Jennifer Garner Hinted She Hoped to Change Ben Affleck But ‘Learned’ She Couldn’t, Insider Says
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck had a successful Hollywood marriage for 10 years. The couple tied the knot in 2005 — a year after Affleck and Jennifer Lopez ended their engagement. Garner and Affleck split in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018, and they vowed to stay friendly for the good of their three kids. Recently, Garner talked about the important lessons she learned through her life — and one likely pointed to her marriage to Affleck. Here’s what an insider said about discovering she could never “change” her ex-husband.
Jennifer Garner ‘learned’ that she couldn’t ‘change’ Ben Affleck after she married him, a source says
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck maintain a healthy relationship years after their divorce. However, they had difficulties during their marriage. Garner helped Affleck navigate his alcoholism, and she fielded rumors that suggested Affleck had an affair. On Nov. 12, 2024, Garner spoke on the Lipstick on the Rim podcast about the lessons her mother taught her — and one of them seemed applicable to her past marriage.
“’Don’t marry a man thinking you can change him,’” Garner stated as a lesson from her mother.
A source told In Touch Weekly that Garner had to learn that she couldn’t save Affleck no matter how much she wished she could. “Jen worked hard to save her 10-year marriage,” the source explained. “But Jen has learned that the only person who can change Ben is Ben.”
Garner reflected on her divorce during a 2016 Vanity Fair interview. She and Affleck separated the year prior and wouldn’t finalize the paperwork until 2018.
“It’s one of the pains in my life that something I believe in so strongly I’ve completely failed at twice,” Garner said of her two divorces (the first with Scott Foley). “You have to have two people to dance a marriage. My heart’s a little on the tender side right now, and it’s always easier to focus on the ways that you feel hurt, but I know that, with time and some perspective, I’ll have a clearer sense of where I let the system down, because there’s no way I get off in this.”
Jennifer Garner allegedly helped Ben Affleck during and after his divorce filing from Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Garner might’ve learned she couldn’t “change” Ben Affleck during her marriage. However, she still reportedly stood by him as his marriage to Jennifer Lopez failed. Affleck and Lopez tied the knot in 2022 after reconnecting in 2021. Unfortunately, Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024 after months of speculation that the couple were calling it quits.
Media outlets swarmed the news and claimed Affleck sought guidance and comfort from Garner while he and Lopez navigated their split. Photos showed Affleck spending time at Garner’s home. A source told In Touch Weekly that Garner, Affleck’s brother, and Matt Damon worked “as a team” to ensure Affleck’s wellness and safety amid the divorce proceedings.
“They’re all in touch with him and with each other,” the source explained. “They’re very much a team and acting as a de facto support group for him. If they’re seeing a thing to worry about, they alert each other immediately. Ben knows they’re all in touch, but he doesn’t know the extent of it.”
The ’13 Going on 30′ actor is ‘putting the focus back on herself’ amid John Miller romance
Jennifer Garner still cares deeply for Ben Affleck. However, she moved on romantically with John Miller. She and Miller have been together since 2018. They prefer to keep their romance out of the public, though rumors suggest they’re now considering a Paris wedding.
A source told In Touch Weekly that Garner “is finally putting the focus back on herself,” which pleases those around her. “She’ll never be a diva,” the source continued, “but she deserves to be the center of attention after putting Ben [Affleck] first for so long, and this shopping trip in Paris was the perfect reward.”
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