When Jennifer Garner Finally Broke Her Silence About Ben Affleck's Affair With Nanny: "I Have Had to..."
Ben Affleck's tumultuous love life has always made headlines. Before marrying Jennifer Lopez, Affleck was in a loving marriage with 13 Going On 30 actress Jennifer Garner. The couple seemed to have it all together until tabloids broke the news of Affleck’s infidelity. They split after news of his cheating with a nanny came to light. Almost a decade ago, his ex-wife Garner opened up about what she knew of his affair.
In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, a year after her divorce, the actress got candid about her now ex-husband's alleged affair with their 28-year-old nanny, Christine Ouzounian. She clarified one vital piece of information about the entire ordeal. “We had been separated for months before I even heard about the nanny.” Garner added, “She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not part of the equation.”
Garner’s confession insinuated that there was trouble in paradise for a while, which ultimately led to their separation. It suggested that the affair with the nanny was a consequence, and not necessarily, the cause of going their separate ways. Nevertheless, the divorce was likely not an easy decision or experience as they shared three children—Violet, Fin, and Samuel.
Garner emphasized the aftermath of it on her children while shading Affleck, claiming he made 'bad judgment.' The Alias actor stated, “It’s not great for your kids for a nanny to disappear from their lives.” She suggested that, perhaps, Ouzounian was pretty close to the children because of her role. Additionally, Garner pointed out, “I have had to have conversations with my children about the meaning of scandal.”
Garner also recalled the day she first heard about the alleged affair. She said, “I turned on CNN one day, and there we were.” Since it was a very sensitive and emotionally straining time, Garner revealed she took a 'silent oath' to stay as far away from the news as possible. She chose to remain 'totally clueless about all of it.'
According to People magazine, Affleck and Garner decided to end their 10-year marriage after they reportedly 'simply grew apart.' In 2015, they released a joint statement announcing their divorce. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children, whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.” Affleck and Garner sternly iterated that it would be the only time they would 'comment on this private, family matter.' True to their word, the former couple have remained on good terms with each other with no signs of bad blood. Recently, as Affleck also split with Lopez, Garner stepped up in support to be there during his trying times.
This article originally appeared 10 months ago.
