Jennifer Garner made sad confession about Ben Affleck divorce after reflecting on split

A lot has happened since Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner decided to get a divorce, which was finalised in 2018 after 13 years of marriage.

Affleck has, of course, since been married – and divorced – all over again, this time to ex Jennifer Lopez.

The pair were previously engaged in the early 00s, but revived their romance almost two decades later. However, despite noble efforts for a second stab at things, their whirlwind romance came crashing down in August this year, with Lopez citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ as she filed for divorce.

As the highly publicised split played out in the papers, Garner was often seen at Affleck’s side – hardly surprising, given she shares three children with the actor.

Ben Affleck with first wife Jennifer Garner (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

The announcement of their own divorce came just one day after their 10th anniversary, with Garner telling Vanity Fair in 2016: “It was a real marriage. It wasn’t for the cameras. And it was a huge priority for me to stay in it. And that did not work.”

There had been rumours that Affleck had cheated on her with their children’s nanny, but Garner stressed: “We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny.

"She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes. It’s not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.”

But while she had an enviably grown-up approach to the breakup, she candidly admitted there was one ‘dream’ she felt sad to lose.

Garner shares three kids with Affleck (Instagram/@jennifer.garner)

When asked how she planned to move forward, Garner replied: “It’s not Ben’s job to make me happy.

“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.”

Garner said fans didn’t need to ‘worry’ about her, in spite of those messy cheating rumours, saying her ‘eyes were wide open during the marriage’.

“No one needs to hate him for me,” she said.

“I don’t hate him [...] I’m taking good care of myself.”

Garner is now in a relationship with businessman John Miller, having first been linked in 2018.