Jennifer Garner lifts lid on Affleck co-parenting after divorce
Jennifer Garner lifts lid on co-parenting with ex Ben Affleck, calling him an “incredible co-parent” to their three kids. In comments first reported via Entertainment Weekly and covered by Page Six, she said his support let her film Peacock’s The Five Star Weekend while their teens stay with him — something she finds “very freeing.”
Key Takeaways
- Garner praised Affleck as an “incredible co-parent” years after their 2018 divorce.
- She said she took The Five Star Weekend largely because producers kept most filming in Los Angeles.
- Their teens — Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel — can stay with Affleck when she works away.
- She called him “wonderful” and a “great partner,” saying the setup is “very freeing.”
- She previously scaled back work when the kids were younger and would not leave without them.
The update lands in celebrity breaking news because it reframes how the former couple manage family life long after a high-profile split.
What did Jennifer Garner say about Ben Affleck?
According to Page Six, Garner described Affleck as an “incredible co-parent” to Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13.
“They can stay with their dad,” the 54-year-old said, calling the 53-year-old Affleck “wonderful.”
“He takes care of them,” she continued. “He’s a great partner in that way. And so that’s very freeing.”
How did co-parenting shape The Five Star Weekend?
Garner stars as Hollis Shaw, a food influencer grieving her husband, in the new Peacock series. She told Entertainment Weekly she almost passed when the job was set to shoot in Nova Scotia.
“I said, ‘I would love to do it, but like everything, I really only work in LA. I have three teenagers, and I can’t leave for four months. It’s just not worth it to me,’” she explained.
Producers returned with a plan to shoot mostly in Los Angeles, plus one month in Nantucket. That compromise — and Affleck’s willingness to keep the kids — changed her decision.
How has parenting changed since their divorce?
Garner and Affleck met on the Pearl Harbor set in 2000, married five years later, separated in 2015, and finalized their divorce in 2018.
When the children were younger, the Alias star deliberately scaled back. “There is a time in your life where you just do get caught up in all of that. And that’s OK. Nothing is forever,” she said.
“That’s a season. And it’s a beautiful thing. And I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. But I feel like my kids are a little bigger [now]. Their dad has become this incredible co-parent.”
She added that she once would not have done “a couple of weeks” away without bringing them. As they have gotten older, that is no longer realistic — but Affleck’s care makes short shoots possible.
Last month, she also marked Father’s Day on Instagram, writing that she sees how her kids “dote on their dad” and that “to love and be loved by a great dad is a gift.”