Jennifer Garner Avoided Working with Ben Affleck During Marriage: ‘Why Risk It?’

Although they met as co-stars on the film Elektra, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner never worked together professionally once they wed. The couple remained supportive of each other throughout their decade-long marriage, which faced many personal difficulties and ultimately ended in divorce. Nevertheless, Garner had a firm stance on one thing: she wouldn’t work with Affleck professionally. Her reason: “Why rock the boat?”

In a 2010 interview for W Magazine, Jennifer Garner discussed her marriage to Ben Affleck. She expressed pride in their marriage and the family they created, but she drew a hard line on their professional relationship. Garner and Affleck met while filming Elektra in 2004, shortly after ending relationships with Scott Foley and Jennifer Lopez, respectively. After marrying and starting a family that included their children Samuel, Violet, and Seraphina, Garner decided to end their professional collaboration.

“I think he’s brilliant at what he does, but why rock the boat? It works between us pretty well the way it is. I don’t know if I want to go to work with him. I’d be like, ‘Okay, already, you got the shot. Let’s go home!’” Garner told W Magazine, highlighting her respect for Affleck’s acting and directing skills while emphasizing her desire to keep their professional and personal lives separate.

When Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck met, both were in high-profile relationships; Affleck with Jennifer Lopez and Garner with Scott Foley. However, their connection seemed to be based on more than just a rebound romance. They started their relationship as friends and developed a deeper bond. The couple wed in Turks and Caicos in June 2005, with Garner three months pregnant, and her Alias co-star Victor Garber officiating. Joking about the pace of their relationship, Garner said, “We were together a year and just started breeding. We were like, ‘Let’s have a baby!’ And eight days later…”

Despite the affection they had for each other, Affleck was able to keep their personal life out of public discussions, while Garner took a different approach. “Ben asks me, ‘How come when I do an interview, I manage to keep you out of it completely?’” she explained. “And I’m like, ‘Either because you don’t think about me or because boy magazines don’t care about what I make you for dinner. But they should!’” Garner quipped.

Since their divorce in 2018, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner remain good friends and co-parents. Us Weekly cited a source close to the couple, who shared that their friendship is intact and that they prioritize their children’s well-being. Jennifer Garner often praises Affleck’s parenting skills on social media, including a heartfelt 2018 Instagram post where she called their kids “lucky.”

“There is a deep level of trust and respect between them,” a source told the publication. Reportedly, Affleck confides in Garner, especially during challenging times in his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. The source continued, “Jen was hopeful that things would work out between them, but she just wants them to be happy. So she supports whatever path they’ve decided to take.”

The insider added that Garner aims to stay out of Affleck’s personal relationships. “She doesn’t feel like it’s any of her business,” the source said. Her priority remains Affleck’s relationship with their three children.

In a recent event, the exes traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, to settle their eldest daughter, Violet Affleck, into her freshman year at Yale University. Along with their daughter Seraphina (their youngest child, Samuel, didn’t appear to make the trip), the trio traveled back to Los Angeles together.

Jennifer Garner is currently in a long-term relationship with John Miller, while Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are reportedly divorcing.

Source: various sources