Jennifer Garner has shared that she experienced significant financial anxiety following her divorce from Ben Affleck, admitting she "panicked" about her ability to provide for herself and their three children.
Garner, who shares children Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel with Affleck, discussed the impact of the divorce on her career and financial security during an episode of the podcast "Aspire with Emma Grede." She explained that the end of her marriage coincided with a realization that her career might not offer the consistent income she previously relied upon.
"I panicked when I was first out of my marriage and realized I had taken such a step back in my work," Garner said. "Suddenly I realized I don't know how long I'll be able to work. This isn't a career that's like, 'Hey, you're 60, you're 55, you're 43, come on, let's pay you more than you've ever made.' You know what I mean? That's not been traditionally the role."
She further elaborated on the immediate concerns she faced as a single parent. "I was suddenly like, 'Wait a minute, I have to take care of myself, I have to take care of these kids. So what is it going to be?'" The actress noted that her circumstances required her to be present in Los Angeles, making extended periods away for film shoots difficult. "I can't leave these kids for six months at a time," she stated. "I would love to. I love going on location, but it's not this time in my career."
Garner and Affleck met on the set of "Pearl Harbor" in 2001 and began a romantic relationship in 2004 after starring in "Daredevil." They married in 2005, and their divorce was finalized in 2015. Despite the personal upheaval, Garner expressed gratitude for the opportunities she had to balance her career and motherhood.
"It's not like you can just unfamous yourself. Life is expensive, and you still have to figure out how you're going to live," Garner remarked. "Just because you're well known by people does not mean that there is some great living being provided for you, and it became very serious to me, very quickly as someone who has never given a lot of thought to money, like, 'Oh I need to be an earner here.'"
Two years after her divorce, Garner co-founded Once Upon A Farm, an organic children's food company. She also reflected on the challenges of parenting amid the public nature of her split from Affleck, describing it as an "upheaval."
Garner has spoken previously about navigating the complexities of co-parenting and the need for self-compassion. "You have to raise yourself at the same time. And just be so radically kind to yourself about how imperfect it is," she said of trying to manage life as a working mother. "And that it is just going to be imperfect. There’s no such thing as balance. There’s no such thing as doing it right."