Ben Affleck Wishes Jennifer Garner A Happy Mother's Day With Heartfelt Tribute

May 10, 2021 by apost team

Ben Affleck, 48, has been a staple on American TV for decades. The actor started his career as a young teen when he first appeared in a PBS series called "The Voyage of the Mimi." He later starred in films such as "Chasing Amy" or "Dogma" before gaining widespread global recognition and accolades for his appearance in "Good Will Hunting" together with his childhood friend Matt Damon. The film was nominated for several Oscars and earned Affleck and Damon the prize for Best Original Screenplay. Following this momentous occasion, Affleck quickly established himself as a leading actor for studio films.

In 2001, Affleck met his wife-to-be on the set of "Pearl Harbor". Jennifer Garner, 49, at the time only played a supporting role in the acclaimed war drama. While the two actors struck up a friendship, Garner quickly established herself as an actress through several comedy movies, including such titles as "Juno," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," and "The Invention of Lying." The celebrity couple married in 2004 in a very private ceremony including only two guests, their friend and Canadian actor Victor Garber and his partner.

The couple went on to have three children together: their elder daughter Violet Anne, born 2005, younger daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, born 2009, and their son Samuel Garner, born 2012. Although Affleck and Garner announced they were separating in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018, the couple has kept shared custody of their three children and continues to co-parent. In a moving post this Mother's Day, Affleck shared his gratitude for his ex-wife and all she does for their kids.

Their continuing support for each other marked Affleck and Garner's relationship. According to PEOPLE, Affleck stated in 2013 that his early work on directing films himself was directly influenced by Garner's support of him. Her encouragement gave him the courage he needed to make the switch from acting to directing following his career downturn during the early 2000s and heavily publicized split from his previous lover, Jennifer Lopez. He went on record as he said:

"Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, 'Okay, I'm going to do Hollywoodland. I'm going to direct Gone Baby Gone. Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board."

Garner herself echoed his words the same year, re-affirming that they leaned heavily on each other for motivation and support:

"We both know we couldn't do what we do without each other. He has been amazing at finding ways of telling me how much he appreciates what I do. Honestly, I would do anything for that man, because I know it's not to be taken for granted."

Their separation and following divorce came as a surprise to many fans. As a first step, Affleck moved into the guest house on the family's property in 2015 before moving out completely in 2017. The couple also released a joint statement that said:

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to 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."

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Since then, Affleck and Garner have kept to their words and continue to have an amicable relationship.

During an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016, Garner commented that the main focus of her and Affleck's energy during the split and subsequent divorce where their shared children:

"The main thing is these kids—and we're completely in line with what we hope for them. Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter's wedding. But you should see their faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you're going to be friends with that person."

They finally divorced in 2018, after divorce proceedings that were not handled in court but rather via a mediator, as reported by TMZ. Even post-divorce, Affleck and Garner's relationship remained extraordinarily friendly, with the two of them even going on joint vacations with their children. So it should be no surprise that Affleck took to social media on this year's Mother's Day to heap praise on his ex-wife and mother of his three children.

On Instagram, Affleck shared a sweet series of pictures featuring Garner and their three children. The caption read:

"So happy to share these kids with you. Luckiest parents in the world. Thanks for all the good you do.
Happy Mother's Day.
Love, their Dad"

While it is often hard for divorced parents to continue to see each other, it's heartening to see that it really is possible to stay friends and co-parent meaningfully. 

What do you think about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's friendship following their divorce? Would you be able to co-parent with an ex-partner? Tell us what you think and pass this article along to friends and family.