At a Glance
- Jennifer Garner calls the 2015 family breakup with Ben Affleck “hard” in a new interview
- The actress says losing “a true partnership and friendship” was the toughest part
- They now co-parent Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13
- Why it matters: The candid comments show how celebrity divorces affect family life even years later
Jennifer Garner has opened up about the emotional toll of her 2015 separation from Ben Affleck, revealing that the end of their decade-long marriage was less about public scrutiny and more about the personal loss of a trusted partner.
The Hardest Part
In a conversation with Marie Claire UK timed to the February 20 return of her Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me, Garner, 53, said the logistics of fame never compared to the heartbreak at home.
> “The actual breaking up of a family is what was hard,” Garner explained. “Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard.”
She emphasized that the media glare was manageable compared with the private grief of reshaping a family.
Life After Divorce
After the split, Garner leaned on community to rebuild resilience.
- She schedules regular time with friends and relatives
- She credits those relationships for carrying her through
- “That’s where your resilience is,” she noted
Garner and Affleck finalized their divorce in 2018 and have since developed what a News Of Los Angeles source calls “this nice routine that works for everyone,” spending holidays together with their children.
Parenting Shift
Now that the kids are older, Garner says her role has evolved.
> “It’s more about parenting with a button on my mouth,” she laughed, adding that she has to let them make their own choices.
Between acting projects, she focuses on advocacy with Save the Children US and Once Upon a Farm and is dating businessman John Miller.
Key Takeaways
- Garner says the family split, not media attention, caused the real pain
- Strong friendships have been key to her resilience
- Co-parenting with Affleck remains “tricky” but functional
- Season 2 of The Last Thing He Told Me premieres February 20 on Apple TV+
The actress’s reflections highlight how even Hollywood breakups ultimately come down to the same universal challenge: redefining family while protecting the kids.
