Why Jennifer Garner Says Co-Parenting With Ben Affleck Includes “Loss”

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Jennifer Garner is detailing a bittersweet aspect of her motherhood journey.

Jennifer Garner recently discussed how she and her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, co-parent their three children—Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13—while navigating life with two different homes.

She explained in a Bustle interview that when raising their child, she and her partner naturally took on both parental roles. She said it’s unavoidable when you don’t have both a ‘motherly’ and ‘fatherly’ presence in the same home, so you have to embody both approaches as you parent.

Jennifer, who was married to the Oscar-winning actor for thirteen years before their split in 2018, says she’s adjusted to being a single parent, but it still brings up complicated emotions.

It honestly broke my heart a little when I heard it, but then I realized… something good came out of it too. It’s like, yeah, it’s sad, but it also led to something amazing. It’s just… complicated, you know?

Okay, so Ben – he’s 53, can you believe it? – he’s been so open about his family, which I love. He really gets how being famous messed with things when he was raising his kids, and he actually talks about it. It’s just… refreshing, you know? He doesn’t pretend it was easy, and he’s so honest about the impact it had on his parenting. I feel like he gets it.

Having a public life creates challenges when it comes to your children,” he explained to TopMob News in January. “We’re committed to giving them the space they need to discover their own paths.”

Ben made it clear he wouldn’t pressure his children to follow in his footsteps in the entertainment industry—he even joked he’d rather they avoid Hollywood entirely.

He went on to say they were incredibly talented, kind, and amazing, expressing his love and pride. He just hoped they wouldn’t throw their potential away by pursuing a life in acting.

Just like that, Jennifer recently explained that she avoids pressuring her children to follow any particular path.

She explained to Marie Claire UK that parenting is now about holding back and letting her children make their own decisions. She believes you can’t control their choices as they grow up.

Jennifer and Ben aren’t the only famous former couples who’ve managed to stay friends. Here are some other celebrities who are still on good terms with their exes…

There’s absolutely no chance they’re getting back together. However, with all the recent interactions – birthday celebrations, affectionate hugs, and even recreating a romantic scene in a virtual performance of Fast Times at Ridgemont High – it feels like they’re just teasing everyone who hoped they’d reconcile.

It takes a lot of confidence to playfully tease your ex on his own show, and Sarah did just that when she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show to promote her new series, I Love You, America. She jokingly ribbed Jimmy about his wife, Molly Kimmel, saying, “It’s not fair! She gets the updated, more socially aware Jimmy. I only got the Jimmy from The Man Show.”

 

Honestly, some people seemed more upset about this breakup than the couple themselves! When Anna—who is now married to Michael Barrett—found out Chris Pratt was going to marry Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019, she actually offered to perform the ceremony. She even sent a gift when their daughter, Lyla, was born in August 2020. A source told TopMob News that Anna was “very supportive” and excited for her son, Jack, to have a little sister.

Their breakup could have easily led to disaster, but four years later, these HGTV stars are thriving. They’re successfully co-parenting their children, Taylor and Brayden, and continuing to renovate dilapidated houses into beautiful homes for others.

Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, who have a daughter, actress Zoe Kravitz, describe their relationship as a close, familial bond – they’ve called each other ‘best friends.’ Despite divorcing, they remain a supportive ‘one big happy family,’ according to Lenny. He sees their continued closeness as a positive example, especially considering Lisa later married and then divorced Jason Momoa in 2020.

Since announcing their split in 2020, the co-host of Dancing With the Stars and her former hockey player husband have consistently shown they remain friendly with each other.

When Brooks announced he was getting married to Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir in December 2024, Julianne publicly shared her excitement. She posted on Instagram, wishing them both a lifetime filled with love, laughter, and adventures as they start this new chapter together.

The dancer, her ex-husband, and his pregnant fiancée spent a day together at the lake. She shared a photo of the four of them, calling them “three cuties” and describing it as a special day.

I’ve been following Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck since they announced their split in 2015, and I’m always so impressed by how they co-parent! They’ve really nailed this ‘conscious uncoupling’ thing. I mean, they still go on vacations together as a family, celebrate holidays together, and Ben even publicly praised Jen as an incredible mother back in 2016 – I remember reading about it on TopMob News. It’s wonderful to see them prioritizing Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel like that.

Nina and Ian dated for three years before breaking up in 2013, but they stayed friends. The following year, Nina began dating Nikki Reed, and they quickly got married. As a result, Nina became friends with Nikki, who is known for her role in the Twilight films.

The couple broke up in July 2016 after being together for five years. The singer later shared on Howard Stern’s radio show in October that she remained very close to her ex, saying he had been both a lover and a friend for a long time.

“We love each other,” she said. “That’s it.”

Even years after The Office ended in 2013, the chemistry between its stars continues to resonate with fans. Mindy Kaling admitted in 2019 to Good Housekeeping that she understands why people still hope they’ll get together. She explained that B.J. Novak is more like family than just a friend, which is why she chose him to be a godfather to her children.

After their divorce was finalized in 2011, the former couple easily continued to raise their son, Bronx. The Fall Out Boy singer has praised his ex-wife, calling her a fantastic mother.

Looks like she’s moved on from those past issues with him. The singer has stated they’re currently on good terms and remain friendly. He says they have a positive relationship.

Jennifer and her Dexter co-star first met while working on the show in 2006, and their relationship became romantic two years later. Even after their divorce in 2011, Jennifer has said they remained friendly and respectful towards each other.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are famously friendly exes, and their daughters – Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout – have helped them maintain that relationship. So, it wasn’t surprising when they decided to spend the COVID-19 lockdown together in Idaho. Sounds like they even had some fun, maybe with a dance party!

Even four years after their 2014 divorce, Jennifer Lopez continued to praise her ex-husband, the father of her twins, Max and Emme. In a 2018 interview on Sunday Today, she explained that Marc Anthony had been a huge support to her confidence. He consistently told her she was a talented singer and encouraged her not to let anyone diminish that. Lopez expressed deep respect for him, considering him one of the greatest singers ever.

Despite facing personal challenges, the actress remains supportive of her ex-husband and former Scream colleague. Eight years after their 2010 divorce, she described it as a relatively amicable split while appearing on Running Wild With Bear Grylls. She added that they successfully co-parent their daughter, Coco.

Although their relationship ended in 2007, they still had great chemistry on screen when they starred together in the 2011 film Bad Teacher.

Although their 2013 breakup was difficult at first, the actors have reached a point where they can vacation together as a group. The actor shared with LaPalme Magazine that he gets along well with his ex-wife’s husband, describing him as a “great guy.” He mentioned a 2017 trip to Cancun where they were joined by Garth, Dave Abrams, Peter’s fiancée Lily Anne Harrison, and their three daughters, Luca, Lola, and Fiona. He also spoke about his ongoing relationship with his ex-wife, Jennie, explaining, “People enter your life for a reason, and relationships evolve. Distance doesn’t diminish affection.”

Even though they unexpectedly separated in September 2012, the couple worked to appear supportive of each other for the sake of their children. In a 2014 interview with Howard Stern, she explained that she and Will remained very close friends and were successfully co-parenting. She didn’t view their ten-year marriage as a failure, believing that all relationships face challenges.

The Grammy-winning singer and her ex-husband, who officially divorced in January 2024, have maintained a friendly relationship while raising their son, Hayes. They even live only five minutes apart, making it easy to share parenting responsibilities.

“Our stops are really easy,” Maren told The Zoe Report in May 2025, “and we’ll have family dinners.”

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2026-02-24 21:48