Jennifer Garner makes rare admission about 'hard' Ben Affleck divorce
8 January 2026, 11:56
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner sadly split in 2018 and in a rare admission, the 13 Going On 30 actress has revealed what it really meant for the relationship.
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Jennifer Garner has spoken candidly about her divorce from Ben Affleck, a topic she rarely addresses publicly.
The former showbiz couple, who were married from 2005 to 2018, share three children: Violet, Finn, and Samuel.
In a new interview for Marie Claire UK's Wellness Issue, the 53-year-old actress reflected on how difficult it was to end their marriage and what it meant for their friendship.
“The actual breaking up of a family is what was hard. Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard,” the Alias star shared.
Jennifer also offered a message of hope to women who may be navigating similar heartbreaks, as she added: “It's important for women to know, when they think, ‘Oh, I'll never see that, I'll never have that feeling, I'll never be friends with this person again,’ [that] time is the opportunity to heal.”
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Over the years, Jennifer and Ben have managed to maintain a friendly relationship while co-parenting their children.
Ben later married Jennifer Lopez, but their two-year marriage ended in divorce — a development which caused the spotlight to fall once again on Garner and Affleck's relationship.
Ben and J.Lo first dated in the early 2000s after meeting on the set of Gigli, quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most famous couples, dubbed “Bennifer.”
They were engaged in 2002 but called off their wedding days before it was due to take place in 2003, later parting ways.
Nearly two decades later, the pair rekindled their romance in 2021, delighting fans with a whirlwind reunion that led to a surprise Las Vegas wedding in July 2022.
However, by 2025, reports surfaced of growing tension between the two stars, with conflicting schedules and public scrutiny cited as contributing factors.
Their divorce, finalised in 2025, marked the end of one of Hollywood’s biggest love stories — a full-circle saga that began with red carpets and ended quietly.
While Garner didn’t directly address the 'Bennifer' media frenzy, she appeared to allude to it when she said: “It doesn't serve me to take in gossip about myself or anyone else, much less my kids, so I don't do it.”
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The 13 Going On 30 actress also spoke about the importance of keeping her circle close: “I make a big, concerted effort to see my people as much as I can, because that's what matters…. That's where your resilience is: it's in your relationships and in the people who carry you through.”
Despite her high-profile Hollywood career, Jennifer made clear that her children have always been her top priority. “It never felt like a sacrifice. It was really hard to go to work and it definitely shaped the jobs I chose, in a big way,” she said.
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