Jennifer Garner’s Daughter Unaware of Mom’s Fame Until Classmate Told Her

Jennifer Garner’s kids primarily knew her as just their mom. However, a revealing conversation with one of her daughter’s classmates led Garner to explain her true identity to her child.

Garner has often shared the impact of her celebrity status on her family life. The constant presence of paparazzi made it challenging for her to spend quality time with her family outside their home.

“Everywhere we went, it was like a circus. My daughter tried to play soccer, but it turned into such a spectacle for all the families involved that they asked us to stop,” Garner recently shared in an interview.

She also expressed frustration over the intrusion of paparazzi in more private moments, such as seeking medical care for her children.

“For 10 years, we had at least six cars, and often 20, parked outside our home, school, and even at the pediatrician’s office. I found myself pleading, ‘Please move aside from the pediatrician’s door. My child is sick, please.’”

In Garner’s early years of motherhood, her children took some time to understand her celebrity. Garner once discussed her family life with fellow actress Jessica Biel in a joint interview. Biel recalled a story she had heard about Garner’s oldest child, Violet.

“I heard this sweet story about Violet,” Biel recounted. “A classmate told her, ‘I heard Jennifer Garner lives in your house.’ Violet replied, ‘No, she doesn’t.’ When the classmate persisted, Violet went home and asked, ‘Mom, who is Jennifer Garner and why do people say she lives with us?’”

Garner confirmed Biel’s story, adding, “That’s true. She just knows me as Mom, so I had to explain to her the distinction for the first time.”

Garner spent a considerable amount of time preparing for motherhood. In an interview, she mentioned how certain she was about becoming a mother, regardless of her marital status.

“Being a mother was a certainty for me,” she said. “I could’ve adopted or fostered, but I knew I would be a mom. I was the kid who carried a doll everywhere. My friend Carrie and I even had a babysitting company—C & J’s Babysitting—from around seventh or eighth grade.”

After becoming a mother, Garner needed time to gauge how much space to give her children, especially given the attention they received due to her celebrity status.

“Kids will figure out who they are as they grow older,” she said. “I believe mine will turn out to be wonderful individuals. Not every behavior is perfect all the time. Growing up is tough. We didn’t have the scrutiny our kids face. I was such a hands-on first-time mom. My eldest could hardly think on her own because I was always hovering. I was a nightmare for everyone around me.”