It has been nearly a decade since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck announced they were ending their marriage, but the Alias star is finally pulling back the curtain on what actually broke her heart. In a rare and deeply vulnerable interview released this morning, Garner revealed that the “hardest part” of the divorce was not the cheating rumors or the media circus. Instead, it was the sudden loss of her partner and best friend.
Speaking to Marie Claire UK for their new Wellness issue, the 53-year-old actress offered a candid look at the emotional toll of uncoupling from one of the world’s most famous men. While the public consumed the drama, Garner was quietly mourning the death of a friendship that had defined her adult life.
Garner’s comments mark a shift from her usual diplomatic stance. While she has always spoken highly of Affleck as a father, she rarely discusses the personal devastation of the split itself.
“You have to be smart about what you can and can’t handle, and I could not handle what was out there,” Garner told the magazine while referring to the relentless paparazzi coverage in 2015. “But what was out there was not what was hard. The fact of it is what was hard.”
She continued with a quote that has already set social media ablaze.
“The actual breaking up of a family is what was hard. Losing a true partnership and friendship is what was hard.”
For fans who followed “Bennifer 2.0,” this admission hits hard. Garner and Affleck were the golden couple of the early 2000s. They built a life together for 10 years before their separation. Garner’s confession highlights that beneath the glossy magazine covers, a genuine bond was shattered.
The good news is that they found their way back. Garner revealed that time has allowed them to rebuild a new kind of relationship, which is centered entirely on their children: Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 13.
“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,” she explained.
This “new partnership” has been tested repeatedly. It faced its biggest challenge during Affleck’s recent rollercoaster years. When Affleck’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez ended in divorce in January 2025, Garner was frequently spotted visiting him. She helped him navigate the fallout while maintaining boundaries for their kids.
Garner emphasized that forgiveness was the key to their current peace. “Time is the opportunity to heal,” she said. “Time is the opportunity to forgive, to move on, and to find a new way to be friends.”
The “Private” Life With John Miller
While she was open about her past with Ben, Garner remained characteristically tight-lipped about her present. She has been dating CaliGroup CEO John Miller on and off since 2018.
Unlike the media frenzy surrounding Affleck, Garner’s relationship with Miller is intentionally low-profile. There are no red carpet debuts or Instagram hard launches.
“John has embraced Jen’s family life,” a source told People last year. “He’s been patient, supportive, and deeply respectful of her dynamic with Ben.”
Garner also touched on the challenge of raising young adults. With her eldest daughter, Violet, now 20 and attending Yale, and Fin and Samuel navigating their teenage years, Garner admits her parenting style has had to evolve.
“It’s more about parenting with a button on my mouth,” she joked in the interview. “You have to let them grow up and make their choices. You don’t get to control it.”
This “hands-off” approach seems to be working. The Affleck kids have been praised for their poise. Violet specifically has made headlines for her passionate advocacy on public health issues.
Garner’s interview comes at a fascinating time. Ben Affleck is technically single again following the finalization of his divorce from Jennifer Lopez last year. Rumors of a “Bennifer 1.0” reconciliation always swirl whenever Ben is single, but Garner’s words put those to rest.
She isn’t talking about romance. She is talking about the hard-won battle for friendship. By distinguishing the “partnership” of marriage from the “partnership” of co-parenting, she is drawing a clear line in the sand. She loves him, yes, but as family rather than a flame.
As she told Marie Claire, the resilience she found didn’t come from a new man or a career comeback. “It’s in your relationships and in the people who carry you through.”
For Jennifer Garner, it seems the hardest part is over. She didn’t just survive the breakup of her family. She built a new one from the pieces.
