> At a Glance
> – Violet, 20, will start at Yale this fall after lobbying L.A. officials for stronger COVID protections
> – Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, are also forging their own paths while parents juggle careers and co-parenting
> – Both stars rebuilt careers to stay near the kids: Affleck launched Artists Equity; Garner limits travel
> – Why it matters: Shows how celebrity parents balance shielding kids from fame with letting them find their voices
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck spent a decade keeping Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel out of paparazzi range. Now the teens are choosing when-and why-to step onstage.
From Playgrounds to Podiums
Violet’s first major public moment came at 17, when she addressed the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in July 2024:
> “One in 10 infections leads to long COVID… I demand mask availability, air filtration… in government facilities.”
Her parents’ earlier activism set the stage: Garner helped pass a 2013 law barring unauthorized photos of children after Violet, then a kindergartner, told her the cameras were “scary.”
Co-Parenting After the Split
Since divorcing in 2018, both actors re-engineered work schedules to stay local.
Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter he started Artists Equity so he’d never again “go to Austin and… not see my kids.”
Garner, dating John Miller on-and-off since 2018, has echoed the sentiment in multiple interviews: proximity matters more than prestige.
Milestones in the Spotlight
| Child | Age | Recent Public Moment |
|---|---|---|
| Violet | 20 | Yale-bound after viral COVID speech |
| Seraphina | 17 | Gave mom away at 2022 Lopez-Affleck wedding |
| Samuel | 13 | Courtside with dad at Celtics game |
Key Takeaways
- Violet’s activism shows the kids absorbed their parents’ social conscience
- Both Garner and Affleck reshaped careers post-divorce to maximize time with the three teens
- Despite A-list fame, the family still worries about social media: Garner calls it “nothing positive” for adolescents
As Violet heads to Yale and Seraphina nears adulthood, the once camera-shy trio is proving they can handle the spotlight-on their own terms.
