Jennifer Garner recounted how the intense publicity surrounding her life led to her being asked to stop attending her child's soccer practice.
In a recent reflection on raising her three children in the spotlight, Garner, 54, shared how fame impacted their daily routines. "If I went through a yellow light, 15 cars would go through the red behind me," she said on the "Shut Up Evan" podcast, detailing the aggressive nature of paparazzi.
Garner, who shares Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14, with ex-husband Ben Affleck, noted that the issue extended beyond just her family. "We were trying to have our little one play soccer, and the association asked us to stop because there were 20 cars coming," she recalled. "So it wasn’t just about us. It was just an industry that had gotten out of control."
The "Alias" alum also spoke about the challenges of navigating everyday activities, such as doctor's appointments, with children under constant media surveillance. "If you show up and you’re trying to get into the pediatrician and you have a sick kid on your shoulder and you’re scared and you can’t get into the door because you’re blocked by photographers, there’s something wrong with that, and the kids are paying the price," Garner stated.
She acknowledged the privileged position her career has afforded her while still expressing the difficulties faced by her family. "It felt like 'poor little me, my poor little kids who have everything in the world,' but it was a danger to everyone around us," she said.
Garner described an unusual dynamic with some of the photographers who have followed her for over two decades. "I have a very interesting relationship with my main guy," she said, referring to one persistent photographer. "I mean, I've done anything to ask him to leave. And at the same time, we have an odd respect for each other. I don't know... we've had some really real life moments together."
She recounted an instance where she sought safety from a photographer she believed posed a threat by running towards a familiar paparazzi member. "Like, there’s kind of a Stockholm syndrome thing," she explained. "And at the same time, I’ve called the cops on him a million times and been like, ‘Can you please just give me a walk around the block with my kids and my dog?’"
In other recent comments, Garner praised Affleck as a co-parent. "When [my kids] were younger, I wouldn’t have done a couple of weeks away without taking them with me. Now they’re in high school. You can’t really do that anymore. But they can stay with their dad. He’s wonderful. He takes care of them. He’s a great partner in that way. And that’s very freeing," she told Entertainment Weekly.