, encourages parents not to stress too much, saying everyone faces challenges and things won’t always be easy—and that’s okay.

Garner believes the most important thing for keeping her children on track is establishing clear boundaries and rules.

I’ve always loved what she said to Us Weekly – it’s all about just taking the plunge, even if it’s messy! She admitted she doesn’t always nail it, but she really focuses on being reliable and making sure everyone knows what to expect from her, and I find that so admirable. It’s about consistency, and I really try to live by that too.

When faced with parenting challenges, Jennifer Garner focuses on starting fresh each day.

She told People magazine that it’s okay to experiment and not be afraid of failure. You can always start a new task by saying, ‘Let’s try this today!’ And if it doesn’t work out, simply say, ‘That didn’t work, let’s try something else!’

The actress added, “That’s part of what I like about being a mom in general.”

Garner’s motherhood joy extends into the cinematic universe as well.

She told Today that she’s happy to be playing mothers in her work, because the time women spend with their babies is incredibly precious and fulfilling.

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2026-06-03 18:22