Jennifer Garner maintained a significant bond with her former mother-in-law, Chris Anne Affleck, who died at age 83 from pancreatic cancer on June 2. Chris Anne, the mother of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, remained close with Garner for years after Garner and Ben Affleck announced their separation in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.
Despite the end of her marriage to Ben Affleck, Garner and Chris Anne continued to share holidays and outings. In 2018, Chris Anne stayed with Garner and her children while Ben Affleck was undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility. Last year, Chris Anne joined Garner and Affleck for Thanksgiving dinner at Garner's home. She was also seen with Garner at her grandson Samuel's basketball game in 2024, even though she had arrived at the event with Affleck and his then-wife Jennifer Lopez.
Ben Affleck highlighted the strong relationships in a 2019 Mother's Day post, honoring both his mother and Garner. He wrote, "Happy Mother’s Day to the two incredible mothers who have shown me the meaning of love," accompanying a photo of the two women.
Chris Anne Affleck, born in New York City in December 1942, had a career as a public school teacher for 35 years before retiring in 2008. She was also a staunch advocate for civil rights, participating in Freedom Summer in Mississippi during the 1960s and marching against the Vietnam War. She and her ex-husband Timothy Affleck were the parents of Ben, born in 1972, and Casey, born in 1975. Casey Affleck has credited his mother with maintaining stability in the household during their parents' divorce.
Chris Anne was supportive of Ben Affleck's early acting aspirations, connecting him with a Harvard classmate who worked as a casting director. She accompanied him to the 1998 Academy Awards when he and Matt Damon won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Affleck recalled in 2023 that sitting next to their mothers when they won felt natural and not a novelty, as some suggested.
In her final months, Chris Anne wished to see her grandson Samuel's high school graduation, which she attended on May 31, two days before her passing. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December and was given an estimated six months to live.
Chris Anne's obituary noted her continued activism after retirement, including campaigning for Barack Obama and supporting water justice initiatives. She is survived by her sons Ben and Casey Affleck and five grandchildren.