Jennifer Garner reveals kids she shares with Ben Affleck are ’embarrassed’ by her, call her ‘cringe’ and refuse to watch her show
The 53-year-old actress is mom to Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, and admits that earning “cool points” at home is basically impossible. Speaking on The Jennifer Hudson Show, she laughed that she’s “only embarrassing” in her kids’ eyes.
Garner recently asked them whether they planned to tune in to season two of her Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me — and their reaction wasn’t exactly enthusiastic. According to her, they responded with a dry, “Do you need us to?” She explained that most kids don’t want to watch their parents cry, kiss someone on screen, or dive into emotional scenes. To them, it’s mortifying.
Still, she suspects her appearance on Hudson’s show might have boosted her status slightly, since she stars opposite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the series. The actor famously played Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones — a show her son Samuel is currently obsessed with.
While she hasn’t shared how her kids feel about their dad or his former wife Jennifer Lopez, Garner recently described her children as “so cool.” She also reflected on how parenting has evolved now that they’re teenagers and young adults.
In an interview with Marie Claire UK, she said motherhood at this stage requires more restraint — “parenting with a button on my mouth,” as she put it — allowing them the space to grow and make their own decisions.
She added that she’s incredibly proud of how they carry themselves and the effort they put into life. At the same time, she admitted that navigating fame as a family can be complicated — not compared to the world’s biggest hardships, but still challenging in its own way.
