Jennifer Garner details sacrifices and challenges of co-parenting with Ben Affleck

Jennifer Garner has learned quite a bit when it comes to co-parenting with ex-husband Ben Affleck. 

During a recent appearance on Bustle's "One Nightstand" podcast, the "Alias" actress — who split from Affleck in 2015 — opened up about the sacrifices made while raising their three children together. 

"When your kids grow up in two separate households, I become mom and dad, and he becomes dad and mom," said Garner. "You kind of can't help it, right? Because you don't have the benefit of both sides, the yin and yang being in the same house, so you have to have a bit of both in the way you parent."

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"There's a little bit of loss in that, but there's also something gained in that," she added. "You also just learn, it's made me let go and not focus so much on the bringing up."

Affleck and Garner initially met on the set of 2001's "Pearl Harbor," but didn't spark a romantic relationship until 2004, after starring alongside one another in the 2003 film "Daredevil." They married in 2005, but eventually called it quits in 2015. 

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce," the couple said in a joint statement at the time. "We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time. This will be our only comment on this private, family matter. Thank you for understanding."

In her first interview since announcing the split, Garner said Affleck was the "love of her life."

"I didn't marry the big fat movie star; I married him," she told Vanity Fair in 2016. "And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can't have these three babies and so much of what we had. He's the love of my life."

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"We still have to help each other get through this," she added, referencing their divorce. "He's still the only person who really knows the truth about things. And I'm still the only person that knows some of his truths."

After his divorce from Garner, Affleck rekindled his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. The couple's marriage lasted roughly two years. Lopez and Affleck married in 2022 and finalized their divorce in January 2025.

In December 2024, a source close to Affleck told Fox News Digital that the "Argo" actor had been enjoying time away from the spotlight, as he continued to relish quality time with Garner and their three children. 

"Ben and Jennifer Garner have a really great co-parenting relationship," the source said. "They are still family for the sake of the kids. They talk all the time and Jennifer wants what's best for him because it's best for their kids. There is no bad blood between them, and she's really been there for him and their kids as they navigate life post split from Jennifer Lopez."

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"Ben seems to be in a really great place in his life," the source added. "He's got a few things work wise to wrap up the year, but he seems less stressed than he did six months ago. He's focused on work and staying busy and seems excited for his project in the new year."

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In 2020, Affleck appeared on "Good Morning America," where he admitted that he and Garner would be "connected" forever. 

"I didn't want to get divorced, I didn't want to be a divorced person, I really didn't want to be a split family with my children," he said at the time. "It upset me because it meant I wasn't who I thought I was and that was so painful and so disappointing. In myself."

"When you have children with somebody, you're connected to them forever," he said. "And I'm very lucky she is the mother of my children. I'm very grateful and respectful of her. Our marriage didn't work, and that's difficult. Both of us really believe that it's important for kids to see their parents respect one another and get along, whether they're together or not."