Well-known for keeping her private life out of the spotlight, Jennifer Garner recently made rare comments addressing her “hard” divorce from ex-husband Ben Affleck.
The 53-year-old actress shed light on the details of the former couple’s high-profile split in an in-depth Marie Claire UK interview published on Wednesday, January 7.
Highlights
- Jennifer Garner opened up about the “hardest part” of her divorce from Ben Affleck after 10 years of marriage and three children together.
- Her candid revelations left social media users rallying behind Garner, while dragging her ex-husband as “toxic” and calling the split his biggest mistake.
- The actress also shed light on her current co-parenting dynamic and how time and resilience since the divorce have shaped her current love life.
Her remarks sparked intense reactions online, with fans dragging Affleck and even dubbing him “toxic,” while many labeled the divorce a major “fumble” on his part.
“I love her but he is toxic af and she is so trauma bonded,” wrote one netizen.
Jennifer Garner reflected on the emotional toll of her 2015 split and 2018 divorce from Ben Affleck in a Marie Claire UK interview published yesterday
Image credits: jennifer.garner
The coveted magazine unveiled its January 2026 Wellness Issue yesterday, featuring Jennifer Garner as the cover star.
The appearance marked her first major magazine cover story in nearly three years, headlining Marie Claire UK’s “#StartTheYearStrong” campaign.
While the issue primarily focuses on mental health, resilience, and personal growth in the new year, Garner also opened up about her personal journey over the past decade, particularly the “hard” reality of her family breaking up and her current co-parenting relationship with Ben Affleck.
Image credits: Jeff Vespa/VF14/WireImage
After 10 years of marriage, the 13 Going On 30 star and Affleck announced their separation in June 2015, before finalizing their divorce in October 2018.
While neither has publicly confirmed the exact reason for their split, multiple reports at the time cited a combination of factors, including the 53-year-old actor’s battle with drinking a**iction.
Reflecting on the divorce, Garner told the outlet, “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 Golden Globe winner opened up about the “hardest part” of her divorce and how she has since made a “concerted effort” in her relationships
Image credits: Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
“The actual breaking up of a family is what was hard. Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard.”
Emphasizing how intense tabloid and paparazzi scrutiny can also take a toll, she added, “It doesn’t serve me to take in gossip about myself or anyone else, much less my kids, so I don’t do it."
Jennifer and Ben share three children together, Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13.
Image credits: BG004/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Since their separation, the former couple has maintained a cordial co-parenting relationship and continue to raise their children with “peace and equanimity.”
“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,” Jennifer explained.
Highlighting how time has played a significant role in helping them heal and forgive one another following the divorce, Garner emphasized, “I think 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.”
“Time is the opportunity to heal. Time is the opportunity to forgive, to move on and to find a new way to be friends."
“Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard,” Jennifer said in her cover story
Image credits: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
While the Alias star emphasized that she harbors no ill will toward her ex, the internet was far less forgiving.
“He really blew it with her, he doesn't deserve her,” wrote one fan of the actress.
Another commented, “Ben definitely fumbled,” while a third added, “She has been gracefully mature throughout her divorce and afterwards.”
Image credits: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Others criticized Affleck’s dating history, noting that after Garner, he married his former fiancée Jennifer Lopez in July 2022.
Two years later, Lopez and Affleck split and filed for divorce in August 2024, which was finalized in January last year.
One critic remarked, “He never looks happy no matter who he's with lol.”
“Ben left her for Jlo he definitely fumbled!”
During the interview, Garner also offered a rare glimpse into her post-divorce love life, explaining how she now makes a “concerted effort” to build resilience through her relationships
The Yes Day actress highlighted her healing process and shared what helped her “forgive” and “move on” from her marital breakdown
Image credits: jennifer.garner
The Family Switch star has been dating tech CEO John Miller since 2018 and shared, “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.”
The actress, who is currently promoting the second season of her Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me and her upcoming book adaptation series The Five-Star Weekend, also discussed balancing work, her advocacy for children’s education, and her newfound passion for yoga.
Jennifer and Ben were last seen together in public just days before the Christmas holiday, on December 21, 2025.
The former couple attended a performance of the Tony-winning play Stereophonic at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles with their middle child, Seraphina.
“She’s that celebrity you never wanna hear anything bad about. Classy lady,” admired one fan of Garner
