Jennifer Garner’s candid confession after Ben Affleck divorce stuns fans
Jennifer Garner has revealed that her life after divorce brought an unexpected financial reality.
The 13 Going on 30 star, 54, said she “panicked” after realizing how much she had stepped away from her acting career while raising her three children.
She shared the details during an appearance on the Aspire with Emma Grede podcast.
‘I have to take care of these kids’
Garner said becoming a mother had led her to put her career on the back burner.
After her marriage ended, she suddenly began thinking about how she would support herself and her children.
“I was suddenly like, ‘Wait a minute. I have to take care of myself,’” Garner recalled. “I have to take care of these kids. I didn’t get some huge payout.”
She admitted that the situation quickly became serious for her.
“I panicked when I was first out of my marriage,” she said. “I realised I had taken such a step back in my work.”
Hollywood created another challenge
Returning to acting was not simple for Garner.
She wanted to work but also needed to remain close to her children in Los Angeles.
Garner explained that she could not spend several months away from home for a film.
“I said I can work in Los Angeles. I can't leave these kids for six months at a time. I would love to – I love going on location – but that is not this time in my career,” she said.
The actress also worried about how long Hollywood would continue offering major opportunities, especially as she got older.
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Fame did not remove her money worries
Garner said being famous did not automatically mean she would always have financial security.
“It’s not like you can just unfamous yourself. Life is expensive, and you still have to figure out how you’re going to live,” she said.
The realization pushed her to become more serious about earning money.
She later expanded her work beyond acting and became a co-founder of the children’s food company Once Upon a Farm.
A different life after divorce
Garner and Affleck married in 2005, separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.
The former couple share three children and have continued to co-parent them.
Affleck previously said, “When you have children with somebody, you're connected to them forever.”
Despite the difficult period, Garner has continued working while remaining focused on her children.
She has also spoken about accepting that perfect balance between work and family is not always possible.
“When I work, I don’t apologize to my kids for it,” she told InStyle. “But that’s part of life.”
