Jennifer Garner on Co-Parenting with Ben Affleck: Finding Balance After Divorce

Jennifer Garner has opened up about the complexities of co-parenting with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, emphasizing the need for both parents to embody different qualities when raising children in separate households.

Navigating Dual Roles

During a recent appearance on Bustle’s “One Nightstand” YouTube series, Garner, 53, discussed how parenting dynamics shift when children are raised between two homes. She shared that she and Affleck, also 53, both discover themselves taking on both “mom and dad” roles in the absence of a unified parental presence.

“I think that I do a bit of both,” Garner explained, referring to her children Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17 and Samuel, 13. “And I think my kids’ dad does too. Especially when your kids grow up in two separate households, I grow mom and dad and he becomes dad and mom.”

She acknowledged a sense of loss in this arrangement, stating, “You kind of can’t help it, right? Because you don’t have the benefit of both sides of the yin and yang being in the same house.” However, she also highlighted the positive aspects, noting that it fosters growth and adaptability.

“There’s a little bit of loss in that, but there’s also something gained in that,” Garner said. “You also just learn. It’s made me let go and not focus so much on bringing up.”

A History of Partnership and Separation

Garner and Affleck first met in 2001 and married in 2005, welcoming their first child, Violet, in December of the same year. They subsequently had Seraphina in January 2009 and Samuel in February 2012.

Throughout their marriage, both publicly expressed admiration for one another. In 2007, Garner told The Sun, “Ben is not only my husband, he has helped me in every way. He is the base of my life. He is an incredibly loving and generous man.” In 2011, she told InStyle, “I don’t know how or why it works as well as it does. Honestly, I would do anything for that man, because I know it’s not taken for granted.”

Affleck also acknowledged the operate required to maintain a marriage, stating in 2013, “All marriages, all relationships to a certain extent, require your work. Nobody’s perfect.”

The couple announced their separation in June 2015 after ten years of marriage, finalizing their divorce in 2018. Garner later reflected on the challenges of navigating a public split, noting the need to “adapt” to constant scrutiny.

Reflections on Divorce and Moving Forward

In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Affleck described the divorce as “the biggest regret of my life.” He spoke about the damaging effects of shame and the importance of learning from mistakes.

Affleck later remarried to Jennifer Lopez in 2022, but the couple divorced in 2025.

Garner has consistently emphasized the importance of prioritizing her children’s well-being throughout the co-parenting process. She wrote in a 2019 article for WSJ Magazine, “Something Ben and I used to say to each other all the time is, ‘We have to adapt.’…If you love something, you’ll do whatever you need to do.”