Not all divorces end up in a drama and not all separating couples fight it out in the court. This is the story of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck who amicably left each other after being married for 10 years. Even though they are no longer together, they made a mark as one of Hollywood’s iconic couple.
A successful American actress and a film producer, Jennifer has gained a reputation as one actress you can’t miss when on; not just for her acting talents but also for her stunning appearance. Apart from her talent and on-screen achievements, Garner is one of the hottest Hollywood actresses. Born on April 17, 1972, she seems ageless and looks quite young despite being a mother of three.
Her ex-husband, Ben Affleck is also a household name in showbiz where he excels as not only an actor but also producer, screenwriter, and director. The two-time Oscar winner was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkely, California, which means there is no significant age gap between the former couple as they were both born in the same year.
Despite their divorce, the couple continues to support each other. From rumored reunions to life in the rehab, here is everything we know about Garner and Ben Affleck’s relationship, as well as their divorce.
How Did Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck Meet?
It was one incredible journey for Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck in their personal lives which started in the summer of 2000 when they first met on the set of the film; Pearl Harbor. At the time of filming, Jennifer Graner was married to Scott Foley whom she met on the set of Felicity in 1998 while Ben was in a complicated relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Apparently, neither of them was searching for love and despite keeping things professional considering their individual relationships with other people, they started a solid friendship from this point that would last for years.
In January 2003, the world began to notice their affection for each other when they appeared on Dinner for Five. Although Ben was engaged to Jennifer Lopez and Gardner was still married, the audience got the hint of a strong bond between the pair given the way they stared at each other. That same year, they found themselves working together once again in the superhero flick Daredevil and according to Ben, it was at this point that they had developed feelings for each other. By early 2004, the couple had separated from their exes, but it took the duo until mid-2004 to come to terms with their feelings and spark a romance. In 2005, the bond between the Garner and Ben Affleck seemed to have grown stronger.
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Marriage
After dating for a number of months, Ben had already liked her enough to consider spending the rest of his life with her. In April 2005, on Garner’s 33rd birthday, Ben went down on his knees to ask her to marry him and by June of the same year, the two wedded in a top-secret Turks and Caicos ceremony. The wedding was so private that the only guests they had were Victor Garber (who officiated the ceremony) and his partner, Rainer Andreesen.
The super couple stayed married for 10 years and ensured they followed the same privacy philosophy in their union. In December 2005, Jennifer gave birth to their first child, a daughter Violet and in January 2009, she had another daughter Seraphina. In February 2012, she had their son, Samuel.
How Did They Get Divorced?
The couple appeared to be on their way to living happily ever after with everything seeming great. Sadly, the year 2015 turned out to be a troubling time for the duo and their fans who believed the couple’s love was never going to die. After much thought and careful consideration, Garner and Affleck announced that they mutually agreed to go their separate ways in June that year. They claimed the decision to divorce was a difficult one adding that they chose to move forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting their children.
Why Did Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck Split?
As always, the couple kept the reason for their divorce private. But there have been rumors citing chains of reasons including infidelities. In some quarters, it is believed that Ben was cheating with the couple’s nanny, Christine Ouzounian, and even took her to Las Vegas on a vacation. When the rumor thickened, the actor’s rep firmly denied the two had any romantic relationship. In Ben’s defense, Jennifer Garner opened up in an interview that they were already separated before she heard about the nanny, noting that the affair had nothing to do with the divorce.
While the world waited for the couple to begin a legal battle, insider sources reported that they called off their divorce but were not back together. Fans of the pair were elated when further reports that Garner and Affleck really wanted to patch things up and were giving it another try. In March 2017, Ben took to social media to announce his alcohol addiction, adding that he had completed his treatment. The next month, they finally filed for divorce with both asking for legal custody of their children nearly two years after their separation, an indication that Garner and Ben probably tried to make things right between them.
Knowing that when it comes to divorce, children are always the ones who suffer as regards custody battle, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck decided to save their children unnecessary media coverage. They got legal backings ordering paparazzi to keep off their children. In 2018, given that the couple’s divorce remained pending, the court warned them to finalize their divorce or their case would be dismissed for the delay in prosecution. By October that year, Ben and Jennifer finalized their divorce and the couple reached a truce for both parents to have equal access to their children through a private judge.
Insider sources reveal that the union ought to have long crashed and almost ended three years prior to their divorce but the couple fought on for their love. When they were no longer willing to go on with the sacrifices, they decided to quit so they don’t become contentious which will be unhealthy for the family. Though Jennifer’s priority has always been her kids, the actress later admitted that she needed to rebuild her life without Ben who has been open about his struggle with alcohol addiction.
See Also: A Detailed Look At How Brangelina’s Divorce Will Affect Their Combined Wealth
Life After Divorce
Even though the two have legally ended their relationship, they maintain an amicable friendship. In fact, in November 2018 after their divorce proceedings were finalized, there were indications that Ben still lived in the family’s Brentwood, California property, though not the same house just so they could co-parent their three children. The friendly exes are often photographed together at different events involving their children such as games and school drop-offs. Affleck has even admitted that it is easy to co-parent with a mom as awesome as Jennifer Garner. The actor does not also deny that he still has strong feelings for his ex-wife.
In July 2017, Ben found love with Emmy-award winning producer, Lindsay Shookus after his split from estranged wife Garner. The actor and SNL producer were in an on-off romance for about a year before eventually parting ways for good in August 2018. However, in between the pair’s dating timeline, Affleck who seemingly finds it hard to stay long off the dating market reportedly had a brief fling with Playboy model and veterinary technician Shauna Sexton. But since the actor still held on to his feelings for Lindsay, the Affleck-Sexton relationship was never really serious. For now, Ben Affleck appears to have finally started taking his sobriety seriously and taken himself off the dating market.
Like her estranged spouse, Jennifer Garner also has a new man in her life – John Miller. While Miller isn’t renowned in Hollywood, he is well known for his accomplishments in the tech field. Garner’s boyfriend is the CEO and chairman of holding company Cali Group. Though the actress couldn’t see herself dating for so long after Ben, she and Miller eventually hit it off immediately after being introduced by mutual friends. The couple confirmed their romance in November 2018 when they stepped out publicly together for the first time.
John and Jen who have a lot in common apparently bonded over their shared divorce and co-parenting experience. The businessman was previously married to concert violinist Caroline Campbell and they have a daughter and a son together. Interestingly, his daughter’s name is also Violet as well. After calling it quits in 2014, John and Caroline’s divorce proceedings were also prolonged just like that of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. The pair are apparently not in a hurry to speed up the process and are just waiting for a judge to sign off and make their divorce official.
While Jen very much enjoys dating as far as it goes, her kids remain her top priority. Thankfully, Miller understands this fact and the lovers only get to see when the actress isn’t busy with her kids. In her usual manner, Jen is also trying very hard to keep their relationship low key.
