Known for keeping her private life largely out of the spotlight, Jennifer Garner recently spoke candidly about her “hard” divorce from ex-husband Ben Affleck. In a detailed interview with Marie Claire UK published on January 7, the 53-year-old actress reflected on the emotional toll of their high-profile split, prompting strong reactions online, with some fans criticizing Affleck and calling the divorce a major “fumble.”
Garner graced the cover of the magazine’s January 2026 Wellness Issue, marking her first major feature in nearly three years. While the issue focused on mental health, resilience, and personal growth, Garner shared insights into her decade-long journey, highlighting the challenges of her family breaking up and her current co-parenting relationship with Affleck.
After ten years of marriage, the couple separated in June 2015 and finalized their divorce in October 2018. While neither has publicly disclosed all reasons for the split, reports at the time cited Affleck’s struggles with alcohol. Reflecting on the experience, Garner told Marie Claire UK, “You have to be smart about what you can and can’t handle, and I could not handle what was out there. But what was out there was not what was hard. The actual breaking up of a family is what was hard. Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard.”
The actress emphasized the strain caused by media scrutiny, adding, “It doesn’t serve me to take in gossip about myself or anyone else, much less my kids, so I don’t do it.” She and Affleck share three children—Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13—and have maintained a cordial co-parenting relationship. “So much about my life surprises me. That I’m able to co-parent at this point in time with peace and equanimity and a partnership that I didn’t know I would ever get back to,” she said.
Garner highlighted the role of time in healing and forgiveness: “Time is the opportunity to heal. Time is the opportunity to forgive, to move on and to find a new way to be friends.” While Garner expressed no ill will toward her ex, social media users were less forgiving, with many criticizing Affleck’s past decisions and relationships.
She also offered insight into her post-divorce life, sharing that she has focused on building resilience through meaningful relationships. Since 2018, Garner has been dating tech CEO John Miller, noting, “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.”
Currently promoting the second season of her Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me and the upcoming adaptation of her book The Five-Star Weekend, Garner also discussed balancing work, advocacy for children’s education, and her passion for yoga. The former couple was last seen together publicly on December 21, 2025, attending a theater performance with their daughter Seraphina. Fans praised Garner’s poise and maturity, calling her “classy” and “graceful” throughout the years since the divorce.
